diff --git a/intern/ghost/intern/GHOST_SystemWayland.cc b/intern/ghost/intern/GHOST_SystemWayland.cc
index aebdf7ac8c7..86333eb73a7 100644
--- a/intern/ghost/intern/GHOST_SystemWayland.cc
+++ b/intern/ghost/intern/GHOST_SystemWayland.cc
@@ -1596,6 +1596,13 @@ static int gwl_display_seat_index(GWL_Display *display, const GWL_Seat *seat)
   return index;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Callers must null check the return value unless it's known there is a seat.
+ *
+ * \note Running Blender in an instance of the Weston compositor
+ * called with `--backend=headless` causes there to be no seats.
+ * CMake's `WITH_UI_TESTS` does this.
+ */
 static GWL_Seat *gwl_display_seat_active_get(const GWL_Display *display)
 {
   if (UNLIKELY(display->seats.empty())) {
@@ -8476,6 +8483,10 @@ GHOST_TSuccess GHOST_SystemWayland::cursor_shape_check(const GHOST_TStandardCurs
 {
   /* No need to lock `server_mutex`. */
   GWL_Seat *seat = gwl_display_seat_active_get(display_);
+  if (UNLIKELY(!seat)) {
+    return GHOST_kFailure;
+  }
+
   const wl_cursor *wl_cursor = gwl_seat_cursor_find_from_shape(seat, cursorShape, nullptr);
   if (wl_cursor == nullptr) {
     return GHOST_kFailure;
@@ -8602,7 +8613,9 @@ GHOST_TSuccess GHOST_SystemWayland::cursor_visibility_set(const bool visible)
 
 GHOST_TCapabilityFlag GHOST_SystemWayland::getCapabilities() const
 {
-  GHOST_ASSERT(has_wl_trackpad_physical_direction != -1,
+  /* It's possible there are no seats, ignore the value in this case. */
+  GHOST_ASSERT(((gwl_display_seat_active_get(display_) == nullptr) ||
+                (has_wl_trackpad_physical_direction != -1)),
                "The trackpad direction was expected to be initialized");
 
   return GHOST_TCapabilityFlag(
@@ -8628,7 +8641,9 @@ GHOST_TCapabilityFlag GHOST_SystemWayland::getCapabilities() const
           /* This WAYLAND back-end has not yet implemented desktop color sample. */
           GHOST_kCapabilityDesktopSample |
           /* This flag will eventually be removed. */
-          (has_wl_trackpad_physical_direction ? 0 : GHOST_kCapabilityTrackpadPhysicalDirection)));
+          ((has_wl_trackpad_physical_direction == 1) ?
+               0 :
+               GHOST_kCapabilityTrackpadPhysicalDirection)));
 }
 
 bool GHOST_SystemWayland::cursor_grab_use_software_display_get(const GHOST_TGrabCursorMode mode)
@@ -9090,11 +9105,12 @@ void GHOST_SystemWayland::seat_active_set(const GWL_Seat *seat)
 wl_seat *GHOST_SystemWayland::wl_seat_active_get_with_input_serial(uint32_t &serial)
 {
   GWL_Seat *seat = gwl_display_seat_active_get(display_);
-  if (seat) {
-    serial = seat->data_source_serial;
-    return seat->wl.seat;
+  if (UNLIKELY(!seat)) {
+    return nullptr;
   }
-  return nullptr;
+
+  serial = seat->data_source_serial;
+  return seat->wl.seat;
 }
 
 bool GHOST_SystemWayland::window_surface_unref(const wl_surface *wl_surface)