diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_backend.cpp b/src/backends/drm/drm_backend.cpp
index 4b130727d0..62a59938fb 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_backend.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_backend.cpp
@@ -75,6 +75,11 @@ DrmBackend::~DrmBackend()
     qDeleteAll(m_gpus);
 }
 
+bool DrmBackend::isActive() const
+{
+    return m_active;
+}
+
 Session *DrmBackend::session() const
 {
     return m_session;
@@ -154,6 +159,7 @@ void DrmBackend::reactivate()
     // removed, we need to re-scan outputs.
     updateOutputs();
     updateCursor();
+    Q_EMIT activeChanged();
 }
 
 void DrmBackend::deactivate()
@@ -167,11 +173,22 @@ void DrmBackend::deactivate()
     }
 
     m_active = false;
+    Q_EMIT activeChanged();
 }
 
 bool DrmBackend::initialize()
 {
-    connect(session(), &Session::activeChanged, this, &DrmBackend::activate);
+    // TODO: Pause/Resume individual GPU devices instead.
+    connect(session(), &Session::devicePaused, this, [this](dev_t deviceId) {
+        if (primaryGpu()->deviceId() == deviceId) {
+            deactivate();
+        }
+    });
+    connect(session(), &Session::deviceResumed, this, [this](dev_t deviceId) {
+        if (primaryGpu()->deviceId() == deviceId) {
+            reactivate();
+        }
+    });
     connect(session(), &Session::awoke, this, &DrmBackend::turnOutputsOn);
 
     if (!m_explicitGpus.isEmpty()) {
@@ -212,7 +229,7 @@ bool DrmBackend::initialize()
 void DrmBackend::handleUdevEvent()
 {
     while (auto device = m_udevMonitor->getDevice()) {
-        if (!session()->isActive()) {
+        if (!m_active) {
             continue;
         }
         if (!m_explicitGpus.isEmpty() && !m_explicitGpus.contains(device->devNode())) {
diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_backend.h b/src/backends/drm/drm_backend.h
index 097257265d..d10edd74a3 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_backend.h
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_backend.h
@@ -70,11 +70,14 @@ public:
     DrmGpu *findGpu(dev_t deviceId) const;
     DrmGpu *findGpuByFd(int fd) const;
 
+    bool isActive() const;
+
 public Q_SLOTS:
     void turnOutputsOn();
     void sceneInitialized() override;
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
+    void activeChanged();
     void gpuRemoved(DrmGpu *gpu);
     void gpuAdded(DrmGpu *gpu);
 
diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.cpp b/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.cpp
index bfd747469c..6ffcdad48d 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.cpp
@@ -107,10 +107,10 @@ DrmGpu::DrmGpu(DrmBackend *backend, const QString &devNode, int fd, dev_t device
     });
     connect(m_leaseDevice, &KWaylandServer::DrmLeaseDeviceV1Interface::leaseRequested, this, &DrmGpu::handleLeaseRequest);
     connect(m_leaseDevice, &KWaylandServer::DrmLeaseDeviceV1Interface::leaseRevoked, this, &DrmGpu::handleLeaseRevoked);
-    connect(m_platform->session(), &Session::activeChanged, m_leaseDevice, [this](bool active){
-        if (!active) {
+    connect(m_platform, &DrmBackend::activeChanged, m_leaseDevice, [this]() {
+        if (!m_platform->isActive()) {
             // when we gain drm master we want to update outputs first and only then notify the lease device
-            m_leaseDevice->setDrmMaster(active);
+            m_leaseDevice->setDrmMaster(false);
         }
     });
 }
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ void DrmGpu::pageFlipHandler(int fd, unsigned int sequence, unsigned int sec, un
 
 void DrmGpu::dispatchEvents()
 {
-    if (!m_platform->session()->isActive()) {
+    if (!m_platform->isActive()) {
         return;
     }
     drmEventContext context = {};
diff --git a/src/session.h b/src/session.h
index db584bfaa1..22ddfc17c0 100644
--- a/src/session.h
+++ b/src/session.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QString>
 
+#include <sys/types.h>
+
 namespace KWin
 {
 
@@ -93,6 +95,20 @@ Q_SIGNALS:
      */
     void activeChanged(bool active);
 
+    /**
+     * This signal is emitted when the specified device can be used again.
+     */
+    void deviceResumed(dev_t deviceId);
+
+    /**
+     * This signal is emitted when the given device cannot be used by the compositor
+     * anymore. For example, this normally occurs when switching between VTs.
+     *
+     * Note that when this signal is emitted for a DRM device, master permissions can
+     * be already revoked.
+     */
+    void devicePaused(dev_t deviceId);
+
 protected:
     explicit Session(QObject *parent = nullptr);
 };
diff --git a/src/session_consolekit.cpp b/src/session_consolekit.cpp
index 828ec90e1e..979d19a369 100644
--- a/src/session_consolekit.cpp
+++ b/src/session_consolekit.cpp
@@ -290,6 +290,11 @@ bool ConsoleKitSession::initialize()
                                          this,
                                          SLOT(handlePauseDevice(uint, uint, QString)));
 
