diff --git a/src/libinput-private.h b/src/libinput-private.h
index b08c0351..a95967fd 100644
--- a/src/libinput-private.h
+++ b/src/libinput-private.h
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ struct libinput_seat {
 	struct list devices_list;
 	void *user_data;
 	int refcount;
-	char *name;
+	char *physical_name;
+	char *logical_name;
 	libinput_seat_destroy_func destroy;
 };
 
@@ -99,7 +100,8 @@ close_restricted(struct libinput *libinput, int fd);
 void
 libinput_seat_init(struct libinput_seat *seat,
 		   struct libinput *libinput,
-		   const char *name,
+		   const char *physical_name,
+		   const char *logical_name,
 		   libinput_seat_destroy_func destroy);
 
 void
diff --git a/src/libinput.c b/src/libinput.c
index 61e71026..fd1261dc 100644
--- a/src/libinput.c
+++ b/src/libinput.c
@@ -463,12 +463,14 @@ close_restricted(struct libinput *libinput, int fd)
 void
 libinput_seat_init(struct libinput_seat *seat,
 		   struct libinput *libinput,
-		   const char *name,
+		   const char *physical_name,
+		   const char *logical_name,
 		   libinput_seat_destroy_func destroy)
 {
 	seat->refcount = 1;
 	seat->libinput = libinput;
-	seat->name = strdup(name);
+	seat->physical_name = strdup(physical_name);
+	seat->logical_name = strdup(logical_name);
 	seat->destroy = destroy;
 	list_init(&seat->devices_list);
 }
@@ -483,7 +485,8 @@ static void
 libinput_seat_destroy(struct libinput_seat *seat)
 {
 	list_remove(&seat->link);
-	free(seat->name);
+	free(seat->logical_name);
+	free(seat->physical_name);
 	seat->destroy(seat);
 }
 
@@ -509,9 +512,15 @@ libinput_seat_get_user_data(struct libinput_seat *seat)
 }
 
 LIBINPUT_EXPORT const char *
-libinput_seat_get_name(struct libinput_seat *seat)
+libinput_seat_get_physical_name(struct libinput_seat *seat)
 {
-	return seat->name;
+	return seat->physical_name;
+}
+
+LIBINPUT_EXPORT const char *
+libinput_seat_get_logical_name(struct libinput_seat *seat)
+{
+	return seat->logical_name;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/libinput.h b/src/libinput.h
index 52c7c1a4..1fce32b7 100644
--- a/src/libinput.h
+++ b/src/libinput.h
@@ -544,6 +544,28 @@ libinput_destroy(struct libinput *libinput);
 
 /**
  * @defgroup seat Initialization and manipulation of seats
+ *
+ * A seat has two identifiers, the physical name and the logical name. The
+ * physical name is summarized as the list of devices a process on the same
+ * physical seat has access to.
+ *
+ * The logical seat name is the seat name for a logical group of devices. A
+ * compositor may use that to create additonal seats as independent device
+ * sets. Alternatively, a compositor may limit itself to a single logical
+ * seat, leaving a second compositor to manage devices on the other logical
+ * seats.
+ *
+ * @code
+ * +---+--------+------------+------------------------+------------+
+ * |   | event0 |            |                        | log seat A |
+ * | K +--------+            |                        +------------+
+ * | e | event1 | phys seat0 |    libinput context 1  |            |
+ * | r +--------+            |                        | log seat B |
+ * | n | event2 |            |                        |            |
+ * | e +--------+------------+------------------------+------------+
+ * | l | event3 | phys seat1 |    libinput context 2  | log seat C |
+ * +---+--------+------------+------------------------+------------+
+ * @endcode
  */
 
 /**
@@ -601,11 +623,33 @@ libinput_seat_get_user_data(struct libinput_seat *seat);
 /**
  * @ingroup seat
  *
+ * Return the physical name of the seat. For libinput contexts created from
+ * udev, this is always the same value as passed into
+ * libinput_create_from_udev() and all seats from that context will have the
+ * same physical name.
+ *
+ * The physical name of the seat is one that is usually set by the system or
+ * lower levels of the stack. In most cases, this is the base filter for
+ * devices - devices assigned to seats outside the current seat will not
+ * be available to the caller.
+ *
  * @param seat A previously obtained seat
- * @return the name of this seat
+ * @return the physical name of this seat
  */
 const char *
-libinput_seat_get_name(struct libinput_seat *seat);
+libinput_seat_get_physical_name(struct libinput_seat *seat);
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup seat
+ *
+ * Return the logical name of the seat. This is an identifier to group sets
+ * of devices within the compositor.
+ *
+ * @param seat A previously obtained seat
+ * @return the logical name of this seat
+ */
+const char *
+libinput_seat_get_logical_name(struct libinput_seat *seat);
 
