diff --git a/src/libei-private.h b/src/libei-private.h
index 10133c9..02791a8 100644
--- a/src/libei-private.h
+++ b/src/libei-private.h
@@ -131,9 +131,6 @@ ei_get_interface(struct ei *ei);
 int
 ei_set_socket(struct ei *ei, int fd);
 
-void
-ei_disconnect(struct ei *ei);
-
 struct ei *
 ei_get_context(struct ei *ei);
 
diff --git a/src/libei.c b/src/libei.c
index c80018b..286e062 100644
--- a/src/libei.c
+++ b/src/libei.c
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ ei_queue_touch_up_event(struct ei_device *device, uint32_t touchid)
 	queue_event(ei_device_get_context(device), e);
 }
 
-void
+_public_ void
 ei_disconnect(struct ei *ei)
 {
 	if (ei->state == EI_STATE_DISCONNECTED ||
diff --git a/src/libei.h b/src/libei.h
index 8375de1..a9588dd 100644
--- a/src/libei.h
+++ b/src/libei.h
@@ -849,6 +849,24 @@ ei_peek_event(struct ei *ei);
 uint64_t
 ei_now(struct ei *ei);
 
+/**
+ * Disconnect the current ei context from the EIS implementation.
+ *
+ * After a call to ei_disconnect(), ei_get_event() will return
+ * events to remove resources (e.g. seats and devices) as if they
+ * had been removed by the EIS implementation. The last event
+ * returned by ei_get_event() is @ref EI_EVENT_DISCONNECT after
+ * which the context should be considered inert and any
+ * remaining resources released with ei_unref().
+ *
+ * This does not free the resources associated with the ei context, use
+ * ei_unref().
+ *
+ * @since 1.4
+ */
+void
+ei_disconnect(struct ei *ei);
+
 /**
  * @ingroup libei-seat
  *
diff --git a/test/test-ei.c b/test/test-ei.c
index 711e0d3..697011e 100644
--- a/test/test-ei.c
+++ b/test/test-ei.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_immediately)
 	return MUNIT_OK;
 }
 
-MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_self_immediately)
+MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_unref_self_immediately)
 {
 	_unref_(peck) *peck = peck_new();
 
@@ -93,6 +93,30 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_self_immediately)
 	return MUNIT_OK;
 }
 
+MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_self_immediately)
+{
+	_unref_(peck) *peck = peck_new();
+
+	peck_enable_eis_behavior(peck, PECK_EIS_BEHAVIOR_NONE);
+	peck_dispatch_until_stable(peck);
+
+	/* Disconnect before server processed CONNECT */
+	with_client(peck) {
+		ei_disconnect(ei);
+	}
+
+	peck_dispatch_until_stable(peck);
+
+	/* Expect the client to get a disconnect event */
+	with_server(peck) {
+		_unref_(eis_event) *connect =
+			peck_eis_next_event(eis, EIS_EVENT_CLIENT_CONNECT);
+		_unref_(eis_event) *disconnect =
+			peck_eis_next_event(eis, EIS_EVENT_CLIENT_DISCONNECT);
+	}
+
+	return MUNIT_OK;
+}
 
 MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_after_connect)
 {
@@ -130,7 +154,7 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_after_connect)
 	return MUNIT_OK;
 }
 
-MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_self_after_connect)
+MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_unref_self_after_connect)
 {
 	_unref_(peck) *peck = peck_new();
 
@@ -154,6 +178,29 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_self_after_connect)
 	return MUNIT_OK;
 }
 
+MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_self_after_connect)
+{
+	_unref_(peck) *peck = peck_new();
+
+	peck_enable_eis_behavior(peck, PECK_EIS_BEHAVIOR_NONE);
+	peck_dispatch_until_stable(peck);
+
+	with_client(peck) {
+		ei_disconnect(ei);
+	}
+
+	peck_dispatch_until_stable(peck);
+
+	with_server(peck) {
+		_unref_(eis_event) *connect =
+			peck_eis_next_event(eis, EIS_EVENT_CLIENT_CONNECT);
+		_unref_(eis_event) *disconnect =
+			peck_eis_next_event(eis, EIS_EVENT_CLIENT_DISCONNECT);
+	}
+
+	return MUNIT_OK;
+}
+
 MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_after_seat)
 {
 	_unref_(peck) *peck = peck_new();
@@ -203,9 +250,8 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_self_after_seat)
 			peck_ei_next_event(ei, EI_EVENT_CONNECT);
 		_unref_(ei_event) *seat =
 			peck_ei_next_event(ei, EI_EVENT_SEAT_ADDED);
-		peck_drop_ei(peck);
 		/* Disconnect from client */
-		ei_unref(ei);
+		ei_disconnect(ei);
 
 		/* There is no way to disconnect from the server without
 		 * destroying the context, so we don't care about the actual
@@ -274,8 +320,7 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_self_after_bind_before_received)
 		struct ei_seat *seat = ei_event_get_seat(event);
 		ei_seat_bind_capabilities(seat, EI_DEVICE_CAP_POINTER, NULL);
 		/* Disconnect before the server can process the bind event */
-		peck_drop_ei(peck);
-		ei_unref(ei);
+		ei_disconnect(ei);
 	}
 
 	peck_dispatch_eis(peck);
@@ -354,8 +399,7 @@ MUNIT_TEST(test_ei_disconnect_self_after_bind_after_received)
 	peck_dispatch_eis(peck);
 
 	with_client(peck) {
-		peck_drop_ei(peck);
-		ei_unref(ei);
+		ei_disconnect(ei);
 	}
 
 	peck_dispatch_eis(peck);