diff --git a/include/sway/commands.h b/include/sway/commands.h
index ec21f4e1..5d45d78b 100644
--- a/include/sway/commands.h
+++ b/include/sway/commands.h
@@ -180,8 +180,9 @@ sway_cmd cmd_titlebar_padding;
 sway_cmd cmd_unmark;
 sway_cmd cmd_urgent;
 sway_cmd cmd_workspace;
-sway_cmd cmd_ws_auto_back_and_forth;
 sway_cmd cmd_workspace_layout;
+sway_cmd cmd_ws_auto_back_and_forth;
+sway_cmd cmd_xwayland;
 
 sway_cmd bar_cmd_bindcode;
 sway_cmd bar_cmd_binding_mode_indicator;
diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index a667984d..96fe899b 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -416,6 +416,7 @@ struct sway_config {
 	size_t urgent_timeout;
 	enum sway_fowa focus_on_window_activation;
 	enum sway_popup_during_fullscreen popup_during_fullscreen;
+	bool xwayland;
 
 	// Flags
 	enum focus_follows_mouse_mode focus_follows_mouse;
diff --git a/include/sway/server.h b/include/sway/server.h
index a3233d66..0f30653f 100644
--- a/include/sway/server.h
+++ b/include/sway/server.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ struct sway_server server;
 bool server_privileged_prepare(struct sway_server *server);
 bool server_init(struct sway_server *server);
 void server_fini(struct sway_server *server);
-bool server_start_backend(struct sway_server *server);
+bool server_start(struct sway_server *server);
 void server_run(struct sway_server *server);
 
 void handle_new_output(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data);
diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index 4e524a88..1d190e0b 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ static struct cmd_handler config_handlers[] = {
 	{ "swaybg_command", cmd_swaybg_command },
 	{ "swaynag_command", cmd_swaynag_command },
 	{ "workspace_layout", cmd_workspace_layout },
+	{ "xwayland", cmd_xwayland },
 };
 
 /* Runtime-only commands. Keep alphabetized */
diff --git a/sway/commands/xwayland.c b/sway/commands/xwayland.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..03a0121b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sway/commands/xwayland.c
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include "sway/config.h"
+#include "log.h"
+#include "sway/commands.h"
+#include "sway/server.h"
+#include "util.h"
+
+struct cmd_results *cmd_xwayland(int argc, char **argv) {
+	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
+	if ((error = checkarg(argc, "xwayland", EXPECTED_EQUAL_TO, 1))) {
+		return error;
+	}
+
+#ifdef HAVE_XWAYLAND
+	config->xwayland = parse_boolean(argv[0], config->xwayland);
+#else
+	wlr_log(WLR_INFO, "Ignoring `xwayland` command, "
+		"sway hasn't been built with Xwayland support");
+#endif
+
+	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
+}
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 5ca4806c..18fee404 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ static void config_defaults(struct sway_config *config) {
 	config->font_height = 17; // height of monospace 10
 	config->urgent_timeout = 500;
 	config->popup_during_fullscreen = POPUP_SMART;
+	config->xwayland = true;
 
 	config->titlebar_border_thickness = 1;
 	config->titlebar_h_padding = 5;
diff --git a/sway/main.c b/sway/main.c
index d08c0457..6e3f6b67 100644
--- a/sway/main.c
+++ b/sway/main.c
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	}
 
 	if (!terminate_request) {
-		if (!server_start_backend(&server)) {
+		if (!server_start(&server)) {
 			sway_terminate(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/sway/meson.build b/sway/meson.build
index 93858336..c2ed6298 100644
--- a/sway/meson.build
+++ b/sway/meson.build
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ sway_sources = files(
 	'commands/workspace.c',
 	'commands/workspace_layout.c',
 	'commands/ws_auto_back_and_forth.c',
+	'commands/xwayland.c',
 
 	'commands/bar/bind.c',
 	'commands/bar/binding_mode_indicator.c',
diff --git a/sway/server.c b/sway/server.c
index 13264a2c..0529cab1 100644
--- a/sway/server.c
+++ b/sway/server.c
@@ -84,40 +84,6 @@ bool server_init(struct sway_server *server) {
 		&server->xdg_shell_surface);
 	server->xdg_shell_surface.notify = handle_xdg_shell_surface;
 
