diff --git a/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.c b/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.c
index 7367f29822..bc4945dcc8 100644
--- a/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.c
+++ b/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.c
@@ -151,6 +151,10 @@ static void gst_glimage_sink_set_window_handle (GstVideoOverlay * overlay,
     guintptr id);
 static void gst_glimage_sink_expose (GstVideoOverlay * overlay);
 
+static void
+gst_glimage_sink_handle_events (GstVideoOverlay * overlay,
+    gboolean handle_events);
+
 static GstStaticPadTemplate gst_glimage_sink_template =
     GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("sink",
     GST_PAD_SINK,
@@ -173,7 +177,8 @@ enum
   ARG_DISPLAY,
   PROP_FORCE_ASPECT_RATIO,
   PROP_PIXEL_ASPECT_RATIO,
-  PROP_CONTEXT
+  PROP_CONTEXT,
+  PROP_HANDLE_EVENTS
 };
 
 enum
@@ -282,6 +287,11 @@ gst_glimage_sink_class_init (GstGLImageSinkClass * klass)
           "Get OpenGL context",
           GST_GL_TYPE_CONTEXT, G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
 
+  g_object_class_install_property (gobject_class, PROP_HANDLE_EVENTS,
+      g_param_spec_boolean ("handle-events", "Handle XEvents",
+          "When enabled, XEvents will be selected and handled", TRUE,
+          G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
+
   gst_element_class_set_metadata (element_class, "OpenGL video sink",
       "Sink/Video", "A videosink based on OpenGL",
       "Julien Isorce <julien.isorce@gmail.com>");
@@ -356,6 +366,8 @@ gst_glimage_sink_init (GstGLImageSink * glimage_sink)
   glimage_sink->redisplay_texture = 0;
 
   g_mutex_init (&glimage_sink->drawing_lock);
+
+  gst_glimage_sink_handle_events (GST_VIDEO_OVERLAY (glimage_sink), TRUE);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -386,6 +398,10 @@ gst_glimage_sink_set_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
       glimage_sink->par_d = gst_value_get_fraction_denominator (value);
       break;
     }
+    case PROP_HANDLE_EVENTS:
+      gst_glimage_sink_handle_events (GST_VIDEO_OVERLAY (glimage_sink),
+          g_value_get_boolean (value));
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
       break;
@@ -437,6 +453,9 @@ gst_glimage_sink_get_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
     case PROP_CONTEXT:
       g_value_set_object (value, glimage_sink->context);
       break;
+    case PROP_HANDLE_EVENTS:
+      g_value_set_boolean (value, glimage_sink->handle_events);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
       break;
@@ -911,6 +930,7 @@ static void
 gst_glimage_sink_video_overlay_init (GstVideoOverlayInterface * iface)
 {
   iface->set_window_handle = gst_glimage_sink_set_window_handle;
+  iface->handle_events = gst_glimage_sink_handle_events;
   iface->expose = gst_glimage_sink_expose;
 }
 
@@ -950,6 +970,24 @@ gst_glimage_sink_expose (GstVideoOverlay * overlay)
   }
 }
 
+static void
+gst_glimage_sink_handle_events (GstVideoOverlay * overlay,
+    gboolean handle_events)
+{
+  GstGLImageSink *glimage_sink = GST_GLIMAGE_SINK (overlay);
+
+  glimage_sink->handle_events = handle_events;
+
+  _ensure_gl_setup (glimage_sink);
+
+  if (G_LIKELY (glimage_sink->context)) {
+    GstGLWindow *window;
+    window = gst_gl_context_get_window (glimage_sink->context);
+    gst_gl_window_handle_events (window, handle_events);
+    gst_object_unref (window);
+  }
+}
+
 static gboolean
 gst_glimage_sink_propose_allocation (GstBaseSink * bsink, GstQuery * query)
 {
diff --git a/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.h b/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.h
index 45d95152da..4c1842dbac 100644
--- a/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.h
+++ b/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ struct _GstGLImageSink
     GstGLDisplay *display;
     GstGLContext *context;
     GstGLContext *other_context;
+    gboolean handle_events;
 
