diff --git a/gdk/wayland/gdkscreen-wayland.c b/gdk/wayland/gdkscreen-wayland.c
index daf9b29be1..661ecd9ec0 100644
--- a/gdk/wayland/gdkscreen-wayland.c
+++ b/gdk/wayland/gdkscreen-wayland.c
@@ -715,6 +715,9 @@ gdk_wayland_screen_get_setting (GdkScreen   *screen,
   if (strcmp (name, "gtk-shell-shows-menubar") == 0)
     return set_capability_setting (screen, value, GTK_SHELL_CAPABILITY_GLOBAL_MENU_BAR);
 
+  if (strcmp (name, "gtk-shell-shows-desktop") == 0)
+    return set_capability_setting (screen, value, GTK_SHELL_CAPABILITY_DESKTOP_ICONS);
+
   return FALSE;
 }
 
diff --git a/gdk/wayland/protocol/gtk-shell.xml b/gdk/wayland/protocol/gtk-shell.xml
index a4e25653f1..cd6625913b 100644
--- a/gdk/wayland/protocol/gtk-shell.xml
+++ b/gdk/wayland/protocol/gtk-shell.xml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     <enum name="capability">
       <entry name="global_app_menu" value="1"/>
       <entry name="global_menu_bar" value="2"/>
+      <entry name="desktop_icons" value="3"/>
     </enum>
     
     <event name="capabilities">
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdksettings.c b/gdk/x11/gdksettings.c
index 6d2f87d60b..f9bc28e206 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdksettings.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdksettings.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ static const struct {
   {"Gtk/CursorBlinkTimeout",  "gtk-cursor-blink-timeout"},
   {"Gtk/ShellShowsAppMenu",   "gtk-shell-shows-app-menu"},
   {"Gtk/ShellShowsMenubar",   "gtk-shell-shows-menubar"},
+  {"Gtk/ShellShowsDesktop",   "gtk-shell-shows-desktop"},
   {"Gtk/EnablePrimaryPaste",  "gtk-enable-primary-paste"},
   {"Gtk/RecentFilesMaxAge",   "gtk-recent-files-max-age"},
   {"Gtk/RecentFilesEnabled",  "gtk-recent-files-enabled"},
diff --git a/gtk/gtksettings.c b/gtk/gtksettings.c
index 329624bb22..01f2ef81dd 100644
--- a/gtk/gtksettings.c
+++ b/gtk/gtksettings.c
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ enum {
   PROP_IM_STATUS_STYLE,
   PROP_SHELL_SHOWS_APP_MENU,
   PROP_SHELL_SHOWS_MENUBAR,
+  PROP_SHELL_SHOWS_DESKTOP,
   PROP_ENABLE_PRIMARY_PASTE,
   PROP_RECENT_FILES_ENABLED
 };
@@ -1529,6 +1530,16 @@ gtk_settings_class_init (GtkSettingsClass *class)
                                              NULL);
   g_assert (result == PROP_SHELL_SHOWS_MENUBAR);
 
+  result = settings_install_property_parser (class,
+                                             g_param_spec_boolean ("gtk-shell-shows-desktop",
+                                                                   P_("Desktop environment shows the desktop folder"),
+                                                                   P_("Set to TRUE if the desktop environment "
+                                                                      "is displaying the desktop folder, FALSE "
+                                                                      "if not."),
+                                                                   TRUE, GTK_PARAM_READWRITE),
+                                             NULL);
+  g_assert (result == PROP_SHELL_SHOWS_DESKTOP);
+
   /**
    * GtkSettings:gtk-enable-primary-paste:
    *