diff --git a/appvm-scripts/usrbin/qubes-session b/appvm-scripts/usrbin/qubes-session
index e5bedc2d..933520e8 100755
--- a/appvm-scripts/usrbin/qubes-session
+++ b/appvm-scripts/usrbin/qubes-session
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@
 # shellcheck disable=SC1091
 . /usr/lib/qubes/init/functions
 
-loginctl activate "$XDG_SESSION_ID"
-
 if qsvc guivm-gui-agent; then
     if [ -e "$HOME/.xinitrc" ]; then
         . "$HOME/.xinitrc"
diff --git a/gui-agent/qubes-gui-runuser.c b/gui-agent/qubes-gui-runuser.c
index f9eddc25..e2cae324 100644
--- a/gui-agent/qubes-gui-runuser.c
+++ b/gui-agent/qubes-gui-runuser.c
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <linux/vt.h>
+#include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -444,6 +446,9 @@ static pid_t do_execute(char *user, char *path, char **argv)
             retval = pam_putenv(pamh, env_buf);
             if (retval != PAM_SUCCESS)
                 goto error;
+            retval = ioctl(0, VT_ACTIVATE, atoi(tty+8));
+            if (retval)
+                perror("ioctl(VT_ACTIVATE)");
         }
     }