diff --git a/src/libei-private.h b/src/libei-private.h
index 573784b..6f399c5 100644
--- a/src/libei-private.h
+++ b/src/libei-private.h
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ struct ei_seat {
 	struct list devices_removed; /* removed from seat but client still has a ref */
 	uint32_t id;
 	uint32_t capabilities;
-	uint32_t capabilities_mask;
+	uint32_t capabilities_confirmed;
 	char *name;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/libei-seat.c b/src/libei-seat.c
index 499b77e..d65dda3 100644
--- a/src/libei-seat.c
+++ b/src/libei-seat.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ ei_seat_new(struct ei *ei, uint32_t id, const char *name, uint32_t capabilities)
 	seat->name = xstrdup(name);
 	seat->id = id;
 	seat->capabilities = capabilities;
-	seat->capabilities_mask = ~0; /* Masked out by client */
+	seat->capabilities_confirmed = 0;
 
 	list_init(&seat->devices);
 	list_init(&seat->devices_removed);
@@ -134,21 +134,20 @@ ei_seat_has_capability(struct ei_seat *seat,
 	case EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER_ABSOLUTE:
 	case EI_DEVICE_CAP_KEYBOARD:
 	case EI_DEVICE_CAP_TOUCH:
-		return flag_is_set(seat->capabilities_mask, cap);
+		return flag_is_set(seat->capabilities, cap);
 	}
 	return false;
 }
 
 _public_ void
-ei_seat_drop_capability(struct ei_seat *seat,
-		       enum ei_device_capability cap)
+ei_seat_confirm_capability(struct ei_seat *seat, enum ei_device_capability cap)
 {
 	if (seat->state != EI_SEAT_STATE_NEW) {
 		log_bug_client(ei_seat_get_context(seat), "Seat is already bound\n");
 		return;
 	}
 
-	flag_clear(seat->capabilities_mask, cap);
+	flag_set(seat->capabilities_confirmed, cap);
 }
 
 _public_ void
@@ -159,7 +158,7 @@ ei_seat_bind(struct ei_seat *seat)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	ei_send_seat_bind(seat, seat->capabilities & seat->capabilities_mask);
+	ei_send_seat_bind(seat, seat->capabilities & seat->capabilities_confirmed);
 	seat->state = EI_SEAT_STATE_BOUND;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libei.h b/src/libei.h
index 5b25402..c9ee12a 100644
--- a/src/libei.h
+++ b/src/libei.h
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ struct ei_region;
  * device with capabilities unsupported by the client.
  *
  * Capabilities are initialized by the EIS implementation but the client may
- * further reduce the requested capabilities, see ei_seat_drop_capability().
+ * further reduce the requested capabilities, see ei_seat_confirm_capability().
  * For example, a client may bind to a seat with the pointer and keyboard
  * capability but only the former is permitted by the EIS implementation.
  * Keyboard events sent through such a device will be treated as client bug
@@ -646,28 +646,40 @@ ei_event_unref(struct ei_event *event);
 const char *
 ei_seat_get_name(struct ei_seat *seat);
 
+/**
+ * Return true if the capabilitiy is available on this seat or false
+ * otherwise. The return value of this function is not affected by
+ * ei_seat_confirm_capability().
+ */
 bool
 ei_seat_has_capability(struct ei_seat *seat,
 		       enum ei_device_capability cap);
 
 /**
- * Remove a capability from this seat before calling ei_seat_bind().
- * Devices with only the dropped capability will never be added to this
- * client, devices with multiple capabilities will not show the dropped
- * capabilities.
+ * Confirm a capability from this seat before calling ei_seat_bind().
+ *
+ * A client must call this function for every capability on the seat it wants
+ * to receive devices for. Only devices with one or more supported
+ * capabilities will be added to this client.
+ *
+ * Calling this function for a capability that ei_seat_has_capability()
+ * returns false for is a noop and permitted.
  *
  * This function has no effect if called after ei_seat_bind().
  */
 void
-ei_seat_drop_capability(struct ei_seat *seat,
-		       enum ei_device_capability cap);
+ei_seat_confirm_capability(struct ei_seat *seat,
+			   enum ei_device_capability cap);
 
