diff --git a/src/compositor-drm.c b/src/compositor-drm.c
index 4ee068bf..b53cd9fe 100644
--- a/src/compositor-drm.c
+++ b/src/compositor-drm.c
@@ -2242,9 +2242,11 @@ drm_restore(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 {
 	struct drm_compositor *d = (struct drm_compositor *) ec;
 
-	if (ec->launcher == NULL && drmDropMaster(d->drm.fd) < 0)
-		weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
-	tty_reset(d->tty);
+	if (ec->launcher == NULL) {
+		if (drmDropMaster(d->drm.fd) < 0)
+			weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
+		tty_reset(d->tty);
+	}
 }
 
 static void
@@ -2266,9 +2268,11 @@ drm_destroy(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 	if (d->gbm)
 		gbm_device_destroy(d->gbm);
 
-	if (d->base.launcher == NULL && drmDropMaster(d->drm.fd) < 0)
-		weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
-	tty_destroy(d->tty);
+	if (d->base.launcher == NULL) {
+		if (drmDropMaster(d->drm.fd) < 0)
+			weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
+		tty_destroy(d->tty);
+	}
 
 	close(d->drm.fd);
 
@@ -2366,7 +2370,8 @@ switch_vt_binding(struct weston_seat *seat, uint32_t time, uint32_t key, void *d
 {
 	struct drm_compositor *ec = data;
 
-	tty_activate_vt(ec->tty, key - KEY_F1 + 1);
+	if (ec->tty)
+		tty_activate_vt(ec->tty, key - KEY_F1 + 1);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -2585,10 +2590,12 @@ drm_compositor_create(struct wl_display *display,
 	ec->base.wl_display = display;
 	ec->session_listener.notify = session_notify;
 	wl_signal_add(&ec->base.session_signal, &ec->session_listener);
-	ec->tty = tty_create(&ec->base, tty);
-	if (!ec->tty) {
-		weston_log("failed to initialize tty\n");
-		goto err_udev;
+	if (ec->base.launcher == NULL) {
+		ec->tty = tty_create(&ec->base, tty);
+		if (!ec->tty) {
+			weston_log("failed to initialize tty\n");
+			goto err_udev;
+		}
 	}
 
 	drm_device = find_primary_gpu(ec, seat_id);
@@ -2692,7 +2699,8 @@ err_udev_dev:
 err_tty:
 	if (ec->base.launcher == NULL && drmDropMaster(ec->drm.fd) < 0)
 		weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
-	tty_destroy(ec->tty);
+	if (ec->tty)
+		tty_destroy(ec->tty);
 err_udev:
 	udev_unref(ec->udev);
 err_compositor:
diff --git a/src/tty.c b/src/tty.c
index 2ac7236c..6beeb3c1 100644
--- a/src/tty.c
+++ b/src/tty.c
@@ -219,21 +219,19 @@ tty_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor, int tty_nr)
 		goto err_kdkbmode;
 	}
 
-	if (compositor->launcher == NULL) {
-		mode.mode = VT_PROCESS;
-		mode.relsig = SIGUSR1;
-		mode.acqsig = SIGUSR1;
-		if (ioctl(tty->fd, VT_SETMODE, &mode) < 0) {
-			weston_log("failed to take control of vt handling\n");
-			goto err_kdmode;
-		}
-
-		tty->vt_source =
-			wl_event_loop_add_signal(loop, SIGUSR1, vt_handler, tty);
-		if (!tty->vt_source)
-			goto err_vtmode;
+	mode.mode = VT_PROCESS;
+	mode.relsig = SIGUSR1;
+	mode.acqsig = SIGUSR1;
+	if (ioctl(tty->fd, VT_SETMODE, &mode) < 0) {
+		weston_log("failed to take control of vt handling\n");
+		goto err_kdmode;
 	}
 
+	tty->vt_source =
+		wl_event_loop_add_signal(loop, SIGUSR1, vt_handler, tty);
+	if (!tty->vt_source)
+		goto err_vtmode;
+
 	return tty;
 
 err_vtmode:
diff --git a/src/weston-launch.c b/src/weston-launch.c
index 87f46417..059010c4 100644
--- a/src/weston-launch.c
+++ b/src/weston-launch.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <poll.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <termios.h>
 
 #include <error.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
 #include <termios.h>
 #include <linux/vt.h>
 #include <linux/major.h>
+#include <linux/kd.h>
 
 #include <pwd.h>
 #include <grp.h>
@@ -69,6 +71,8 @@ struct weston_launch {
 	int ttynr;
 	int sock[2];
 	int drm_fd;
+	struct termios terminal_attributes;
+	int kb_mode;
 	struct passwd *pw;
 
 	int signalfd;
@@ -369,6 +373,7 @@ handle_socket_msg(struct weston_launch *wl)
 static void
 quit(struct weston_launch *wl, int status)
 {
+	struct vt_mode mode = { 0 };
 	int err;
 
 	close(wl->signalfd);
@@ -382,6 +387,20 @@ quit(struct weston_launch *wl, int status)
 		pam_end(wl->ph, err);
 	}
 
+	if (ioctl(wl->tty, KDSKBMODE, wl->kb_mode))
+		fprintf(stderr, "failed to restore keyboard mode: %m\n");
+
+	if (ioctl(wl->tty, KDSETMODE, KD_TEXT))
+		fprintf(stderr, "failed to set KD_TEXT mode on tty: %m\n");
+
+	if (tcsetattr(wl->tty, TCSANOW, &wl->terminal_attributes) < 0)
+		fprintf(stderr,
+			"could not restore terminal to canonical mode\n");
+
+	mode.mode = VT_AUTO;
+	if (ioctl(wl->tty, VT_SETMODE, &mode) < 0)
+		fprintf(stderr, "could not reset vt handling\n");
+
 	exit(status);
 }
 
@@ -441,9 +460,11 @@ handle_signal(struct weston_launch *wl)
 static int
 setup_tty(struct weston_launch *wl, const char *tty)
 {
+	struct termios raw_attributes;
 	struct stat buf;
 	struct vt_mode mode = { 0 };
 	char *t;
+	int ret;
 
 	if (!wl->new_user) {
 		wl->tty = STDIN_FILENO;
@@ -481,6 +502,30 @@ setup_tty(struct weston_launch *wl, const char *tty)
 		wl->ttynr = minor(buf.st_rdev);
 	}
 
+	if (tcgetattr(wl->tty, &wl->terminal_attributes) < 0)
+		error(1, errno, "could not get terminal attributes: %m\n");
+
+	/* Ignore control characters and disable echo */
+	raw_attributes = wl->terminal_attributes;
+	cfmakeraw(&raw_attributes);
+
+	/* Fix up line endings to be normal (cfmakeraw hoses them) */
+	raw_attributes.c_oflag |= OPOST | OCRNL;
+
+	if (tcsetattr(wl->tty, TCSANOW, &raw_attributes) < 0)
+		error(1, errno, "could not put terminal into raw mode: %m\n");
+
+	ioctl(wl->tty, KDGKBMODE, &wl->kb_mode);
+	ret = ioctl(wl->tty, KDSKBMODE, K_OFF);
+	if (ret)
+		ret = ioctl(wl->tty, KDSKBMODE, K_RAW);
+	if (ret)
+		error(1, errno, "failed to set keyboard mode on tty: %m\n");
+
+	ret = ioctl(wl->tty, KDSETMODE, KD_GRAPHICS);
+	if (ret)
+		error(1, errno, "failed to set KD_GRAPHICS mode on tty: %m\n");
+
 	mode.mode = VT_PROCESS;
 	mode.relsig = SIGUSR1;
 	mode.acqsig = SIGUSR2;