diff --git a/gtk/gtkimcontextwayland.c b/gtk/gtkimcontextwayland.c
index 2e5e81f2f3..13eea1b407 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkimcontextwayland.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkimcontextwayland.c
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ gtk_im_context_wayland_focus_out (GtkIMContext *context)
   commit_state (context_wayland);
 
   /* after disable, incoming state changes won't take effect anyway */
-  text_input_preedit (global, global->text_input, "", 0, 0);
+  text_input_preedit (global, global->text_input, NULL, 0, 0);
   text_input_preedit_apply (global);
 
   global->current = NULL;