diff --git a/src/cthulhu/compositor_state_wayland.py b/src/cthulhu/compositor_state_wayland.py
index c9b0fea..19d243e 100644
--- a/src/cthulhu/compositor_state_wayland.py
+++ b/src/cthulhu/compositor_state_wayland.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import os
 from collections.abc import Mapping, Sequence
 from typing import Any
 
+from gi.repository import GLib
+
 from .compositor_state_types import (
     DESKTOP_TRANSITION_FINISHED,
     DESKTOP_TRANSITION_STARTED,
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ class WaylandSharedProtocolsBackend:
         self._workspaceStates: dict[Any, dict[str, Any]] = {}
         self._batchDirty = False
         self._transitionPending = False
+        self._dispatchSourceId = 0
 
     def is_available(self, session_type: str | None = None) -> bool:
         effectiveSessionType = (session_type or get_session_type()).strip().lower()
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ class WaylandSharedProtocolsBackend:
             self._bind_listener(self._registry, "global", self._handle_registry_global)
             self._bind_listener(self._registry, "global_remove", self._handle_registry_global_remove)
             self._roundtrip()
+            self._install_dispatch_watch()
         except Exception:
             self.deactivate()
 
@@ -101,6 +105,7 @@ class WaylandSharedProtocolsBackend:
         self._workspaceStates = {}
         self._batchDirty = False
         self._transitionPending = False
+        self._remove_dispatch_watch()
         self._safe_close_proxy(self._workspaceManager)
         self._safe_close_proxy(self._registry)
         self._workspaceManager = None
@@ -154,6 +159,67 @@ class WaylandSharedProtocolsBackend:
                 method()
                 break
 
+    def _install_dispatch_watch(self) -> None:
+        if self._display is None or self._dispatchSourceId:
+            return
+
+        getFd = getattr(self._display, "get_fd", None)
+        if not callable(getFd):
+            return
+
+        try:
+            displayFd = int(getFd())
+        except Exception:
+            return
+
+        if displayFd < 0:
+            return
+
+        self._dispatchSourceId = GLib.io_add_watch(
+            displayFd,
+            GLib.PRIORITY_DEFAULT,
+            GLib.IO_IN | GLib.IO_ERR | GLib.IO_HUP,
+            self._dispatch_display_events,
+        )
+
+    def _remove_dispatch_watch(self) -> None:
+        if not self._dispatchSourceId:
+            return
+
+        try:
+            GLib.source_remove(self._dispatchSourceId)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
+        self._dispatchSourceId = 0
+
+    def _dispatch_display_events(self, _fd: int, condition: Any) -> bool:
+        if condition & (GLib.IO_ERR | GLib.IO_HUP):
+            self.deactivate()
+            return False
+
+        dispatch = getattr(self._display, "dispatch", None)
+        if not callable(dispatch):
+            self.deactivate()
+            return False
+
+        try:
+            while True:
+                dispatched = dispatch(block=False)
+                if not dispatched:
+                    break
+        except TypeError:
+            try:
+                dispatch()
+            except Exception:
+                self.deactivate()
+                return False
+        except Exception:
+            self.deactivate()
+            return False
+
+        return True
+
     def _safe_close_proxy(self, proxy: Any) -> None:
         if proxy is None:
             return
diff --git a/tests/test_compositor_state_adapter_regressions.py b/tests/test_compositor_state_adapter_regressions.py
index f511881..5c1570e 100644
--- a/tests/test_compositor_state_adapter_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_compositor_state_adapter_regressions.py
@@ -74,6 +74,42 @@ class CompositorStateAdapterRegressionTests(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertFalse(backend.is_available("x11"))
             self.assertFalse(backend.is_available("wayland"))
 
+    def test_wayland_backend_installs_dispatch_watch_and_processes_runtime_events(self) -> None:
+        fakeDisplay = mock.Mock()
+        fakeRegistry = mock.Mock()
+        fakeDisplay.connect = mock.Mock()
+        fakeDisplay.get_registry = mock.Mock(return_value=fakeRegistry)
+        fakeDisplay.get_fd = mock.Mock(return_value=17)
+        fakeDisplay.roundtrip = mock.Mock()
+        fakeDisplay.dispatch = mock.Mock(side_effect=[1, 0])
+        fakeProtocols = mock.Mock()
+        fakeProtocols.INTERFACE_NAME = "ext_workspace_manager_v1"
+        fakeProtocols.INTERFACE_VERSION = 1
+        fakeProtocols.ACTIVE_STATE_VALUE = 1
+        fakeProtocols.has_runtime_support.return_value = True
+        fakeProtocols.get_display_class.return_value = mock.Mock(return_value=fakeDisplay)
+        emitSignal = mock.Mock()
+        backend = compositor_state_wayland.WaylandSharedProtocolsBackend(
+            environment={"WAYLAND_DISPLAY": "wayland-0"},
+            protocols=fakeProtocols,
+        )
+
+        with (
+            mock.patch.object(compositor_state_wayland, "get_session_type", return_value="wayland"),
+            mock.patch.object(compositor_state_wayland.GLib, "io_add_watch", return_value=41) as ioAddWatch,
+            mock.patch.object(compositor_state_wayland.GLib, "source_remove") as sourceRemove,
+        ):
+            backend.activate(emitSignal)
+
+            ioAddWatch.assert_called_once()
+            watchCallback = ioAddWatch.call_args.args[3]
+            self.assertTrue(watchCallback(17, compositor_state_wayland.GLib.IO_IN))
+            self.assertEqual(fakeDisplay.dispatch.call_count, 2)
+
+            backend.deactivate()
+
+        sourceRemove.assert_called_once_with(41)
+
     def test_local_ext_workspace_wrapper_supports_base_pywayland_without_distro_protocol_module(self) -> None:
         fakeClientModule = types.ModuleType("pywayland.client")