diff --git a/src/wayland/tests/waylandservertest.cpp b/src/wayland/tests/waylandservertest.cpp
index 85ee443503..9d8c79c1df 100644
--- a/src/wayland/tests/waylandservertest.cpp
+++ b/src/wayland/tests/waylandservertest.cpp
@@ -23,24 +23,93 @@ License along with this library.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include "../src/server/seat_interface.h"
 #include "../src/server/shell_interface.h"
 
-#include <QCoreApplication>
+#include <QGuiApplication>
+#include <QFile>
+
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <iostream>
+
+static int startXServer()
+{
+    const QByteArray process = QByteArrayLiteral("Xwayland");
+    int pipeFds[2];
+    if (pipe(pipeFds) != 0) {
+        std::cerr << "FATAL ERROR failed to create pipe to start X Server "
+                  << process.constData()
+                  << std::endl;
+        exit(1);
+    }
+
+    pid_t pid = fork();
+    if (pid == 0) {
+        // child process - should be turned into Xwayland
+        // writes to pipe, closes read side
+        close(pipeFds[0]);
+        char fdbuf[16];
+        sprintf(fdbuf, "%d", pipeFds[1]);
+        execlp(process.constData(), process.constData(), "-displayfd", fdbuf, (char *)0);
+        close(pipeFds[1]);
+        exit(20);
+    }
+    // parent process - this is the wayland server
+    // reads from pipe, closes write side
+    close(pipeFds[1]);
+    return pipeFds[0];
+}
+
+static void readDisplayFromPipe(int pipe)
+{
+    QFile readPipe;
+    if (!readPipe.open(pipe, QIODevice::ReadOnly)) {
+        std::cerr << "FATAL ERROR failed to open pipe to start X Server XWayland" << std::endl;
+        exit(1);
+    }
+    QByteArray displayNumber = readPipe.readLine();
+
+    displayNumber.prepend(QByteArray(":"));
+    displayNumber.remove(displayNumber.size() -1, 1);
+    std::cout << "X-Server started on display " << displayNumber.constData() << std::endl;
+
+    setenv("DISPLAY", displayNumber.constData(), true);
+
+    // close our pipe
+    close(pipe);
+}
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     using namespace KWayland::Server;
-    QCoreApplication app(argc, argv);
 
+    // first create the Server and setup with minimum to get an XWayland connected
     Display display;
     display.start();
+    CompositorInterface *compositor = display.createCompositor(&display);
+    compositor->create();
+    ShellInterface *shell = display.createShell();
+    shell->create();
+
+    // starts XWayland by forking and opening a pipe
+    const int pipe = startXServer();
+    if (pipe == -1) {
+        exit(1);
+    }
+
+    // need four roundtrips to dispatch events
+    for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
+        display.dispatchEvents(1000);
+    }
+
+    // now Xwayland is ready and we can read the pipe to get the display
+    readDisplayFromPipe(pipe);
+
+    QGuiApplication app(argc, argv);
+    display.startLoop();
+
+    display.createShm();
     OutputInterface *output = display.createOutput(&display);
     output->setPhysicalSize(QSize(10, 10));
     output->addMode(QSize(1024, 768));
     output->create();
-    CompositorInterface *compositor = display.createCompositor(&display);
-    compositor->create();
-    display.createShm();
-    ShellInterface *shell = display.createShell();
-    shell->create();
     SeatInterface *seat = display.createSeat();
     seat->setName(QStringLiteral("testSeat0"));
     seat->create();