diff --git a/repos/gems/src/server/wm/decorator_nitpicker.h b/repos/gems/src/server/wm/decorator_nitpicker.h
index ead0bcdda..e58f04305 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/server/wm/decorator_nitpicker.h
+++ b/repos/gems/src/server/wm/decorator_nitpicker.h
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ namespace Wm { class Main;
 namespace Wm {
 
 	struct Decorator_nitpicker_session;
-	struct Decorator_nitpicker_service;
 	struct Decorator_content_callback;
 	struct Decorator_content_registry;
 }
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/server/wm/direct_nitpicker.h b/repos/gems/src/server/wm/direct_nitpicker.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..963567ef3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/gems/src/server/wm/direct_nitpicker.h
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+/*
+ * \brief  Pass-through nitpicker service announced to the outside world
+ * \author Norman Feske
+ * \date   2015-09-29
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _DIRECT_NITPICKER_H_
+#define _DIRECT_NITPICKER_H_
+
+/* Genode includes */
+#include <os/session_policy.h>
+#include <nitpicker_session/connection.h>
+
+namespace Wm { class Direct_nitpicker_session; }
+
+
+class Wm::Direct_nitpicker_session : public Genode::Rpc_object<Nitpicker::Session>
+{
+	private:
+
+		Genode::Session_label _session_label;
+		Nitpicker::Connection _session { _session_label.string() };
+
+	public:
+
+		/**
+		 * Constructor
+		 */
+		Direct_nitpicker_session(Genode::Session_label const &session_label)
+		:
+			_session_label(session_label)
+		{ }
+
+		void upgrade(char const *args)
+		{
+			Genode::env()->parent()->upgrade(_session, args);
+		}
+
+
+		/*********************************
+		 ** Nitpicker session interface **
+		 *********************************/
+		
+		Framebuffer::Session_capability framebuffer_session() override
+		{
+			return _session.framebuffer_session();
+		}
+
+		Input::Session_capability input_session() override
+		{
+			return _session.input_session();
+		}
+
+		View_handle create_view(View_handle parent) override
+		{
+			return _session.create_view(parent);
+		}
+
+		void destroy_view(View_handle view) override
+		{
+			_session.destroy_view(view);
+		}
+
+		View_handle view_handle(Nitpicker::View_capability view_cap, View_handle handle) override
+		{
+			return _session.view_handle(view_cap, handle);
+		}
+
+		Nitpicker::View_capability view_capability(View_handle view) override
+		{
+			return _session.view_capability(view);
+		}
+
+		void release_view_handle(View_handle view) override
+		{
+			_session.release_view_handle(view);
+		}
+
+		Genode::Dataspace_capability command_dataspace() override
+		{
+			return _session.command_dataspace();
+		}
+
+		void execute() override
+		{
+			_session.execute();
+		}
+
+		Framebuffer::Mode mode() override
+		{
+			return _session.mode();
+		}
+
+		void mode_sigh(Genode::Signal_context_capability sigh) override
+		{
+			_session.mode_sigh(sigh);
+		}
+
+		void buffer(Framebuffer::Mode mode, bool use_alpha) override
+		{
+			_session.buffer(mode, use_alpha);
+		}
+
+		void focus(Genode::Capability<Nitpicker::Session> session)
+		{
+			_session.focus(session);
+		}
+};
+
+#endif /* _DIRECT_NITPICKER_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/server/wm/main.cc b/repos/gems/src/server/wm/main.cc
index 780367716..518a222f1 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/server/wm/main.cc
+++ b/repos/gems/src/server/wm/main.cc
@@ -59,11 +59,12 @@ struct Wm::Main
 
 	Window_registry window_registry { *env()->heap(), window_list_reporter };
 
+	Nitpicker::Connection focus_nitpicker_session;
+
 	Nitpicker::Root nitpicker_root { ep, window_registry,
 	                                 *env()->heap(), env()->ram_session_cap(),
-	                                 pointer_reporter, focus_request_reporter };
-
-	Nitpicker::Connection focus_nitpicker_session;
+	                                 pointer_reporter, focus_request_reporter,
+	                                 focus_nitpicker_session };
 
 	void handle_focus_update(unsigned)
 	{
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/server/wm/nitpicker.h b/repos/gems/src/server/wm/nitpicker.h
index b13afa092..b85c49ede 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/server/wm/nitpicker.h
+++ b/repos/gems/src/server/wm/nitpicker.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <window_registry.h>
 #include <decorator_nitpicker.h>
 #include <layouter_nitpicker.h>
+#include <direct_nitpicker.h>
 
 
 namespace Wm {
@@ -675,8 +676,7 @@ class Wm::Nitpicker::Session_component : public Rpc_object<Nitpicker::Session>,
 		/**
 		 * Constructor
 		 *
-		 * \param nitpicker  real nitpicker service
-		 * \param ep         entrypoint used for managing the views
+		 * \param ep  entrypoint used for managing the views
 		 */
 		Session_component(Ram_session_capability ram,
 		                  Window_registry       &window_registry,
@@ -1027,6 +1027,11 @@ class Wm::Nitpicker::Root : public Genode::Rpc_object<Genode::Typed_root<Session
 
