diff --git a/include/libweston/libweston.h b/include/libweston/libweston.h
index c646f2164..58d6b24d7 100644
--- a/include/libweston/libweston.h
+++ b/include/libweston/libweston.h
@@ -1976,6 +1976,11 @@ struct weston_surface {
 	void *committed_private;
 	int (*get_label)(struct weston_surface *surface, char *buf, size_t len);
 
+	/** human-readable, non-unique label */
+	const char *label;
+	/** freed when changing the label */
+	char *label_dyn;
+
 	/*
 	 * Sent when the surface has been mapped and unmapped, respectively.
 	 * The data argument is the weston_surface.
@@ -2402,6 +2407,11 @@ void
 weston_surface_set_label_func(struct weston_surface *surface,
 			      int (*desc)(struct weston_surface *,
 					  char *, size_t));
+void
+weston_surface_set_label(struct weston_surface *surface, char *label);
+
+void
+weston_surface_set_label_static(struct weston_surface *surface, const char *label);
 
 void
 weston_surface_get_content_size(struct weston_surface *surface,
diff --git a/libweston/compositor.c b/libweston/compositor.c
index 564afd03c..c4b285cd4 100644
--- a/libweston/compositor.c
+++ b/libweston/compositor.c
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ weston_surface_update_preferred_color_profile(struct weston_surface *surface)
 static int
 get_label_member(struct weston_surface *surface, char *buf, size_t len)
 {
-	return snprintf(buf, len, "(no label)");
+	return snprintf(buf, len, "%s", surface->label);
 }
 
 WL_EXPORT struct weston_surface *
@@ -1053,6 +1053,9 @@ weston_surface_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 
 	wl_list_init(&surface->fifo_barrier_link);
 
+	/* Set default label */
+	weston_surface_set_label(surface, NULL);
+
 	return surface;
 }
 
@@ -2787,6 +2790,8 @@ weston_surface_unref(struct weston_surface *surface)
 	wl_list_remove(&surface->fifo_barrier_link);
 
 	free(surface->internal_name);
+
+	free(surface->label_dyn);
 	free(surface);
 }
 
@@ -5452,6 +5457,46 @@ weston_surface_set_label_func(struct weston_surface *surface,
 						     surface);
 }
 
+static void
+weston_surface_do_set_label(struct weston_surface *surface,
+			    char *label_dyn,
+			    const char *label_static)
+{
+	free(surface->label_dyn);
+	surface->label_dyn = label_dyn;
+
+	if (label_static)
+		surface->label = label_static;
+	else
+		surface->label = "(no label)";
+
+	weston_timeline_refresh_subscription_objects(surface->compositor, surface);
+}
+/**
+ * Set a human-readable label on a surface, malloc'd
+ *
+ * \param surface The surface to label.
+ * \param label A malloc'd string. This function takes the ownership of the
+ * string and will free() it as necessary. Can be NULL to remove the label.
+ */
+WL_EXPORT void
+weston_surface_set_label(struct weston_surface *surface, char *label)
+{
+	weston_surface_do_set_label(surface, label, label);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Set a human-readable label on a surface, static
+ *
+ * \param surface The surface to label.
+ * \param label A static string, never free()'d. Can be NULL to remove the label.
+ */
+WL_EXPORT void
+weston_surface_set_label_static(struct weston_surface *surface, const char *label)
+{
+	weston_surface_do_set_label(surface, NULL, label);
+}
+
 /** Get the size of surface contents
  *
  * \param surface The surface to query.