+    QDBusConnection::systemBus().connect(s_serviceName, m_sessionPath, s_sessionInterface,
+                                         QStringLiteral("ResumeDevice"),
+                                         this,
+                                         SLOT(handleResumeDevice(uint,uint,QDBusUnixFileDescriptor)));
+
     QDBusConnection::systemBus().connect(s_serviceName, m_sessionPath, s_propertiesInterface,
                                          QStringLiteral("PropertiesChanged"),
                                          this,
@@ -308,6 +313,8 @@ void ConsoleKitSession::updateActive(bool active)
 
 void ConsoleKitSession::handlePauseDevice(uint major, uint minor, const QString &type)
 {
+    Q_EMIT devicePaused(makedev(major, minor));
+
     if (type == QLatin1String("pause")) {
         QDBusMessage message = QDBusMessage::createMethodCall(s_serviceName, m_sessionPath,
                                                               s_sessionInterface,
@@ -318,6 +325,15 @@ void ConsoleKitSession::handlePauseDevice(uint major, uint minor, const QString
     }
 }
 
+void ConsoleKitSession::handleResumeDevice(uint major, uint minor, QDBusUnixFileDescriptor fileDescriptor)
+{
+    // We don't care about the file descriptor as the libinput backend will re-open input devices
+    // and the drm file descriptors remain valid after pausing gpus.
+    Q_UNUSED(fileDescriptor)
+
+    Q_EMIT deviceResumed(makedev(major, minor));
+}
+
 void ConsoleKitSession::handlePropertiesChanged(const QString &interfaceName, const QVariantMap &properties)
 {
     if (interfaceName == s_sessionInterface) {
diff --git a/src/session_consolekit.h b/src/session_consolekit.h
index e6cbdd29b2..6243f5b3fa 100644
--- a/src/session_consolekit.h
+++ b/src/session_consolekit.h
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 #include "session.h"
 
+#include <QDBusUnixFileDescriptor>
+
 namespace KWin
 {
 
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ public:
     void switchTo(uint terminal) override;
 
 private Q_SLOTS:
+    void handleResumeDevice(uint major, uint minor, QDBusUnixFileDescriptor fileDescriptor);
     void handlePauseDevice(uint major, uint minor, const QString &type);
     void handlePropertiesChanged(const QString &interfaceName, const QVariantMap &properties);
     void handlePrepareForSleep(bool sleep);
diff --git a/src/session_logind.cpp b/src/session_logind.cpp
index 78a2a2d63a..714ff812ed 100644
--- a/src/session_logind.cpp
+++ b/src/session_logind.cpp
@@ -288,6 +288,11 @@ bool LogindSession::initialize()
                                          this,
                                          SLOT(handlePauseDevice(uint,uint,QString)));
 
+    QDBusConnection::systemBus().connect(s_serviceName, m_sessionPath, s_sessionInterface,
+                                         QStringLiteral("ResumeDevice"),
+                                         this,
+                                         SLOT(handleResumeDevice(uint,uint,QDBusUnixFileDescriptor)));
+
     QDBusConnection::systemBus().connect(s_serviceName, m_sessionPath, s_propertiesInterface,
                                          QStringLiteral("PropertiesChanged"),
                                          this,
@@ -306,6 +311,8 @@ void LogindSession::updateActive(bool active)
 
 void LogindSession::handlePauseDevice(uint major, uint minor, const QString &type)
 {
+    Q_EMIT devicePaused(makedev(major, minor));
+
     if (type == QLatin1String("pause")) {
         QDBusMessage message = QDBusMessage::createMethodCall(s_serviceName, m_sessionPath,
                                                               s_sessionInterface,
@@ -316,6 +323,15 @@ void LogindSession::handlePauseDevice(uint major, uint minor, const QString &typ
     }
 }
 
+void LogindSession::handleResumeDevice(uint major, uint minor, QDBusUnixFileDescriptor fileDescriptor)
+{
+    // We don't care about the file descriptor as the libinput backend will re-open input devices
+    // and the drm file descriptors remain valid after pausing gpus.
+    Q_UNUSED(fileDescriptor)
+
+    Q_EMIT deviceResumed(makedev(major, minor));
+}
+
 void LogindSession::handlePropertiesChanged(const QString &interfaceName, const QVariantMap &properties)
 {
     if (interfaceName == s_sessionInterface) {
diff --git a/src/session_logind.h b/src/session_logind.h
index 3730498370..dc7a2d82ef 100644
--- a/src/session_logind.h
+++ b/src/session_logind.h
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 #include "session.h"
 
+#include <QDBusUnixFileDescriptor>
+
 namespace KWin
 {
 
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ public:
     void switchTo(uint terminal) override;
 
 private Q_SLOTS:
+    void handleResumeDevice(uint major, uint minor, QDBusUnixFileDescriptor fileDescriptor);
     void handlePauseDevice(uint major, uint minor, const QString &type);
     void handlePropertiesChanged(const QString &interfaceName, const QVariantMap &properties);
     void handlePrepareForSleep(bool sleep);