 		Decorator_nitpicker_session *_decorator_session = nullptr;
 
+		/**
+		 * Nitpicker session used to perform session-control operations
+		 */
+		Nitpicker::Session &_focus_nitpicker_session;
+
 	public:
 
 		/**
@@ -1035,12 +1040,14 @@ class Wm::Nitpicker::Root : public Genode::Rpc_object<Genode::Typed_root<Session
 		Root(Entrypoint &ep,
 		     Window_registry &window_registry, Allocator &md_alloc,
 		     Ram_session_capability ram,
-		     Reporter &pointer_reporter, Reporter &focus_request_reporter)
+		     Reporter &pointer_reporter, Reporter &focus_request_reporter,
+		     Nitpicker::Session &focus_nitpicker_session)
 		:
 			_ep(ep), _md_alloc(md_alloc), _ram(ram),
 			_pointer_reporter(pointer_reporter),
 			_focus_request_reporter(focus_request_reporter),
-			_window_registry(window_registry)
+			_window_registry(window_registry),
+			_focus_nitpicker_session(focus_nitpicker_session)
 		{
 			_window_layouter_input.event_queue().enabled(true);
 
@@ -1057,7 +1064,8 @@ class Wm::Nitpicker::Root : public Genode::Rpc_object<Genode::Typed_root<Session
 		{
 			Genode::Session_label session_label(args.string());
 
-			enum Role { ROLE_DECORATOR, ROLE_LAYOUTER, ROLE_REGULAR };
+
+			enum Role { ROLE_DECORATOR, ROLE_LAYOUTER, ROLE_REGULAR, ROLE_DIRECT };
 			Role role = ROLE_REGULAR;
 
 			/*
@@ -1074,6 +1082,9 @@ class Wm::Nitpicker::Root : public Genode::Rpc_object<Genode::Typed_root<Session
 
 					if (policy.attribute(role_attr).has_value("decorator"))
 						role = ROLE_DECORATOR;
+
+					if (policy.attribute(role_attr).has_value("direct"))
+						role = ROLE_DIRECT;
 				}
 			}
 			catch (...) { }
@@ -1109,6 +1120,14 @@ class Wm::Nitpicker::Root : public Genode::Rpc_object<Genode::Typed_root<Session
 
 					return _ep.manage(*_layouter_session);
 				}
+
+			case ROLE_DIRECT:
+				{
+					Direct_nitpicker_session *session = new (_md_alloc)
+						Direct_nitpicker_session(session_label);
+
+					return _ep.manage(*session);
+				}
 			}
 
 			return Session_capability();
@@ -1135,6 +1154,12 @@ class Wm::Nitpicker::Root : public Genode::Rpc_object<Genode::Typed_root<Session
 
 				if (decorator_session)
 					decorator_session->upgrade(args.string());
+
+				Direct_nitpicker_session *direct_session =
+					dynamic_cast<Direct_nitpicker_session *>(session);
+
+				if (direct_session)
+					direct_session->upgrade(args.string());
 			};
 			_ep.rpc_ep().apply(session_cap, lambda);
 		}
@@ -1156,6 +1181,18 @@ class Wm::Nitpicker::Root : public Genode::Rpc_object<Genode::Typed_root<Session
 				return;
 			}
 
+			Direct_nitpicker_session *direct_session =
+				ep.apply(session_cap, [this] (Direct_nitpicker_session *session) {
+					if (session) {
+						_ep.dissolve(*session);
+					}
+					return session;
+				});
+			if (direct_session) {
+				Genode::destroy(_md_alloc, direct_session);
+				return;
+			}
+
 			auto decorator_lambda = [this] (Decorator_nitpicker_session *session) {
 				_ep.dissolve(*_decorator_session);
 				_decorator_session = nullptr;
@@ -1212,6 +1249,13 @@ class Wm::Nitpicker::Root : public Genode::Rpc_object<Genode::Typed_root<Session
 					break;
 				}
 			}
+
+			/*
+			 * Forward the request to the nitpicker control session to apply
+			 * the show/hide/to-front operations on "direct" nitpicker
+			 * sessions.
+			 */
+			_focus_nitpicker_session.session_control(selector, operation);
 		}