diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_window_direct_wayland.c b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_window_direct_wayland.c
index 7425ac56f..c9b0cb6b6 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_window_direct_wayland.c
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_window_direct_wayland.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "xrt/xrt_compiler.h"
 #include "main/comp_window.h"
 #include "main/comp_window_direct.h"
+#include "os/os_time.h"
 #include "util/u_debug.h"
 
 #ifndef VK_EXT_acquire_drm_display
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@
 #endif
 
 DEBUG_GET_ONCE_OPTION(requested_connector, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_WAYLAND_CONNECTOR", NULL)
+DEBUG_GET_ONCE_OPTION(requested_drm_node, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_WAYLAND_DRM_NODE", NULL)
 
 struct direct_wayland_lease
 {
@@ -387,9 +389,37 @@ get_named_connector_or_first(struct comp_window_direct_wayland *w, const char *n
 	struct direct_wayland_lease_device *dev = w->devices;
 	struct direct_wayland_lease_connector *conn = NULL;
 
+	/*
+	 * Let lease devices send drm_fd/connector/done, then skip the ones that
+	 * did not: mutter keeps a wp_drm_lease_device_v1 global for every removed
+	 * secondary GPU (evdi, GNOME mutter #710) and those stale globals never
+	 * send done, so waiting for them blocked startup forever.
+	 */
+	for (int ms = 0; ms < 2000; ms += 50) {
+		bool all_done = true;
+		wl_display_roundtrip(w->display);
+		for (struct direct_wayland_lease_device *d = w->devices; d; d = d->next) {
+			all_done = all_done && d->done;
+		}
+		if (all_done) {
+			break;
+		}
+		os_nanosleep(50 * U_TIME_1MS_IN_NS);
+	}
+
 	while (dev) {
 		if (!dev->done) {
-			wl_display_dispatch(w->display);
+			COMP_WARN(w->base.base.c, "Ignoring DRM lease device that never sent done (stale global?)");
+			dev = dev->next;
+			continue;
+		}
+		// mutter may keep stale lease devices of removed GPUs that advertise
+		// the connectors of the real one: allow pinning the DRM node.
+		const char *node = debug_get_option_requested_drm_node();
+		if (node && (!dev->path || strcmp(node, dev->path) != 0)) {
+			COMP_WARN(w->base.base.c, "Skipping DRM lease device %s (XRT_COMPOSITOR_WAYLAND_DRM_NODE=%s)",
+			          dev->path ? dev->path : "?", node);
+			dev = dev->next;
 			continue;
 		}
 		if (dev->connectors) {
@@ -453,10 +483,12 @@ comp_window_direct_wayland_init(struct comp_target *w)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	// Inform when chosen connector was not found
+	// A requested connector that is missing must not fall back to another
+	// output: with evdi virtual displays around, that would lease one of them.
 	if (requested_connector && !found) {
-		COMP_WARN(w->c, "Could not find requested connector %s, selected first available connector %s",
-		          requested_connector, w_wayland->selected_connector->name);
+		COMP_ERROR(w->c, "Could not find requested connector %s (first available was %s), giving up",
+		           requested_connector, w_wayland->selected_connector->name);
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	COMP_INFO(w->c, "Using DRM node %s", w_wayland->selected_device->path);