diff --git a/clients/desktop-shell.c b/clients/desktop-shell.c
index 497e4ffd..3b71403b 100644
--- a/clients/desktop-shell.c
+++ b/clients/desktop-shell.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ extern char **environ; /* defined by libc */
 struct desktop {
 	struct display *display;
 	struct desktop_shell *shell;
+	uint32_t interface_version;
 	struct unlock_dialog *unlock_dialog;
 	struct task unlock_task;
 	struct wl_list outputs;
@@ -57,6 +58,8 @@ struct desktop {
 	struct widget *grab_widget;
 
 	enum cursor_type grab_cursor;
+
+	int painted;
 };
 
 struct surface {
@@ -72,12 +75,14 @@ struct panel {
 	struct widget *widget;
 	struct wl_list launcher_list;
 	struct panel_clock *clock;
+	int painted;
 };
 
 struct background {
 	struct surface base;
 	struct window *window;
 	struct widget *widget;
+	int painted;
 };
 
 struct output {
@@ -175,6 +180,38 @@ show_menu(struct panel *panel, struct input *input, uint32_t time)
 			 x - 10, y - 10, menu_func, entries, 4);
 }
 
+static int
+is_desktop_painted(struct desktop *desktop)
+{
+	struct output *output;
+
+	wl_list_for_each(output, &desktop->outputs, link) {
+		if (output->panel && !output->panel->painted)
+			return 0;
+		if (output->background && !output->background->painted)
+			return 0;
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
+static void
+check_desktop_ready(struct window *window)
+{
+	struct display *display;
+	struct desktop *desktop;
+
+	display = window_get_display(window);
+	desktop = display_get_user_data(display);
+
+	if (!desktop->painted && is_desktop_painted(desktop)) {
+		desktop->painted = 1;
+
+		if (desktop->interface_version >= 2)
+			desktop_shell_desktop_ready(desktop->shell);
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 panel_launcher_activate(struct panel_launcher *widget)
 {
@@ -261,6 +298,8 @@ panel_redraw_handler(struct widget *widget, void *data)
 	cairo_destroy(cr);
 	surface = window_get_surface(panel->window);
 	cairo_surface_destroy(surface);
+	panel->painted = 1;
+	check_desktop_ready(panel->window);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -690,6 +729,9 @@ background_draw(struct widget *widget, void *data)
 		      allocation.width, allocation.height);
 	wl_surface_set_opaque_region(window_get_wl_surface(background->window), opaque);
 	wl_region_destroy(opaque);
+
+	background->painted = 1;
+	check_desktop_ready(background->window);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1095,8 +1137,10 @@ global_handler(struct display *display, uint32_t id,
 	struct desktop *desktop = data;
 
 	if (!strcmp(interface, "desktop_shell")) {
+		desktop->interface_version = (version < 2) ? version : 2;
 		desktop->shell = display_bind(desktop->display,
-					      id, &desktop_shell_interface, 1);
+					      id, &desktop_shell_interface,
+					      desktop->interface_version);
 		desktop_shell_add_listener(desktop->shell, &listener, desktop);
 	} else if (!strcmp(interface, "wl_output")) {
 		create_output(desktop, id);
diff --git a/protocol/desktop-shell.xml b/protocol/desktop-shell.xml
index d48c3dd3..65e44a73 100644
--- a/protocol/desktop-shell.xml
+++ b/protocol/desktop-shell.xml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <protocol name="desktop">
 
-  <interface name="desktop_shell" version="1">
+  <interface name="desktop_shell" version="2">
     <description summary="create desktop widgets and helpers">
       Traditional user interfaces can rely on this interface to define the
       foundations of typical desktops. Currently it's possible to set up
@@ -33,6 +33,17 @@
       <arg name="surface" type="object" interface="wl_surface"/>
     </request>
 
+    <request name="desktop_ready" since="2">
+      <description summary="desktop is ready to be shown">
+	Tell the server, that enough desktop elements have been drawn
+	to make the desktop look ready for use. During start-up, the
+	server can wait for this request with a black screen before
+	starting to fade in the desktop, for instance. If the client
+	parts of a desktop take a long time to initialize, we avoid
+	showing temporary garbage.
+      </description>
+    </request>
+
     <!-- We'll fold most of wl_shell into this interface and then
          they'll share the configure event.  -->
     <event name="configure">
diff --git a/src/shell.c b/src/shell.c
index e23c09b5..eb8d802d 100644
--- a/src/shell.c
+++ b/src/shell.c
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ struct desktop_shell {
 		struct weston_surface *surface;
 		struct weston_surface_animation *animation;
 		enum fade_type type;
+		struct wl_event_source *startup_timer;
 	} fade;
 
 	uint32_t binding_modifier;
@@ -275,6 +276,9 @@ shell_surface_get_shell(struct shell_surface *shsurf);
 static void
 surface_rotate(struct shell_surface *surface, struct weston_seat *seat);
 
+static void
+shell_fade_startup(struct desktop_shell *shell);
+
 static bool
 shell_surface_is_top_fullscreen(struct shell_surface *shsurf)
 {
@@ -2548,12 +2552,22 @@ desktop_shell_set_grab_surface(struct wl_client *client,
 	shell->grab_surface = surface_resource->data;
 }
 
