diff --git a/include/sway/view.h b/include/sway/view.h
index 18e964f35..900bd296f 100644
--- a/include/sway/view.h
+++ b/include/sway/view.h
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ struct sway_view {
 				int width, int height);
 		void (*set_position)(struct sway_view *view,
 				double ox, double oy);
+		void (*set_activated)(struct sway_view *view, bool activated);
 	} iface;
 };
 
diff --git a/sway/desktop/wl_shell.c b/sway/desktop/wl_shell.c
index b2e026ef7..3f5a358ab 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/wl_shell.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/wl_shell.c
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ static void set_position(struct sway_view *view, double ox, double oy) {
 	view->swayc->y = oy;
 }
 
+static void set_activated(struct sway_view *view, bool activated) {
+	// no way to activate wl_shell
+}
+
 static void handle_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct sway_wl_shell_surface *sway_surface =
 		wl_container_of(listener, sway_surface, commit);
@@ -96,6 +100,7 @@ void handle_wl_shell_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	sway_view->iface.get_prop = get_prop;
 	sway_view->iface.set_size = set_size;
 	sway_view->iface.set_position = set_position;
+	sway_view->iface.set_activated = set_activated;
 	sway_view->wlr_wl_shell_surface = shell_surface;
 	sway_view->sway_wl_shell_surface = sway_surface;
 	sway_view->surface = shell_surface->surface;
diff --git a/sway/desktop/xdg_shell_v6.c b/sway/desktop/xdg_shell_v6.c
index 37e39f37a..2435c2565 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/xdg_shell_v6.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/xdg_shell_v6.c
@@ -45,6 +45,16 @@ static void set_position(struct sway_view *view, double ox, double oy) {
 	view->swayc->y = oy;
 }
 
+static void set_activated(struct sway_view *view, bool activated) {
+	if (!assert_xdg(view)) {
+		return;
+	}
+	struct wlr_xdg_surface_v6 *surface = view->wlr_xdg_surface_v6;
+	if (surface->role == WLR_XDG_SURFACE_V6_ROLE_TOPLEVEL) {
+		wlr_xdg_toplevel_v6_set_activated(surface, activated);
+	}
+}
+
 static void handle_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct sway_xdg_surface_v6 *sway_surface =
 		wl_container_of(listener, sway_surface, commit);
@@ -96,6 +106,7 @@ void handle_xdg_shell_v6_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	sway_view->iface.get_prop = get_prop;
 	sway_view->iface.set_size = set_size;
 	sway_view->iface.set_position = set_position;
+	sway_view->iface.set_activated = set_activated;
 	sway_view->wlr_xdg_surface_v6 = xdg_surface;
 	sway_view->sway_xdg_surface_v6 = sway_surface;
 	sway_view->surface = xdg_surface->surface;
diff --git a/sway/desktop/xwayland.c b/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
index 266a5869d..65c7e1ec3 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ static void set_position(struct sway_view *view, double ox, double oy) {
 		view->width, view->height);
 }
 
+static void set_activated(struct sway_view *view, bool activated) {
+	if (!assert_xwayland(view)) {
+		return;
+	}
+	struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface = view->wlr_xwayland_surface;
+	wlr_xwayland_surface_activate(surface, activated);
+}
+
 static void handle_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct sway_xwayland_surface *sway_surface =
 		wl_container_of(listener, sway_surface, commit);
@@ -133,6 +141,7 @@ void handle_xwayland_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	sway_view->iface.get_prop = get_prop;
 	sway_view->iface.set_size = set_size;
 	sway_view->iface.set_position = set_position;
+	sway_view->iface.set_activated = set_activated;
 	sway_view->wlr_xwayland_surface = xsurface;
 	sway_view->sway_xwayland_surface = sway_surface;
 	// TODO remove from the tree when the surface goes away (unmapped)