diff --git a/proto/protocol.xml b/proto/protocol.xml
index 56b1c00..4223be7 100644
--- a/proto/protocol.xml
+++ b/proto/protocol.xml
@@ -86,11 +86,6 @@
     <request name="disconnect">
     </request>
 
-    <request name="bind_seat">
-      <arg name="seat_id" type="uint"/>
-      <arg name="capabilities" type="uint"/>
-    </request>
-
     <request name="close_device">
       <arg name="device_id" type="uint"/>
     </request>
@@ -447,6 +442,20 @@
       </description>
     </request>
 
+    <enum name="capabilities" since="1">
+      <entry name="pointer" value="2"/>
+      <entry name="pointer_absolute" value="4"/>
+      <entry name="keyboard" value="8"/>
+      <entry name="touch" value="16"/>
+    </enum>
+
+    <request name="bind">
+      <description summary="Seat binding">
+        Bind to the bitmask of capabilities given.
+      </description>
+      <arg name="capabilities" type="uint"/>
+    </request>
+
     <event name="destroyed" since="1">
       <description summary="Seat removal notification">
         This seat has been removed and a client should release all
@@ -462,13 +471,6 @@
       <arg name="name" type="string" help="the seat name"/>
     </event>
 
-    <enum name="capabilities" since="1">
-      <entry name="pointer" value="2"/>
-      <entry name="pointer_absolute" value="4"/>
-      <entry name="keyboard" value="8"/>
-      <entry name="touch" value="16"/>
-    </enum>
-
     <event name="capabilities" since="1">
       <description summary="Seat capability notification">
         A bitmask of the capabilities of this seat.
diff --git a/src/libei-private.h b/src/libei-private.h
index 6b98108..eba1b8f 100644
--- a/src/libei-private.h
+++ b/src/libei-private.h
@@ -114,9 +114,6 @@ ei_send_message(struct ei *ei, uint32_t object_id,
 void
 ei_add_seat(struct ei_seat *seat);
 
-int
-ei_send_seat_bind(struct ei_seat *seat, uint32_t capabilities);
-
 int
 ei_send_close_device(struct ei_device *device);
 
diff --git a/src/libei-seat.c b/src/libei-seat.c
index a96d082..aa23b0c 100644
--- a/src/libei-seat.c
+++ b/src/libei-seat.c
@@ -226,6 +226,20 @@ is_known_cap(enum ei_device_capability cap)
 	return false;
 }
 
+static int
+ei_seat_send_bind(struct ei_seat *seat, uint32_t capabilities)
+{
+	struct ei *ei = ei_seat_get_context(seat);
+
+	if (ei->state == EI_STATE_NEW || ei->state == EI_STATE_DISCONNECTED)
+		return 0;
+
+	int rc = ei_seat_request_bind(seat, capabilities);
+	if (rc)
+		ei_disconnect(ei);
+	return rc;
+}
+
 _public_ void
 ei_seat_bind_capabilities(struct ei_seat *seat, ...)
 {
@@ -255,7 +269,7 @@ ei_seat_bind_capabilities(struct ei_seat *seat, ...)
 		return;
 
 	seat->capabilities_bound = mask;
-	ei_send_seat_bind(seat, seat->capabilities_bound);
+	ei_seat_send_bind(seat, seat->capabilities_bound);
 }
 
 _public_ void
@@ -280,7 +294,7 @@ ei_seat_unbind_capability(struct ei_seat *seat,
 		if (ei_device_has_capability(device, cap))
 			ei_device_close(device);
 	}
-	ei_send_seat_bind(seat, seat->capabilities_bound);
+	ei_seat_send_bind(seat, seat->capabilities_bound);
 }
 
 _public_ void
@@ -312,5 +326,5 @@ ei_seat_unbind_capabilities(struct ei_seat *seat, ...)
 		return;
 
 	seat->capabilities_bound = mask;
-	ei_send_seat_bind(seat, seat->capabilities_bound);
+	ei_seat_send_bind(seat, seat->capabilities_bound);
 }
diff --git a/src/libei.c b/src/libei.c
index 3298ed0..04cd986 100644
--- a/src/libei.c
+++ b/src/libei.c
@@ -858,20 +858,6 @@ ei_send_stop_emulating(struct ei_device *device)
 	return rc;
 }
 
-int
-ei_send_seat_bind(struct ei_seat *seat, uint32_t capabilities)
-{
-	struct ei *ei = ei_seat_get_context(seat);
-
-	if (ei->state == EI_STATE_NEW || ei->state == EI_STATE_DISCONNECTED)
-		return 0;
-
-	int rc = ei_connection_request_bind_seat(ei->connection, ei_seat_get_id(seat), capabilities);
-	if (rc)
-		ei_disconnect(ei);
-	return rc;
-}
-
 int
 ei_send_frame(struct ei_device *device, uint64_t time)
 {
diff --git a/src/libeis-client.c b/src/libeis-client.c
index 3ed7c1f..10fb50a 100644
--- a/src/libeis-client.c
+++ b/src/libeis-client.c
@@ -157,19 +157,6 @@ eis_client_find_device(struct eis_client *client, uint32_t deviceid)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static struct eis_seat *
-eis_client_find_seat(struct eis_client *client, uint32_t seatid)
-{
-	struct eis_seat *seat;
-
-	list_for_each(seat, &client->seats, link) {
-		if (eis_seat_get_id(seat) == seatid)
-			return seat;
-	}
-
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 int
 eis_client_send_message(struct eis_client *client, uint32_t object_id,
 			uint32_t opcode, const char *signature, size_t nargs, ...)
@@ -334,18 +321,6 @@ client_msg_close_device(struct eis_connection *connection, uint32_t deviceid)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-client_msg_bind_seat(struct eis_connection *connection, uint32_t seatid, uint32_t caps)
-{
-	struct eis_client *client = eis_connection_get_client(connection);
-	struct eis_seat *seat = eis_client_find_seat(client, seatid);
-
-	if (seat)
-		eis_seat_bind(seat, caps);
-
-	return seat ? 0 : -EINVAL;
-}
-
 #define DISCONNECT_IF_RECEIVER_CONTEXT(client_) do { \
 	if (!(client_)->is_sender) { \
 		struct eis *_ctx = eis_client_get_context(client_); \
@@ -598,7 +573,6 @@ static const struct eis_connection_interface intf_state_connecting = {
 static const struct eis_connection_interface intf_state_connected = {
 	.sync = client_msg_sync,
 	.disconnect = client_msg_disconnect,
-	.bind_seat = client_msg_bind_seat,
 	.close_device = client_msg_close_device,
 
 	/* events */
diff --git a/src/libeis-seat.c b/src/libeis-seat.c
index 52f7532..f41c0be 100644
--- a/src/libeis-seat.c
+++ b/src/libeis-seat.c
@@ -87,8 +87,17 @@ client_msg_release(struct eis_seat *seat)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+client_msg_bind(struct eis_seat *seat, uint32_t caps)
+{
+	eis_seat_bind(seat, caps);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static const struct eis_seat_interface interface = {
 	.release = client_msg_release,
+	.bind = client_msg_bind,
 };
 
 const struct eis_seat_interface *