diff --git a/src/input/keyboard/mod.rs b/src/input/keyboard/mod.rs
index d0c5618e39ac..6180e53b639a 100644
--- a/src/input/keyboard/mod.rs
+++ b/src/input/keyboard/mod.rs
@@ -90,26 +90,9 @@ where
 unsafe impl<D: SeatHandler> Send for KbdInternal<D> {}
 
 impl<D: SeatHandler + 'static> KbdInternal<D> {
-    fn new(xkb_config: XkbConfig<'_>, repeat_rate: i32, repeat_delay: i32) -> Result<KbdInternal<D>, ()> {
-        // we create a new contex for each keyboard because libxkbcommon is actually NOT threadsafe
-        // so confining it inside the KbdInternal allows us to use Rusts mutability rules to make
-        // sure nothing goes wrong.
-        //
-        // FIXME: This is an issue with the xkbcommon-rs crate that does not reflect this
-        // non-threadsafety properly.
-        let context = xkb::Context::new(xkb::CONTEXT_NO_FLAGS);
-        let keymap = xkb::Keymap::new_from_names(
-            &context,
-            &xkb_config.rules,
-            &xkb_config.model,
-            &xkb_config.layout,
-            &xkb_config.variant,
-            xkb_config.options,
-            xkb::KEYMAP_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS,
-        )
-        .ok_or(())?;
+    fn new(keymap: xkb::Keymap, repeat_rate: i32, repeat_delay: i32) -> KbdInternal<D> {
         let state = xkb::State::new(&keymap);
-        Ok(KbdInternal {
+        KbdInternal {
             focus: None,
             pending_focus: None,
             pressed_keys: Vec::new(),
@@ -119,7 +102,7 @@ impl<D: SeatHandler + 'static> KbdInternal<D> {
             repeat_rate,
             repeat_delay,
             grab: GrabStatus::None,
-        })
+        }
     }
 
     // return true if modifier state has changed
@@ -417,10 +400,59 @@ impl<D: SeatHandler + 'static> KeyboardHandle<D> {
             "rules" => xkb_config.rules, "model" => xkb_config.model, "layout" => xkb_config.layout,
             "variant" => xkb_config.variant, "options" => &xkb_config.options
         );
-        let internal = KbdInternal::new(xkb_config, repeat_rate, repeat_delay).map_err(|_| {
+
+        // we create a new contex for each keyboard because libxkbcommon is actually NOT threadsafe
+        // so confining it inside the KbdInternal allows us to use Rusts mutability rules to make
+        // sure nothing goes wrong.
+        //
+        // FIXME: This is an issue with the xkbcommon-rs crate that does not reflect this
+        // non-threadsafety properly.
+        let context = xkb::Context::new(xkb::CONTEXT_NO_FLAGS);
+        let keymap = xkb::Keymap::new_from_names(
+            &context,
+            &xkb_config.rules,
+            &xkb_config.model,
+            &xkb_config.layout,
+            &xkb_config.variant,
+            xkb_config.options,
+            xkb::KEYMAP_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS,
+        )
+        .ok_or_else(|| {
             debug!(log, "Loading keymap failed");
             Error::BadKeymap
         })?;
+        Self::new_inner(keymap, repeat_delay, repeat_rate, log)
+    }
+
+    /// Create a keyboard handler from a keymap string
+    pub(crate) fn from_keymap_string(
+        string: String,
+        repeat_delay: i32,
+        repeat_rate: i32,
+        logger: &::slog::Logger,
+    ) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        let log = logger.new(o!("smithay_module" => "xkbcommon_handler"));
+        let context = xkb::Context::new(xkb::CONTEXT_NO_FLAGS);
+        let keymap = xkb::Keymap::new_from_string(
+            &context,
+            string,
+            xkb::KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V1,
+            xkb::KEYMAP_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS,
+        )
+        .ok_or_else(|| {
+            debug!(log, "Loading keymap failed");
+            Error::BadKeymap
+        })?;
+        Self::new_inner(keymap, repeat_delay, repeat_rate, log)
+    }
+
+    fn new_inner(
+        keymap: xkb::Keymap,
+        repeat_delay: i32,
+        repeat_rate: i32,
+        log: ::slog::Logger,
+    ) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        let internal = KbdInternal::new(keymap, repeat_rate, repeat_delay);
 
         info!(log, "Loaded Keymap"; "name" => internal.keymap.layouts().next());
 
diff --git a/src/input/mod.rs b/src/input/mod.rs
index df55a8d6a4b0..62c7d0a29445 100644
--- a/src/input/mod.rs
+++ b/src/input/mod.rs
@@ -459,9 +459,52 @@ impl<D: SeatHandler + 'static> Seat<D> {
         repeat_delay: i32,
         repeat_rate: i32,
     ) -> Result<KeyboardHandle<D>, KeyboardError> {
-        let mut inner = self.arc.inner.lock().unwrap();
         let keyboard =
             self::keyboard::KeyboardHandle::new(xkb_config, repeat_delay, repeat_rate, &self.arc.log)?;
+        self.add_keyboard_inner(&keyboard)?;
+        Ok(keyboard)
+    }
+
+    /// Adds the keyboard capability to this seat
+    ///
+    /// Like [`Seat::add_keyboard`] except it takes a keymap as a string
+    /// instead of a configuration.
+    ///
+    /// Can be used with `xkbcommon::xkb::Keymap::get_as_string` to copy from
+    /// an existing keymap. This can not directly take a `Keymap` since it
+    /// needs to create a `Keymap` with it's own xkb context.
+    ///
+    /// ``` no_run
+    /// let keyboard = seat
+    ///     .add_keyboard_from_string(
+    ///         keymap.get_as_string(xkb::KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V1),
+    ///         200,
+    ///         25,
+    ///     )
+    ///     .expect("Failed to initialize the keyboard");
+    /// ```
+    ///
+    pub fn add_keyboard_from_keymap_string(
+        &mut self,
+        string: String,
+        repeat_delay: i32,
+        repeat_rate: i32,
+    ) -> Result<KeyboardHandle<D>, KeyboardError> {
+        let keyboard = self::keyboard::KeyboardHandle::from_keymap_string(
+            string,
+            repeat_delay,
+            repeat_rate,
+            &self.arc.log,
+        )?;
+        self.add_keyboard_inner(&keyboard)?;
+        Ok(keyboard)
+    }
+
+    fn add_keyboard_inner(
+        &mut self,
+        keyboard: &self::keyboard::KeyboardHandle<D>,
+    ) -> Result<(), KeyboardError> {
+        let mut inner = self.arc.inner.lock().unwrap();
         if inner.keyboard.is_some() {
             // there is already a keyboard, remove it and notify the clients
             // of the change
@@ -472,7 +515,7 @@ impl<D: SeatHandler + 'static> Seat<D> {
         inner.keyboard = Some(keyboard.clone());
         #[cfg(feature = "wayland_frontend")]
         inner.send_all_caps();
-        Ok(keyboard)
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     /// Access the keyboard of this seat if any