diff --git a/src/backends/meta-dnd-private.h b/src/backends/meta-dnd-private.h
index fb6d4928a..33e2e9c96 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-dnd-private.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-dnd-private.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_X11
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
 #include "compositor/meta-compositor-x11.h"
+#include "meta/meta-x11-types.h"
 #endif
 
 #include "backends/meta-backend-private.h"
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-input-settings-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-input-settings-x11.c
index 5001b2dd4..c845d1e5e 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-input-settings-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-input-settings-x11.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 #include "backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.h"
 #include "backends/x11/meta-input-device-x11.h"
-#include "core/display-private.h"
+#include "meta/meta-x11-display.h"
 #include "mtk/mtk-x11.h"
 
 typedef struct
diff --git a/src/core/display-private.h b/src/core/display-private.h
index 19926d383..b8294d22f 100644
--- a/src/core/display-private.h
+++ b/src/core/display-private.h
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ typedef enum
 typedef void (* MetaDisplayWindowFunc) (MetaWindow *window,
                                         gpointer    user_data);
 
+
+/* To avoid ifdefing MetaX11Display usage when built without X11 support */
+#ifndef HAVE_X11_CLIENT
+typedef struct MetaX11Display MetaX11Display;
+#endif
+
 struct _MetaDisplay
 {
   GObject parent_instance;
diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 955b299a3..5316d4df0 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -927,6 +927,7 @@ on_x11_initialized (MetaDisplay  *display,
 }
 #endif /* HAVE_XWAYLAND */
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11_CLIENT
 void
 meta_display_shutdown_x11 (MetaDisplay *display)
 {
@@ -939,6 +940,7 @@ meta_display_shutdown_x11 (MetaDisplay *display)
   g_clear_object (&display->x11_display);
   meta_stack_thaw (display->stack);
 }
+#endif
 
 MetaDisplay *
 meta_display_new (MetaContext  *context,
@@ -969,7 +971,9 @@ meta_display_new (MetaContext  *context,
   display->autoraise_window = NULL;
   display->focus_window = NULL;
   display->workspace_manager = NULL;
+#ifdef HAVE_X11_CLIENT
   display->x11_display = NULL;
+#endif
 
   display->current_cursor = -1; /* invalid/unset */
   display->check_fullscreen_later = 0;
@@ -1282,7 +1286,9 @@ meta_display_close (MetaDisplay *display,
                    meta_stack_tracker_free);
 
   g_clear_pointer (&display->compositor, meta_compositor_destroy);
+#ifdef HAVE_X11_CLIENT
   meta_display_shutdown_x11 (display);
+#endif
   g_clear_object (&display->stack);
 
   /* Must be after all calls to meta_window_unmanage() since they
@@ -2584,17 +2590,6 @@ meta_display_get_compositor (MetaDisplay *display)
   return display->compositor;
 }
 
-/**
- * meta_display_get_x11_display: (skip)
- * @display: a #MetaDisplay
- *
- */
-MetaX11Display *
-meta_display_get_x11_display (MetaDisplay *display)
-{
-  return display->x11_display;
-}
-
 /**
  * meta_display_get_size:
  * @display: A #MetaDisplay
diff --git a/src/core/keybindings-private.h b/src/core/keybindings-private.h
index bf21bc1b4..d84733027 100644
--- a/src/core/keybindings-private.h
+++ b/src/core/keybindings-private.h
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@
 
 #include "core/meta-accel-parse.h"
 #include "meta/keybindings.h"
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+#include "meta/meta-x11-types.h"
+#endif
 
 typedef struct _MetaKeyHandler MetaKeyHandler;
 struct _MetaKeyHandler
diff --git a/src/meta/display.h b/src/meta/display.h
index c79aadcb6..460a62eda 100644
--- a/src/meta/display.h
+++ b/src/meta/display.h
@@ -80,8 +80,6 @@ typedef struct _MetaDisplayClass MetaDisplayClass;
 META_EXPORT
 GType meta_display_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
-#define meta_XFree(p) do { if ((p)) XFree ((p)); } while (0)
-
 META_EXPORT
 void meta_display_close (MetaDisplay *display,
                          guint32      timestamp);
@@ -92,9 +90,6 @@ MetaContext * meta_display_get_context (MetaDisplay *display);
 META_EXPORT
 MetaCompositor *meta_display_get_compositor  (MetaDisplay *display);
 
-META_EXPORT
-MetaX11Display *meta_display_get_x11_display (MetaDisplay *display);
-
 META_EXPORT
 MetaWindow *meta_display_get_focus_window (MetaDisplay *display);
 
diff --git a/src/meta/group.h b/src/meta/group.h
index 35bb28934..9feea0e15 100644
--- a/src/meta/group.h
+++ b/src/meta/group.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "meta/common.h"
 #include "meta/types.h"
+#include "meta/meta-x11-types.h"
 