     GstGLUpload *upload;
     guint      next_tex;
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglwindow.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglwindow.c
index 43f3bab061..ba406f0801 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglwindow.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglwindow.c
@@ -972,3 +972,26 @@ gst_gl_window_send_mouse_event (GstGLWindow * window, const char *event_type,
   g_signal_emit (window, gst_gl_window_signals[EVENT_MOUSE_SIGNAL], 0,
       event_type, button, posx, posy);
 }
+
+/**
+ * gst_gl_window_handle_events:
+ * @window: a #GstGLWindow
+ * @handle_events: a #gboolean indicating if events should be handled or not.
+ *
++ * Tell a @window that it should handle events from the window system. These
++ * events are forwarded upstream as navigation events. In some window systems
++ * events are not propagated in the window hierarchy if a client is listening
++ * for them. This method allows you to disable events handling completely
++ * from the @window.
+ */
+void
+gst_gl_window_handle_events (GstGLWindow * window, gboolean handle_events)
+{
+  GstGLWindowClass *window_class;
+
+  g_return_if_fail (GST_GL_IS_WINDOW (window));
+  window_class = GST_GL_WINDOW_GET_CLASS (window);
+  g_return_if_fail (window_class->handle_events != NULL);
+
+  window_class->handle_events (window, handle_events);
+}
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglwindow.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglwindow.h
index 6f244eadef..17ea287d5b 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglwindow.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglwindow.h
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ struct _GstGLWindowClass {
   gboolean (*open)               (GstGLWindow *window, GError **error);
   void     (*close)              (GstGLWindow *window);
   void     (*get_surface_dimensions)  (GstGLWindow *window, guint *width, guint *height);
+  void     (*handle_events)      (GstGLWindow *window, gboolean handle_events);
 
   /*< private >*/
   gpointer _reserved[GST_PADDING];
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ void     gst_gl_window_send_message_async   (GstGLWindow *window, GstGLWindowCB
 guintptr gst_gl_window_get_display          (GstGLWindow *window);
 void     gst_gl_window_get_surface_dimensions (GstGLWindow * window, guint * width,
    guint * height);
+void     gst_gl_window_handle_events        (GstGLWindow * window, gboolean handle_events);
 
 GstGLContext * gst_gl_window_get_context (GstGLWindow *window);
 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/x11/gstglwindow_x11.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/x11/gstglwindow_x11.c
index 84c71af165..ef93650d12 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/x11/gstglwindow_x11.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/x11/gstglwindow_x11.c
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ gboolean gst_gl_window_x11_open (GstGLWindow * window, GError ** error);
 void gst_gl_window_x11_close (GstGLWindow * window);
 static void gst_gl_window_x11_get_surface_dimensions (GstGLWindow * window,
     guint * width, guint * height);
+void gst_gl_window_x11_handle_events (GstGLWindow * window,
+    gboolean handle_events);
 
 static void
 gst_gl_window_x11_finalize (GObject * object)
@@ -113,6 +115,8 @@ gst_gl_window_x11_class_init (GstGLWindowX11Class * klass)
   window_class->close = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_gl_window_x11_close);
   window_class->get_surface_dimensions =
       GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_gl_window_x11_get_surface_dimensions);
+  window_class->handle_events =
+      GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_gl_window_x11_handle_events);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -211,8 +215,7 @@ gst_gl_window_x11_create_window (GstGLWindowX11 * window_x11)
       window_x11->visual_info->bits_per_rgb);
 
   win_attr.event_mask =
-      StructureNotifyMask | ExposureMask | VisibilityChangeMask | KeyPressMask |
-      KeyReleaseMask | ButtonPressMask | ButtonReleaseMask | PointerMotionMask;
+      StructureNotifyMask | ExposureMask | VisibilityChangeMask;
   win_attr.do_not_propagate_mask = NoEventMask;
 
   win_attr.background_pixmap = None;
@@ -498,6 +501,25 @@ event_type_to_string (guint type)
   }
 }
 
+void
+gst_gl_window_x11_handle_events (GstGLWindow * window, gboolean handle_events)
+{
+  GstGLWindowX11 *window_x11;
+
+  g_return_if_fail (window != NULL);
+
+  window_x11 = GST_GL_WINDOW_X11 (window);
+
+  if (handle_events) {
+    XSelectInput (window_x11->device, window_x11->internal_win_id,
+        StructureNotifyMask | ExposureMask | VisibilityChangeMask |
+        PointerMotionMask | KeyPressMask | KeyReleaseMask);
+  } else {
+    XSelectInput (window_x11->device, window_x11->internal_win_id,
+        StructureNotifyMask | ExposureMask | VisibilityChangeMask);
+  }
+}
+
 gboolean
 gst_gl_window_x11_handle_event (GstGLWindowX11 * window_x11)
 {