+static void
+desktop_shell_desktop_ready(struct wl_client *client,
+			    struct wl_resource *resource)
+{
+	struct desktop_shell *shell = resource->data;
+
+	shell_fade_startup(shell);
+}
+
 static const struct desktop_shell_interface desktop_shell_implementation = {
 	desktop_shell_set_background,
 	desktop_shell_set_panel,
 	desktop_shell_set_lock_surface,
 	desktop_shell_unlock,
-	desktop_shell_set_grab_surface
+	desktop_shell_set_grab_surface,
+	desktop_shell_desktop_ready
 };
 
 static enum shell_surface_type
@@ -3031,11 +3045,28 @@ shell_fade_done(struct weston_surface_animation *animation, void *data)
 	}
 }
 
-static void
-shell_fade(struct desktop_shell *shell, enum fade_type type)
+static struct weston_surface *
+shell_fade_create_surface(struct desktop_shell *shell)
 {
 	struct weston_compositor *compositor = shell->compositor;
 	struct weston_surface *surface;
+
+	surface = weston_surface_create(compositor);
+	if (!surface)
+		return NULL;
+
+	weston_surface_configure(surface, 0, 0, 8192, 8192);
+	weston_surface_set_color(surface, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
+	wl_list_insert(&compositor->fade_layer.surface_list,
+		       &surface->layer_link);
+	pixman_region32_init(&surface->input);
+
+	return surface;
+}
+
+static void
+shell_fade(struct desktop_shell *shell, enum fade_type type)
+{
 	float tint;
 
 	switch (type) {
@@ -3053,18 +3084,12 @@ shell_fade(struct desktop_shell *shell, enum fade_type type)
 	shell->fade.type = type;
 
 	if (shell->fade.surface == NULL) {
-		surface = weston_surface_create(compositor);
-		if (!surface)
+		shell->fade.surface = shell_fade_create_surface(shell);
+		if (!shell->fade.surface)
 			return;
 
-		weston_surface_configure(surface, 0, 0, 8192, 8192);
-		weston_surface_set_color(surface, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
-		surface->alpha = 1.0 - tint;
-		wl_list_insert(&compositor->fade_layer.surface_list,
-			       &surface->layer_link);
-		weston_surface_update_transform(surface);
-		shell->fade.surface = surface;
-		pixman_region32_init(&surface->input);
+		shell->fade.surface->alpha = 1.0 - tint;
+		weston_surface_update_transform(shell->fade.surface);
 	}
 
 	if (shell->fade.animation)
@@ -3077,6 +3102,67 @@ shell_fade(struct desktop_shell *shell, enum fade_type type)
 					shell_fade_done, shell);
 }
 
+static void
+do_shell_fade_startup(void *data)
+{
+	struct desktop_shell *shell = data;
+
+	shell_fade(shell, FADE_IN);
+}
+
+static void
+shell_fade_startup(struct desktop_shell *shell)
+{
+	struct wl_event_loop *loop;
+
+	if (!shell->fade.startup_timer)
+		return;
+
+	wl_event_source_remove(shell->fade.startup_timer);
+	shell->fade.startup_timer = NULL;
+
+	loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(shell->compositor->wl_display);
+	wl_event_loop_add_idle(loop, do_shell_fade_startup, shell);
+}
+
+static int
+fade_startup_timeout(void *data)
+{
+	struct desktop_shell *shell = data;
+
+	shell_fade_startup(shell);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void
+shell_fade_init(struct desktop_shell *shell)
+{
+	/* Make compositor output all black, and wait for the desktop-shell
+	 * client to signal it is ready, then fade in. The timer triggers a
+	 * fade-in, in case the desktop-shell client takes too long.
+	 */
+
+	struct wl_event_loop *loop;
+
+	if (shell->fade.surface != NULL) {
+		weston_log("%s: warning: fade surface already exists\n",
+			   __func__);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	shell->fade.surface = shell_fade_create_surface(shell);
+	if (!shell->fade.surface)
+		return;
+
+	weston_surface_update_transform(shell->fade.surface);
+	weston_surface_damage(shell->fade.surface);
+
+	loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(shell->compositor->wl_display);
+	shell->fade.startup_timer =
+		wl_event_loop_add_timer(loop, fade_startup_timeout, shell);
+	wl_event_source_timer_update(shell->fade.startup_timer, 15000);
+}
+
 static void
 idle_handler(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 {
@@ -3444,6 +3530,7 @@ desktop_shell_sigchld(struct weston_process *process, int status)
 
 	weston_log("weston-desktop-shell died, respawning...\n");
 	launch_desktop_shell_process(shell);
+	shell_fade_startup(shell);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -3497,6 +3584,10 @@ bind_desktop_shell(struct wl_client *client,
 	if (client == shell->child.client) {
 		resource->destroy = unbind_desktop_shell;
 		shell->child.desktop_shell = resource;
+
+		if (version < 2)
+			shell_fade_startup(shell);
+
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -4391,7 +4482,7 @@ module_init(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 
 	shell_add_bindings(ec, shell);
 
-	shell_fade(shell, FADE_IN);
+	shell_fade_init(shell);
 
 	return 0;
 }