 /* note, can return NULL */
 META_EXPORT
diff --git a/src/meta/meson.build b/src/meta/meson.build
index bc3910408..b1e8d18e0 100644
--- a/src/meta/meson.build
+++ b/src/meta/meson.build
@@ -58,9 +58,10 @@ if have_wayland
   ]
 endif
 
-if have_x11
+if have_x11_client
   mutter_public_headers += [
     'meta-x11-display.h',
+    'meta-x11-types.h',
   ]
 endif
 
diff --git a/src/meta/meta-x11-display.h b/src/meta/meta-x11-display.h
index e06fbaf48..68d0fbfe1 100644
--- a/src/meta/meta-x11-display.h
+++ b/src/meta/meta-x11-display.h
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
 #include "meta/common.h"
 #include "meta/prefs.h"
 #include "meta/types.h"
+#include "meta/meta-x11-types.h"
+
+#define meta_XFree(p) do { if ((p)) XFree ((p)); } while (0)
 
 typedef void (* MetaX11DisplayEventFunc) (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
                                           XEvent         *xev,
@@ -63,3 +66,6 @@ void     meta_x11_display_redirect_windows (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
 META_EXPORT
 Window meta_x11_display_lookup_xwindow (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
                                         MetaWindow     *window);
+
+META_EXPORT
+MetaX11Display * meta_display_get_x11_display (MetaDisplay *display);
diff --git a/src/meta/meta-x11-types.h b/src/meta/meta-x11-types.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e827a5510
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/meta/meta-x11-types.h
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2024 Bilal Elmoussaoui
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+typedef struct _MetaX11Display MetaX11Display;
+typedef struct _MetaGroup MetaGroup;
diff --git a/src/meta/types.h b/src/meta/types.h
index d994fb2d2..0bb4fd2c6 100644
--- a/src/meta/types.h
+++ b/src/meta/types.h
@@ -23,12 +23,10 @@ typedef struct _MetaBackend     MetaBackend;
 typedef struct _MetaContext     MetaContext;
 typedef struct _MetaCompositor  MetaCompositor;
 typedef struct _MetaDisplay     MetaDisplay;
-typedef struct _MetaX11Display  MetaX11Display;
 typedef struct _MetaWindow      MetaWindow;
 typedef struct _MetaWorkspace   MetaWorkspace;
 typedef struct _MetaLaters      MetaLaters;
 
-typedef struct _MetaGroup       MetaGroup;
 typedef struct _MetaKeyBinding  MetaKeyBinding;
 typedef struct _MetaCursorTracker MetaCursorTracker;
 
diff --git a/src/tests/meta-context-test.c b/src/tests/meta-context-test.c
index 8246fb7c8..54459f6ad 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-context-test.c
+++ b/src/tests/meta-context-test.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <gio/gsettingsbackend.h>
 
 #include "core/meta-context-private.h"
+#include "meta/meta-x11-display.h"
 #include "tests/meta-backend-test.h"
 #include "tests/meta-test-shell.h"
 #include "tests/meta-test-utils-private.h"
diff --git a/src/tests/meta-test-utils.h b/src/tests/meta-test-utils.h
index aa56cb340..8273f057e 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-test-utils.h
+++ b/src/tests/meta-test-utils.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include "backends/meta-backend-types.h"
 #include "backends/meta-virtual-monitor.h"
+#include "meta/meta-x11-types.h"
 #include "meta/window.h"
 
 #define META_TEST_CLIENT_ERROR meta_test_client_error_quark ()
diff --git a/src/x11/events.h b/src/x11/events.h
index 04a657b4d..bb4dbf9ed 100644
--- a/src/x11/events.h
+++ b/src/x11/events.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include "meta/display.h"
+#include "meta/meta-x11-display.h"
 
 void meta_x11_display_init_events (MetaX11Display *x11_display);
 void meta_x11_display_free_events (MetaX11Display *x11_display);
diff --git a/src/x11/meta-x11-display.c b/src/x11/meta-x11-display.c
index c1e749181..36e4f9d66 100644
--- a/src/x11/meta-x11-display.c
+++ b/src/x11/meta-x11-display.c
@@ -2572,3 +2572,14 @@ meta_x11_display_lookup_xwindow (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
 
   return None;
 }
+
+/**
+ * meta_display_get_x11_display: (skip)
+ * @display: a #MetaDisplay
+ *
+ */
+MetaX11Display *
+meta_display_get_x11_display (MetaDisplay *display)
+{
+  return display->x11_display;
+}
diff --git a/src/x11/xprops.h b/src/x11/xprops.h
index 2e40a0df8..3a52ad25b 100644
--- a/src/x11/xprops.h
+++ b/src/x11/xprops.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #include <X11/Xutil.h>
 #include <X11/extensions/sync.h>
 
-#include "meta/display.h"
+#include "meta/meta-x11-display.h"
 
 /* Copied from Lesstif by way of GTK. Rudimentary docs can be
  * found in some Motif reference guides online.