 /**
- * Bind this client to the given seat for the seat's capabilities.
+ * Bind this client to the given seat for the confirmed seat's capabilities.
  * This function can only be called once per seat. Once bound, the server will
- * create devices for the seat's capabillities and send the respective @ref
+ * create devices for the seat's capabilities and send the respective @ref
  * EI_EVENT_DEVICE_ADDED events.
  *
+ * A client must call ei_seat_confirm_capability() before calling
+ * ei_seat_bind().
+ *
  * Devices may be added and removed at any time.
  */
 void
diff --git a/test/eierpecken.c b/test/eierpecken.c
index cc90214..fc81903 100644
--- a/test/eierpecken.c
+++ b/test/eierpecken.c
@@ -814,6 +814,10 @@ _peck_dispatch_ei(struct peck *peck, int lineno)
 			munit_assert_ptr_null(peck->ei_seat);
 			peck->ei_seat = ei_seat_ref(seat);
 			log_debug(peck, "default seat: %s\n", ei_seat_get_name(peck->ei_seat));
+			ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER);
+			ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER_ABSOLUTE);
+			ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_KEYBOARD);
+			ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_TOUCH);
 			ei_seat_bind(seat);
 			break;
 			}
diff --git a/test/test-ei-seat.c b/test/test-ei-seat.c
index 8061c1b..8b09483 100644
--- a/test/test-ei-seat.c
+++ b/test/test-ei-seat.c
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_seat_bind_unbind)
 	with_client(peck) {
 		_unref_(ei_event) *event = peck_ei_next_event(ei, EI_EVENT_SEAT_ADDED);
 		seat = ei_seat_ref(ei_event_get_seat(event));
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER_ABSOLUTE);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_KEYBOARD);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_TOUCH);
 		ei_seat_bind(seat);
 	}
 
@@ -101,6 +105,10 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_seat_bind_unbind_noref)
 	with_client(peck) {
 		_unref_(ei_event) *event = peck_ei_next_event(ei, EI_EVENT_SEAT_ADDED);
 		seat = ei_seat_ref(ei_event_get_seat(event));
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER_ABSOLUTE);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_KEYBOARD);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_TOUCH);
 		ei_seat_bind(seat);
 	}
 
@@ -149,6 +157,10 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_seat_bind_unbind_immediately)
 	with_client(peck) {
 		_unref_(ei_event) *event = peck_ei_next_event(ei, EI_EVENT_SEAT_ADDED);
 		seat = ei_event_get_seat(event);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER_ABSOLUTE);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_KEYBOARD);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_TOUCH);
 		ei_seat_bind(seat);
 		ei_seat_unbind(seat);
 	}
diff --git a/test/test-eis.c b/test/test-eis.c
index deaa463..6e02038 100644
--- a/test/test-eis.c
+++ b/test/test-eis.c
@@ -120,8 +120,12 @@ MUNIT_TEST(eistest_cliend_bind_some_caps)
 		_unref_(ei_event) *event =
 			peck_ei_next_event(ei, EI_EVENT_SEAT_ADDED);
 		struct ei_seat *seat = ei_event_get_seat(event);
-		ei_seat_drop_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_KEYBOARD);
-		ei_seat_drop_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_TOUCH);
+		munit_assert_true(ei_seat_has_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_KEYBOARD));
+		munit_assert_true(ei_seat_has_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER));
+		munit_assert_true(ei_seat_has_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER_ABSOLUTE));
+		munit_assert_true(ei_seat_has_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_TOUCH));
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER);
+		ei_seat_confirm_capability(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER_ABSOLUTE);
 		ei_seat_bind(seat);
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/ei-demo-client.c b/tools/ei-demo-client.c
index e9ab43b..d1d6e72 100644
--- a/tools/ei-demo-client.c
+++ b/tools/ei-demo-client.c
@@ -312,6 +312,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 				}
 				default_seat = ei_seat_ref(ei_event_get_seat(e));
 				colorprint("seat added: %s\n", ei_seat_get_name(default_seat));
+				ei_seat_confirm_capability(default_seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER);
+				ei_seat_confirm_capability(default_seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER_ABSOLUTE);
+				ei_seat_confirm_capability(default_seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_KEYBOARD);
+				ei_seat_confirm_capability(default_seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_TOUCH);
 				ei_seat_bind(default_seat);
 				break;
 				}