diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
index ff772c5a4..2feb6980e 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ meta_activate_session (void)
   MetaBackendNative *native = META_BACKEND_NATIVE (backend);
   MetaBackendNativePrivate *priv = meta_backend_native_get_instance_private (native);
 
-  if (!meta_launcher_activate_vt (priv->launcher, -1, &error))
+  if (!meta_launcher_activate_session (priv->launcher, &error))
     {
       g_warning ("Could not activate session: %s\n", error->message);
       g_error_free (error);
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-launcher.c b/src/backends/native/meta-launcher.c
index 6e9c92a1a..5bab05370 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-launcher.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-launcher.c
@@ -394,6 +394,13 @@ meta_launcher_free (MetaLauncher *launcher)
   g_slice_free (MetaLauncher, launcher);
 }
 
+gboolean
+meta_launcher_activate_session (MetaLauncher  *launcher,
+                                GError       **error)
+{
+  return meta_launcher_activate_vt (launcher, -1, error);
+}
+
 gboolean
 meta_launcher_activate_vt (MetaLauncher  *launcher,
 			   signed char    vt,
@@ -406,4 +413,3 @@ meta_launcher_activate_vt (MetaLauncher  *launcher,
 
   return send_message_to_wl (launcher, &message, sizeof (message), NULL, NULL, error);
 }
-
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-launcher.h b/src/backends/native/meta-launcher.h
index fbea59a74..16f65972a 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-launcher.h
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-launcher.h
@@ -27,7 +27,11 @@ typedef struct _MetaLauncher MetaLauncher;
 MetaLauncher     *meta_launcher_new                     (void);
 void              meta_launcher_free                    (MetaLauncher  *self);
 
+gboolean          meta_launcher_activate_session        (MetaLauncher  *self,
+							 GError       **error);
+
 gboolean          meta_launcher_activate_vt             (MetaLauncher  *self,
 							 signed char    vt,
 							 GError       **error);
+
 #endif /* META_LAUNCHER_H */