diff --git a/lib/Gestures/Gesture.vala b/lib/Gestures/Gesture.vala
index 2e2a5bcde..00d2710d8 100644
--- a/lib/Gestures/Gesture.vala
+++ b/lib/Gestures/Gesture.vala
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ namespace Gala {
     private class Gesture {
         public const float INVALID_COORD = float.MAX;
 
+        /**
+         * A hint that this gesture isn't a globally configured gesture but instead a local custom one.
+         * Examples for this are a scroll gesture on the workspaces or a scroll gesture to close windows.
+         */
+        public bool custom = false;
         public Clutter.EventType type;
         public GestureDirection direction;
         public int fingers;
diff --git a/lib/Gestures/GestureController.vala b/lib/Gestures/GestureController.vala
index aec8241c1..01dba706b 100644
--- a/lib/Gestures/GestureController.vala
+++ b/lib/Gestures/GestureController.vala
@@ -87,9 +87,7 @@ public class Gala.GestureController : Object {
 
     public bool recognizing { get; private set; }
 
-    private ToucheggBackend? touchegg_backend;
-    private TouchpadBackend? touchpad_backend;
-    private ScrollBackend? scroll_backend;
+    private Gee.List<GestureBackend> backends;
 
     private GestureBackend? recognizing_backend;
     private double gesture_progress;
@@ -105,6 +103,10 @@ public class Gala.GestureController : Object {
         Object (action: action, wm: wm, group: group);
     }
 
+    construct {
+        backends = new Gee.ArrayList<GestureBackend> ();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Do not call this directly, use {@link RooTarget.add_controller} instead.
      */
@@ -120,26 +122,22 @@ public class Gala.GestureController : Object {
 
     public void enable_touchpad (Clutter.Actor actor) {
         if (Meta.Util.is_wayland_compositor ()) {
-            touchpad_backend = new TouchpadBackend (actor, group);
-            touchpad_backend.on_gesture_detected.connect (gesture_detected);
-            touchpad_backend.on_begin.connect (gesture_begin);
-            touchpad_backend.on_update.connect (gesture_update);
-            touchpad_backend.on_end.connect (gesture_end);
+            enable_backend (new TouchpadBackend (actor, group));
         }
 
-        touchegg_backend = ToucheggBackend.get_default (); // Will automatically filter events on wayland
-        touchegg_backend.on_gesture_detected.connect (gesture_detected);
-        touchegg_backend.on_begin.connect (gesture_begin);
-        touchegg_backend.on_update.connect (gesture_update);
-        touchegg_backend.on_end.connect (gesture_end);
+        enable_backend (ToucheggBackend.get_default ()); // Will automatically filter events on wayland
     }
 
     public void enable_scroll (Clutter.Actor actor, Clutter.Orientation orientation) {
-        scroll_backend = new ScrollBackend (actor, orientation, new GestureSettings ());
-        scroll_backend.on_gesture_detected.connect (gesture_detected);
-        scroll_backend.on_begin.connect (gesture_begin);
-        scroll_backend.on_update.connect (gesture_update);
-        scroll_backend.on_end.connect (gesture_end);
+        enable_backend (new ScrollBackend (actor, orientation, new GestureSettings ()));
+    }
+
+    internal void enable_backend (GestureBackend backend) {
+        backend.on_gesture_detected.connect (gesture_detected);
+        backend.on_begin.connect (gesture_begin);
+        backend.on_update.connect (gesture_update);
+        backend.on_end.connect (gesture_end);
+        backends.add (backend);
     }
 
     private void prepare () {
@@ -157,7 +155,7 @@ public class Gala.GestureController : Object {
 
         var recognized_action = GestureSettings.get_action (gesture, out _action_info);
         recognizing = !wm.filter_action (recognized_action) && recognized_action == action ||
-            backend == scroll_backend && recognized_action == NONE;
+            recognized_action == CUSTOM;
 
         if (recognizing) {
             if (gesture.direction == UP || gesture.direction == RIGHT || gesture.direction == OUT) {
diff --git a/lib/Gestures/GestureSettings.vala b/lib/Gestures/GestureSettings.vala
index a117ee869..af58c62ce 100644
--- a/lib/Gestures/GestureSettings.vala
+++ b/lib/Gestures/GestureSettings.vala
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ private class Gala.GestureSettings : Object {
 
     public static GestureAction get_action (Gesture gesture, out Variant? action_info = null) {
         action_info = null;
+
+        if (gesture.custom) {
+            return CUSTOM;
+        }
+
         var fingers = gesture.fingers;
 
         switch (gesture.type) {
diff --git a/lib/Gestures/ScrollBackend.vala b/lib/Gestures/ScrollBackend.vala
index 9c4f1c102..572076190 100644
--- a/lib/Gestures/ScrollBackend.vala
+++ b/lib/Gestures/ScrollBackend.vala
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ private class Gala.ScrollBackend : Object, GestureBackend {
         }
 
         return new Gesture () {
+            custom = true,
             type = Clutter.EventType.SCROLL,
             direction = direction,
             fingers = 2,