diff --git a/src/wayland/display.cpp b/src/wayland/display.cpp
index 6332a562d7..350395f441 100644
--- a/src/wayland/display.cpp
+++ b/src/wayland/display.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ public:
     Private(Display *q);
     void flush();
     void setRunning(bool running);
+    void installSocketNotifier();
 
     wl_display *display = nullptr;
     wl_event_loop *loop = nullptr;
@@ -59,11 +60,26 @@ Display::Private::Private(Display *q)
 {
 }
 
+void Display::Private::installSocketNotifier()
+{
+    if (!QCoreApplication::instance()) {
+        return;
+    }
+    int fd = wl_event_loop_get_fd(loop);
+    if (fd == -1) {
+        qWarning() << "Did not get the file descriptor for the event loop";
+        return;
+    }
+    QSocketNotifier *m_notifier = new QSocketNotifier(fd, QSocketNotifier::Read, q);
+    QObject::connect(m_notifier, &QSocketNotifier::activated, q, [this] { flush(); } );
+    QObject::connect(QCoreApplication::eventDispatcher(), &QAbstractEventDispatcher::aboutToBlock, q, [this] { flush(); });
+    setRunning(true);
+}
+
 Display::Display(QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent)
     , d(new Private(this))
 {
-    connect(QCoreApplication::eventDispatcher(), &QAbstractEventDispatcher::aboutToBlock, this, [this] { d->flush(); });
 }
 
 Display::~Display()
@@ -106,14 +122,22 @@ void Display::start()
     }
 
     d->loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(d->display);
-    int fd = wl_event_loop_get_fd(d->loop);
-    if (fd == -1) {
-        qWarning() << "Did not get the file descriptor for the event loop";
-        return;
-    }
-    QSocketNotifier *m_notifier = new QSocketNotifier(fd, QSocketNotifier::Read, this);
-    connect(m_notifier, &QSocketNotifier::activated, this, [this] { d->flush(); } );
-    d->setRunning(true);
+    d->installSocketNotifier();
+}
+
+void Display::startLoop()
+{
+    Q_ASSERT(!d->running);
+    Q_ASSERT(d->display);
+    d->installSocketNotifier();
+}
+
+void Display::dispatchEvents(int msecTimeout)
+{
+    Q_ASSERT(!d->running);
+    Q_ASSERT(d->display);
+    wl_event_loop_dispatch(d->loop, msecTimeout);
+    wl_display_flush_clients(d->display);
 }
 
 void Display::terminate()
diff --git a/src/wayland/display.h b/src/wayland/display.h
index 7873ed92d1..36b8d5d836 100644
--- a/src/wayland/display.h
+++ b/src/wayland/display.h
@@ -57,6 +57,22 @@ public:
 
     void start();
     void terminate();
+    /**
+     * Starts the event loop for the server socket.
+     * This method should only be used if start() is used before creating the
+     * QCoreApplication. In that case start() cannot fully setup the event processing
+     * and the loop needs to be started after the QCoreApplication got created.
+     * @see start
+     * @see dispatchEvents
+     **/
+    void startLoop();
+    /**
+     * Dispatches pending events in a blocking way. May only be used if the Display is
+     * created and started before the QCoreApplication is created. Once the QCoreApplication
+     * is created and the event loop is started this method may no longer be invoked.
+     * @see startLoop
+     **/
+    void dispatchEvents(int msecTimeout = -1);
 
     operator wl_display*();
     operator wl_display*() const;