diff --git a/guest/linux-tests.c b/guest/linux-tests.c
index 66203444f2c40fc795cd37aa54ea792fd13ff53f..e0b55cc069978d6f7e085887aabf737f3bbe9b34 100644
--- a/guest/linux-tests.c
+++ b/guest/linux-tests.c
@@ -40,10 +40,19 @@ int main(void) {
     pw_cursor(&buffer); assert(cursor_packet->len == SG_CURSOR_WORDS * 4);
     cursor->hotspot.x = 1; bitmap->offset = sizeof(*bitmap); pw_cursor(&buffer);
     assert(pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE]);
-    cursor->id = 0; pw_cursor(&buffer); assert(pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE]);
-    cursor->id = 7; bitmap->offset = 0; pw_cursor(&buffer); assert(!pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE]);
-    cursor->bitmap_offset = 0; pw_cursor(&buffer); assert(!pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE]);
-    cursor->bitmap_offset = sizeof(*cursor); bitmap->format = 0; pw_cursor(&buffer); assert(!pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE]);
+    length = cursor_packet->len;
+    cursor->id = 0; pw_cursor(&buffer); assert(!pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE] && cursor_packet->len == length);
+    cursor->id = 7; cursor->bitmap_offset = 0; pw_cursor(&buffer);
+    assert(pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE] && cursor_packet->len == length);
+    cursor->bitmap_offset = sizeof(*cursor); bitmap->offset = 0; bitmap->format = 0;
+    pw_cursor(&buffer);
+    assert(word(cursor_packet->data + SG_CURSOR_WIDTH * 4) == 1);
+    assert(word(cursor_packet->data + SG_CURSOR_HEIGHT * 4) == 1);
+    assert(!memcmp(cursor_packet->data + SG_CURSOR_WORDS * 4 + 4, (uint8_t[4]){0}, 4));
+    length = cursor_packet->len; cursor->bitmap_offset = 0; pw_cursor(&buffer);
+    assert(pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE] && cursor_packet->len == length);
+    cursor->bitmap_offset = sizeof(*cursor); bitmap->offset = sizeof(*bitmap);
+    pw_cursor(&buffer); assert(cursor_packet->len == length);
     bitmap->format = SPA_VIDEO_FORMAT_BGRA; bitmap->offset = sizeof(*bitmap); pw_cursor(&buffer); assert(pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE]);
     uint8_t drain[4096]; while (read(sockets[1], drain, sizeof(drain)) > 0) {}
     g_byte_array_set_size(cursor_packet, 0);
diff --git a/guest/linux.c b/guest/linux.c
index fceb80de7b5899087d64e2d67e3e9a49663fe443..dfe263ea5c0f57cb93f3bf8493750945ca004e6b 100644
--- a/guest/linux.c
+++ b/guest/linux.c
@@ -317,17 +317,19 @@ static void pw_cursor(struct spa_buffer *buffer) {
     struct spa_meta *meta = spa_buffer_find_meta(buffer, SPA_META_Cursor);
     if (!meta || meta->size < sizeof(struct spa_meta_cursor)) return;
     struct spa_meta_cursor cursor; memcpy(&cursor, meta->data, sizeof(cursor));
+    position(cursor.position.x, cursor.position.y, cursor.id != 0);
     if (!cursor.id) return;
-    position(cursor.position.x, cursor.position.y, pointer[SG_POINTER_VISIBLE]);
     if (!cursor.bitmap_offset) return;
     if (cursor.bitmap_offset < sizeof(cursor) || cursor.bitmap_offset > meta->size - sizeof(struct spa_meta_bitmap)) return;
     struct spa_meta_bitmap bitmap; memcpy(&bitmap, (uint8_t *)meta->data + cursor.bitmap_offset, sizeof(bitmap));
+    if (!bitmap.offset || !bitmap.size.width || !bitmap.size.height) {
+        cursor_shape(1, 1, 0, 0, (uint8_t[4]){0}); return;
+    }
     if (!bitmap.format) return;
-    if (!bitmap.offset) { position(cursor.position.x, cursor.position.y, 0); return; }
     uint32_t w = bitmap.size.width, h = bitmap.size.height;
     size_t available = meta->size - cursor.bitmap_offset;