 /**
  * @defgroup device Initialization and manipulation of input devices
diff --git a/src/path.c b/src/path.c
index 10f6b1e0..f2962bfa 100644
--- a/src/path.c
+++ b/src/path.c
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ path_seat_create(struct path_input *input)
 
 	seat->name = "default";
 
-	libinput_seat_init(&seat->base, &input->base, seat->name, path_seat_destroy);
+	/* FIXME: get physical seat from udev */
+	libinput_seat_init(&seat->base, &input->base, seat->name, seat->name, path_seat_destroy);
 	list_insert(&input->base.seat_list, &seat->base.link);
 
 	return seat;
diff --git a/src/udev-seat.c b/src/udev-seat.c
index 1522c30f..2a7c9a2e 100644
--- a/src/udev-seat.c
+++ b/src/udev-seat.c
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ static const char default_seat[] = "seat0";
 static const char default_seat_name[] = "default";
 
 static struct udev_seat *
-udev_seat_create(struct udev_input *input, const char *seat_name);
+udev_seat_create(struct udev_input *input,
+		 const char *device_seat,
+		 const char *seat_name);
 static struct udev_seat *
 udev_seat_get_named(struct udev_input *input, const char *seat_name);
 
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ device_added(struct udev_device *udev_device, struct udev_input *input)
 	if (seat)
 		libinput_seat_ref(&seat->base);
 	else {
-		seat = udev_seat_create(input, seat_name);
+		seat = udev_seat_create(input, device_seat, seat_name);
 		if (!seat)
 			return -1;
 	}
@@ -224,7 +226,7 @@ udev_input_remove_devices(struct udev_input *input)
 				/* if the seat may be referenced by the
 				   client, so make sure it's dropped from
 				   the seat list now, to be freed whenever
-				   the device is removed */
+				 * the device is removed */
 				list_remove(&seat->base.link);
 				list_init(&seat->base.link);
 			}
@@ -316,7 +318,9 @@ udev_seat_destroy(struct libinput_seat *seat)
 }
 
 static struct udev_seat *
-udev_seat_create(struct udev_input *input, const char *seat_name)
+udev_seat_create(struct udev_input *input,
+		 const char *device_seat,
+		 const char *seat_name)
 {
 	struct udev_seat *seat;
 
@@ -324,7 +328,9 @@ udev_seat_create(struct udev_input *input, const char *seat_name)
 	if (!seat)
 		return NULL;
 
-	libinput_seat_init(&seat->base, &input->base, seat_name, udev_seat_destroy);
+	libinput_seat_init(&seat->base, &input->base,
+			   device_seat, seat_name,
+			   udev_seat_destroy);
 	list_insert(&input->base.seat_list, &seat->base.link);
 
 	return seat;
@@ -336,7 +342,7 @@ udev_seat_get_named(struct udev_input *input, const char *seat_name)
 	struct udev_seat *seat;
 
 	list_for_each(seat, &input->base.seat_list, base.link) {
-		if (strcmp(seat->base.name, seat_name) == 0)
+		if (strcmp(seat->base.logical_name, seat_name) == 0)
 			return seat;
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/path.c b/test/path.c
index 6a9da754..87775a7b 100644
--- a/test/path.c
+++ b/test/path.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ START_TEST(path_added_seat)
 	seat = libinput_device_get_seat(device);
 	ck_assert(seat != NULL);
 
-	seat_name = libinput_seat_get_name(seat);
+	seat_name = libinput_seat_get_logical_name(seat);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(strcmp(seat_name, "default"), 0);
 
 	libinput_event_destroy(event);
diff --git a/test/udev.c b/test/udev.c
index 50f05211..37658f18 100644
--- a/test/udev.c
+++ b/test/udev.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ START_TEST(udev_added_seat_default)
 		seat = libinput_device_get_seat(device);
 		ck_assert(seat != NULL);
 
-		seat_name = libinput_seat_get_name(seat);
+		seat_name = libinput_seat_get_logical_name(seat);
 		default_seat_found = !strcmp(seat_name, "default");
 		libinput_event_destroy(event);
 	}