diff --git a/src/kits/interface/View.cpp b/src/kits/interface/View.cpp
index a68fb990eb..db08174242 100644
--- a/src/kits/interface/View.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/interface/View.cpp
@@ -1006,14 +1006,21 @@ BView::SetViewCursor(const BCursor *cursor, bool sync)
 
 	fOwner->fLink->StartMessage(AS_LAYER_SET_CURSOR);
 	fOwner->fLink->Attach<int32>(cursor->fServerToken);
+	fOwner->fLink->Attach<bool>(sync);
 
 	if (!sync) {
 		cursor->fPendingViewCursor = true;
 			// this avoids a race condition in case the cursor is
 			// immediately deleted after this call, as the deletion
 			// is handled by the application, not the window
-	} else
-		fOwner->fLink->Flush();
+	} else {
+		// make sure the server has processed the
+		// message and "acquired" the cursor in
+		// the window thread before returning from
+		// this function
+		int32 code;
+		fOwner->fLink->FlushWithReply(code);
+	}
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/servers/app/ServerWindow.cpp b/src/servers/app/ServerWindow.cpp
index 57456b9ce4..232d1af79f 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ServerWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/ServerWindow.cpp
@@ -1254,7 +1254,9 @@ ServerWindow::_DispatchViewMessage(int32 code,
 				fCurrentLayer->Name()));
 
 			int32 token;
-			if (link.Read<int32>(&token) != B_OK)
+			bool sync;
+			link.Read<int32>(&token);
+			if (link.Read<bool>(&sync) != B_OK)
 				break;
 
 			ServerCursor* cursor = fDesktop->GetCursorManager().FindCursor(token);
@@ -1265,6 +1267,12 @@ ServerWindow::_DispatchViewMessage(int32 code,
 				if (fDesktop->ViewUnderMouse(fWindowLayer) == fCurrentLayer->Token())
 					fServerApp->SetCurrentCursor(cursor);
 			}
+			if (sync) {
+				// sync the client (it can now delete the cursor)
+				fLink.StartMessage(B_OK);
+				fLink.Flush();
+			}
+
 			break;
 		}
 		case AS_LAYER_SET_FLAGS: