diff --git a/compositor/main.c b/compositor/main.c
index 147485e5..04d8ff01 100644
--- a/compositor/main.c
+++ b/compositor/main.c
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ usage(int error_code)
 #if defined(BUILD_DRM_COMPOSITOR)
 	fprintf(out,
 		"Options for drm-backend.so:\n\n"
-		"  --seat=SEAT\t\tThe seat that weston should run on\n"
+		"  --seat=SEAT\t\tThe seat that weston should run on, instead of the seat defined in XDG_SEAT\n"
 		"  --tty=TTY\t\tThe tty to use\n"
 		"  --drm-device=CARD\tThe DRM device to use, e.g. \"card0\".\n"
 		"  --use-pixman\t\tUse the pixman (CPU) renderer\n"
diff --git a/libweston/compositor-drm.c b/libweston/compositor-drm.c
index 8b1ea66d..4a352132 100644
--- a/libweston/compositor-drm.c
+++ b/libweston/compositor-drm.c
@@ -6029,8 +6029,16 @@ drm_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	struct udev_device *drm_device;
 	struct wl_event_loop *loop;
 	const char *seat_id = default_seat;
+	const char *session_seat;
 	int ret;
 
+	session_seat = getenv("XDG_SEAT");
+	if (session_seat)
+		seat_id = session_seat;
+
+	if (config->seat_id)
+		seat_id = config->seat_id;
+
 	weston_log("initializing drm backend\n");
 
 	b = zalloc(sizeof *b);
@@ -6062,9 +6070,6 @@ drm_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	if (parse_gbm_format(config->gbm_format, GBM_FORMAT_XRGB8888, &b->gbm_format) < 0)
 		goto err_compositor;
 
-	if (config->seat_id)
-		seat_id = config->seat_id;
-
 	/* Check if we run drm-backend using weston-launch */
 	compositor->launcher = weston_launcher_connect(compositor, config->tty,
 						       seat_id, true);
diff --git a/libweston/compositor-drm.h b/libweston/compositor-drm.h
index 53222293..9c37c153 100644
--- a/libweston/compositor-drm.h
+++ b/libweston/compositor-drm.h
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ struct weston_drm_backend_config {
 
 	/** The seat to be used for input and output.
 	 *
-	 * If NULL the default "seat0" will be used.  The backend will
+	 * If seat_id is NULL, the seat is taken from XDG_SEAT environment
+	 * variable. If neither is set, "seat0" is used. The backend will
 	 * take ownership of the seat_id pointer and will free it on
 	 * backend destruction.
 	 */
diff --git a/man/weston-drm.man b/man/weston-drm.man
index 6988eb6a..ae794423 100644
--- a/man/weston-drm.man
+++ b/man/weston-drm.man
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ status. For example, use
 \fB\-\-seat\fR=\fIseatid\fR
 Use graphics and input devices designated for seat
 .I seatid
-instead of the default seat
-.BR seat0 .
+instead of the seat defined in the environment variable
+.BR XDG_SEAT ". If neither is specifed, seat0 will be assumed."
 .TP
 \fB\-\-tty\fR=\fIx\fR
 Launch Weston on tty
@@ -153,6 +153,9 @@ The file descriptor (integer) where
 .B weston-launch
 is listening. Automatically set by
 .BR weston-launch .
+.TP
+.B XDG_SEAT
+The seat Weston will start on, unless overridden on the command line.
 .
 .\" ***************************************************************
 .SH "SEE ALSO"