-    if (!w || !h || w > SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE || h > SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE || bitmap.stride < (int32_t)w * 4 || bitmap.offset < sizeof(bitmap) || bitmap.offset > available || (size_t)(h - 1) * bitmap.stride + w * 4 > available - bitmap.offset) {
-        position(cursor.position.x, cursor.position.y, 1); cursor_shape(0, 0, 0, 0, NULL); return;
+    if (w > SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE || h > SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE || bitmap.stride < (int32_t)w * 4 || bitmap.offset < sizeof(bitmap) || bitmap.offset > available || (size_t)(h - 1) * bitmap.stride + w * 4 > available - bitmap.offset) {
+        cursor_shape(0, 0, 0, 0, NULL); return;
     }
     unsigned offsets[4];
     switch (bitmap.format) {
@@ -335,21 +337,19 @@ static void pw_cursor(struct spa_buffer *buffer) {
     case SPA_VIDEO_FORMAT_BGRA: offsets[0] = 2; offsets[1] = 1; offsets[2] = 0; offsets[3] = 3; break;
     case SPA_VIDEO_FORMAT_ARGB: offsets[0] = 1; offsets[1] = 2; offsets[2] = 3; offsets[3] = 0; break;
     case SPA_VIDEO_FORMAT_ABGR: offsets[0] = 3; offsets[1] = 2; offsets[2] = 1; offsets[3] = 0; break;
-    default: position(cursor.position.x, cursor.position.y, 1); cursor_shape(0, 0, 0, 0, NULL); return;
+    default: cursor_shape(0, 0, 0, 0, NULL); return;
     }
     uint8_t rgba[SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE * SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE * 4];
     const uint8_t *pixels = (uint8_t *)meta->data + cursor.bitmap_offset + bitmap.offset;
-    int visible = 0;
     for (uint32_t y = 0; y < h; ++y) for (uint32_t x = 0; x < w; ++x) {
         const uint8_t *src = pixels + (size_t)y * bitmap.stride + x * 4;
         uint8_t *dst = rgba + ((size_t)y * w + x) * 4;
-        unsigned alpha = src[offsets[3]]; dst[3] = (uint8_t)alpha; visible |= alpha != 0;
+        unsigned alpha = src[offsets[3]]; dst[3] = (uint8_t)alpha;
         for (unsigned c = 0; c < 3; ++c) {
             unsigned value = alpha ? (src[offsets[c]] * 255u + alpha / 2) / alpha : 0;
             dst[c] = (uint8_t)(value > 255 ? 255 : value);
         }
     }
-    position(cursor.position.x, cursor.position.y, visible);
     cursor_shape(w, h, cursor.hotspot.x, cursor.hotspot.y, rgba);
 }
 
@@ -401,7 +401,11 @@ static void pw_format(void *unused, uint32_t id, const struct spa_pod *param) {
         SPA_PARAM_BUFFERS_dataType, SPA_POD_CHOICE_FLAGS_Int((1 << SPA_DATA_MemPtr) | (1 << SPA_DATA_MemFd)));
     params[1] = spa_pod_builder_add_object(&builder, SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamMeta, SPA_PARAM_Meta,
         SPA_PARAM_META_type, SPA_POD_Id(SPA_META_Cursor),
-        SPA_PARAM_META_size, SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_meta_cursor) + sizeof(struct spa_meta_bitmap) + SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE * SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE * 4));
+        /* Compositors can require a larger allocation than the transmitted cursor limit. */
+        SPA_PARAM_META_size, SPA_POD_CHOICE_RANGE_Int(
+            sizeof(struct spa_meta_cursor) + sizeof(struct spa_meta_bitmap) + SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE * SG_MAX_CURSOR_SIZE * 4,
+            sizeof(struct spa_meta_cursor) + sizeof(struct spa_meta_bitmap) + 4,
+            sizeof(struct spa_meta_cursor) + sizeof(struct spa_meta_bitmap) + 384 * 384 * 4));
     params[2] = spa_pod_builder_add_object(&builder, SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamMeta, SPA_PARAM_Meta,
         SPA_PARAM_META_type, SPA_POD_Id(SPA_META_VideoTransform), SPA_PARAM_META_size, SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_meta_videotransform)));
     pw_stream_update_params(pw_stream, params, 3);