-	// TODO: configurable cursor theme and size
-	int cursor_size = 24;
-	const char *cursor_theme = NULL;
-
-	char cursor_size_fmt[16];
-	snprintf(cursor_size_fmt, sizeof(cursor_size_fmt), "%d", cursor_size);
-	setenv("XCURSOR_SIZE", cursor_size_fmt, 1);
-	if (cursor_theme != NULL) {
-		setenv("XCURSOR_THEME", cursor_theme, 1);
-	}
-
-#if HAVE_XWAYLAND
-	server->xwayland.wlr_xwayland =
-		wlr_xwayland_create(server->wl_display, server->compositor, true);
-	wl_signal_add(&server->xwayland.wlr_xwayland->events.new_surface,
-		&server->xwayland_surface);
-	server->xwayland_surface.notify = handle_xwayland_surface;
-	wl_signal_add(&server->xwayland.wlr_xwayland->events.ready,
-		&server->xwayland_ready);
-	server->xwayland_ready.notify = handle_xwayland_ready;
-
-	server->xwayland.xcursor_manager =
-		wlr_xcursor_manager_create(cursor_theme, cursor_size);
-	wlr_xcursor_manager_load(server->xwayland.xcursor_manager, 1);
-	struct wlr_xcursor *xcursor = wlr_xcursor_manager_get_xcursor(
-		server->xwayland.xcursor_manager, "left_ptr", 1);
-	if (xcursor != NULL) {
-		struct wlr_xcursor_image *image = xcursor->images[0];
-		wlr_xwayland_set_cursor(server->xwayland.wlr_xwayland, image->buffer,
-			image->width * 4, image->width, image->height, image->hotspot_x,
-			image->hotspot_y);
-	}
-#endif
-
 	server->server_decoration_manager =
 		wlr_server_decoration_manager_create(server->wl_display);
 	wlr_server_decoration_manager_set_default_mode(
@@ -175,7 +141,44 @@ void server_fini(struct sway_server *server) {
 	list_free(server->transactions);
 }
 
-bool server_start_backend(struct sway_server *server) {
+bool server_start(struct sway_server *server) {
+	// TODO: configurable cursor theme and size
+	int cursor_size = 24;
+	const char *cursor_theme = NULL;
+
+	char cursor_size_fmt[16];
+	snprintf(cursor_size_fmt, sizeof(cursor_size_fmt), "%d", cursor_size);
+	setenv("XCURSOR_SIZE", cursor_size_fmt, 1);
+	if (cursor_theme != NULL) {
+		setenv("XCURSOR_THEME", cursor_theme, 1);
+	}
+
+#if HAVE_XWAYLAND
+	if (config->xwayland) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Initializing Xwayland");
+		server->xwayland.wlr_xwayland =
+			wlr_xwayland_create(server->wl_display, server->compositor, true);
+		wl_signal_add(&server->xwayland.wlr_xwayland->events.new_surface,
+			&server->xwayland_surface);
+		server->xwayland_surface.notify = handle_xwayland_surface;
+		wl_signal_add(&server->xwayland.wlr_xwayland->events.ready,
+			&server->xwayland_ready);
+		server->xwayland_ready.notify = handle_xwayland_ready;
+
+		server->xwayland.xcursor_manager =
+			wlr_xcursor_manager_create(cursor_theme, cursor_size);
+		wlr_xcursor_manager_load(server->xwayland.xcursor_manager, 1);
+		struct wlr_xcursor *xcursor = wlr_xcursor_manager_get_xcursor(
+			server->xwayland.xcursor_manager, "left_ptr", 1);
+		if (xcursor != NULL) {
+			struct wlr_xcursor_image *image = xcursor->images[0];
+			wlr_xwayland_set_cursor(server->xwayland.wlr_xwayland, image->buffer,
+				image->width * 4, image->width, image->height, image->hotspot_x,
+				image->hotspot_y);
+		}
+	}
+#endif
+
 	wlr_log(WLR_INFO, "Starting backend on wayland display '%s'",
 			server->socket);
 	if (!wlr_backend_start(server->backend)) {
diff --git a/sway/sway.5.scd b/sway/sway.5.scd
index a9f60c1b..06bc0dbf 100644
--- a/sway/sway.5.scd
+++ b/sway/sway.5.scd
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ The following commands may only be used in the configuration file.
 	It can be disabled by setting the command to a single dash:
 	_swaynag\_command -_
 
+*xwayland* enable|disable
+	Enables or disables Xwayland support, which allows X11 applications to be
+	used.
+
 The following commands cannot be used directly in the configuration file.
 They are expected to be used with *bindsym* or at runtime through *swaymsg*(1).