diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 334c07c08..a8f8913d5 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -1980,11 +1980,7 @@ handle_window_focus_event (MetaDisplay  *display,
     {
       display->server_focus_window = event->event;
       display->server_focus_serial = serial;
-
-      if (window && window->override_redirect)
-        focus_window = NULL;
-      else
-        focus_window = window;
+      focus_window = window;
     }
   else if (event->evtype == XI_FocusOut)
     {
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index 9ed387e3a..5e450c6bb 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -7193,6 +7193,8 @@ meta_window_set_focused_internal (MetaWindow *window,
   if (focused)
     {
       window->has_focus = TRUE;
+      if (window->override_redirect)
+        return;
 
       /* Move to the front of the focusing workspace's MRU list.
        * We should only be "removing" it from the MRU list if it's
@@ -7258,8 +7260,11 @@ meta_window_set_focused_internal (MetaWindow *window,
     }
   else
     {
-      meta_window_propagate_focus_appearance (window, FALSE);
       window->has_focus = FALSE;
+      if (window->override_redirect)
+        return;
+
+      meta_window_propagate_focus_appearance (window, FALSE);
 
       if (!window->attached_focus_window)
         meta_window_appears_focused_changed (window);