diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkwindow-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkwindow-x11.c
index 3fe545c125..8eca50c618 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkwindow-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkwindow-x11.c
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ gdk_window_impl_x11_init (GdkWindowImplX11 *impl)
   impl->device_cursor = g_hash_table_new_full (NULL, NULL,
                                                NULL, g_object_unref);
   impl->window_scale = 1;
+  impl->frame_sync_enabled = TRUE;
 }
 
 GdkToplevelX11 *
@@ -403,7 +404,8 @@ gdk_x11_window_end_frame (GdkWindow *window)
 		       impl->toplevel->extended_update_counter,
 		       impl->toplevel->current_counter_value);
 
-      if (gdk_x11_screen_supports_net_wm_hint (gdk_window_get_screen (window),
+      if (impl->frame_sync_enabled &&
+          gdk_x11_screen_supports_net_wm_hint (gdk_window_get_screen (window),
 					       gdk_atom_intern_static_string ("_NET_WM_FRAME_DRAWN")))
         {
           impl->toplevel->frame_pending = TRUE;
@@ -5443,6 +5445,37 @@ gdk_x11_window_get_scale_factor (GdkWindow *window)
   return impl->window_scale;
 }
 
+/**
+ * gdk_x11_window_set_frame_sync_enabled:
+ * @window: (type GdkX11Window): a native #GdkWindow
+ * @frame_sync_enabled: whether frame-synchronization should be enabled
+ *
+ * This function can be used to disable frame synchronization for a window.
+ * Normally frame synchronziation will be enabled or disabled based on whether
+ * the system has a compositor that supports frame synchronization, but if
+ * the window is not directly managed by the window manager, then frame
+ * synchronziation may need to be disabled. This is the case for a window
+ * embedded via the XEMBED protocol.
+ *
+ * Since: 3.8
+ */
+void
+gdk_x11_window_set_frame_sync_enabled (GdkWindow *window,
+                                       gboolean   frame_sync_enabled)
+{
+  /* Try to ensure the window has a native window */
+  if (!_gdk_window_has_impl (window))
+    gdk_window_ensure_native (window);
+
+  if (!GDK_WINDOW_IS_X11 (window))
+    {
+      g_warning (G_STRLOC " drawable is not a native X11 window");
+      return;
+    }
+
+  GDK_WINDOW_IMPL_X11 (window->impl)->frame_sync_enabled = FALSE;
+}
+
 static void
 gdk_window_impl_x11_class_init (GdkWindowImplX11Class *klass)
 {
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkwindow-x11.h b/gdk/x11/gdkwindow-x11.h
index 1c50cf4861..92db3d8192 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkwindow-x11.h
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkwindow-x11.h
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ struct _GdkWindowImplX11
                            * unset during resizing and scaling */
   guint override_redirect : 1;
   guint frame_clock_connected : 1;
+  guint frame_sync_enabled : 1;
 
   cairo_surface_t *cairo_surface;
 
@@ -176,6 +177,8 @@ GType gdk_window_impl_x11_get_type (void);
 
 void            gdk_x11_window_set_user_time        (GdkWindow *window,
 						     guint32    timestamp);
+void            gdk_x11_window_set_frame_sync_enabled (GdkWindow *window,
+                                                       gboolean   frame_sync_enabled);
 
 GdkToplevelX11 *_gdk_x11_window_get_toplevel        (GdkWindow *window);
 void            _gdk_x11_window_tmp_unset_bg        (GdkWindow *window,
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkx11window.h b/gdk/x11/gdkx11window.h
index bf4d553873..1503402eba 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkx11window.h
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkx11window.h
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ void     gdk_x11_window_set_hide_titlebar_when_maximized (GdkWindow *window,
 GDK_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 void     gdk_x11_window_move_to_current_desktop (GdkWindow   *window);
 
+GDK_AVAILABLE_IN_3_8
+void     gdk_x11_window_set_frame_sync_enabled (GdkWindow *window,
+                                                gboolean   frame_sync_enabled);
+
 /**
  * GDK_WINDOW_XDISPLAY:
  * @win: a #GdkWindow.
diff --git a/gtk/gtkplug.c b/gtk/gtkplug.c
index 788be1a71e..c2fb49304b 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkplug.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkplug.c
@@ -1053,6 +1053,13 @@ gtk_plug_realize (GtkWidget *widget)
       else /* If it's a passive plug, we use the root window */
         gdk_window = gdk_window_new (gtk_widget_get_root_window (widget),
                                      &attributes, attributes_mask);
+      /* Because the window isn't known to the window manager,
+       * frame sync won't work. In theory, XEMBED could be extended
+       * so that embedder did frame sync like a window manager, but
+       * it's just not worth the effort considering the current
+       * minimal use of XEMBED.
+       */
+      gdk_x11_window_set_frame_sync_enabled (gdk_window, FALSE);
       gtk_widget_set_window (widget, gdk_window);
 
       gdk_display_sync (gtk_widget_get_display (widget));