diff --git a/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c b/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
index ae6fd65..938c103 100644
--- a/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
+++ b/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
@@ -326,6 +326,14 @@ wl_display_open(const char *name)
             wl_state.is_nested = 1;   /* explicit override: force nested */
         else
             wl_state.is_nested = (wayland_display && wayland_display[0]) ? 1 : 0;
+        /* Save the host compositor's WAYLAND_DISPLAY before anything
+         * overwrites it, so restart (execvp) can restore it and the
+         * new instance can find the host compositor. */
+        const char *_hwd = getenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY");
+        if (_hwd)
+            snprintf(wl_state.host_wayland_display, sizeof(wl_state.host_wayland_display), "%s", _hwd);
+        else
+            wl_state.host_wayland_display[0] = '\0';
     }
 
     /* Always create a headless backend for the output in headless mode. */
@@ -894,13 +902,16 @@ wl_display_close(void)
             unlink(path);
         }
     }
-    unsetenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY");
+    if (wl_state.host_wayland_display[0])
+        setenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY", wl_state.host_wayland_display, 1);
+    else
+        unsetenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY");
     wl_state.renderer       = NULL;
     wl_state.backend        = NULL;
     wl_state.headless_inner = NULL;
     wl_state.wl_backend_inner = NULL;
     wl_state.display        = NULL;
-    wl_state.output         = NULL;
+    wl_state.output  = NULL;
     wl_state.frame_timer    = NULL;
     wl_state.output_layout  = NULL;
     wl_state.scene_output   = NULL;
@@ -909,6 +920,7 @@ wl_display_close(void)
     wl_state.started        = 0;
 }
 
+
       void
 wl_display_post_open(const char *display_name, int *multi_head_out)
 {
diff --git a/src/backend/wayland/wl_types.h b/src/backend/wayland/wl_types.h
index cea2c5a..7cf2d75 100644
--- a/src/backend/wayland/wl_types.h
+++ b/src/backend/wayland/wl_types.h
@@ -213,7 +213,8 @@ struct wl_compositor_state {
     struct wlr_scene_output        *scene_output;
     struct wl_listener              backend_new_output_listener;
     struct wl_listener                output_frame_listener;
-    char                            socket_name[64];  /* Phase 34: e.g. "wayland-0" */
+    char                            socket_name[64];
+    char                            host_wayland_display[64]; /* saved from env before overwrite */
     int                             started; /* non-zero after successful display_open */
     /* Self-pipe for async-signal-safe shutdown: signal handler writes to [1],
      * event loop reads [0] and calls wl_display_terminate(). */