diff --git a/network.h b/network.h
index 067775e4..1839072a 100644
--- a/network.h
+++ b/network.h
@@ -121,11 +121,28 @@ struct PlugVtable {
  * host proxy). If you don't have one, all proxy types are required to
  * be able to manage without (and will just degrade their logging
  * control).
+ *
+ * If calling this from a backend with a Seat, you can also give it a
+ * pointer to your 'Seat *'. In that situation, it might replace the
+ * 'Seat *' with a temporary seat of its own, and give the real Seat
+ * to the proxy system so that it can ask for passwords (and, in the
+ * case of SSH proxying, other prompts like host key checks). If that
+ * happens, then the resulting 'temp seat' is the backend's property,
+ * and it will have to remember to free it when cleaning up, or after
+ * flushing it back into the real seat when the network connection
+ * attempt completes.
+ *
+ * You can free your TempSeat and resume using the real Seat when one
+ * of two things happens: either your Plug's closing() method is
+ * called (indicating failure to connect), or its log() method is
+ * called with PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS. In the latter case, you'll
+ * probably want to flush the TempSeat's contents into the real Seat,
+ * of course.
  */
 Socket *new_connection(SockAddr *addr, const char *hostname,
                        int port, bool privport,
                        bool oobinline, bool nodelay, bool keepalive,
-                       Plug *plug, Conf *conf, LogPolicy *lp);
+                       Plug *plug, Conf *conf, LogPolicy *lp, Seat **seat);
 Socket *new_listener(const char *srcaddr, int port, Plug *plug,
                      bool local_host_only, Conf *conf, int addressfamily);
 SockAddr *name_lookup(const char *host, int port, char **canonicalname,
diff --git a/noproxy.c b/noproxy.c
index 6b5832ab..82347d51 100644
--- a/noproxy.c
+++ b/noproxy.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ SockAddr *name_lookup(const char *host, int port, char **canonicalname,
 Socket *new_connection(SockAddr *addr, const char *hostname,
                        int port, bool privport,
                        bool oobinline, bool nodelay, bool keepalive,
-                       Plug *plug, Conf *conf, LogPolicy *lp)
+                       Plug *plug, Conf *conf, LogPolicy *lp, Seat **seat)
 {
     return sk_new(addr, port, privport, oobinline, nodelay, keepalive, plug);
 }
diff --git a/otherbackends/raw.c b/otherbackends/raw.c
index 638e2a50..87a136ba 100644
--- a/otherbackends/raw.c
+++ b/otherbackends/raw.c
@@ -39,8 +39,15 @@ static void raw_log(Plug *plug, PlugLogType type, SockAddr *addr, int port,
     Raw *raw = container_of(plug, Raw, plug);
     backend_socket_log(raw->seat, raw->logctx, type, addr, port, error_msg,
                        error_code, raw->conf, raw->socket_connected);
-    if (type == PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS)
+    if (type == PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS) {
         raw->socket_connected = true;
+        if (is_tempseat(raw->seat)) {
+            Seat *ts = raw->seat;
+            tempseat_flush(ts);
+            raw->seat = tempseat_get_real(ts);
+            tempseat_free(ts);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 static void raw_check_close(Raw *raw)
@@ -132,9 +139,6 @@ static char *raw_init(const BackendVtable *vt, Seat *seat,
     int addressfamily;
     char *loghost;
 
-    /* No local authentication phase in this protocol */
-    seat_set_trust_status(seat, false);
-
     raw = snew(Raw);
     raw->plug.vt = &Raw_plugvt;
     raw->backend.vt = vt;
@@ -168,10 +172,13 @@ static char *raw_init(const BackendVtable *vt, Seat *seat,
      */
     raw->s = new_connection(addr, *realhost, port, false, true, nodelay,
                             keepalive, &raw->plug, conf,
-                            log_get_policy(logctx));
+                            log_get_policy(logctx), &raw->seat);
     if ((err = sk_socket_error(raw->s)) != NULL)
         return dupstr(err);
 
+    /* No local authentication phase in this protocol */
+    seat_set_trust_status(raw->seat, false);
+
     loghost = conf_get_str(conf, CONF_loghost);
     if (*loghost) {
         char *colon;
@@ -191,6 +198,8 @@ static void raw_free(Backend *be)
 {
     Raw *raw = container_of(be, Raw, backend);
 
+    if (is_tempseat(raw->seat))
+        tempseat_free(raw->seat);
     if (raw->s)
         sk_close(raw->s);
     conf_free(raw->conf);
diff --git a/otherbackends/rlogin.c b/otherbackends/rlogin.c
index 3748e536..ecdb2c36 100644
--- a/otherbackends/rlogin.c
+++ b/otherbackends/rlogin.c
@@ -45,8 +45,15 @@ static void rlogin_log(Plug *plug, PlugLogType type, SockAddr *addr, int port,
     backend_socket_log(rlogin->seat, rlogin->logctx, type, addr, port,
                        error_msg, error_code,
                        rlogin->conf, rlogin->socket_connected);
-    if (type == PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS)
+    if (type == PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS) {
         rlogin->socket_connected = true;
+        if (is_tempseat(rlogin->seat)) {
+            Seat *ts = rlogin->seat;
+            tempseat_flush(ts);
+            rlogin->seat = tempseat_get_real(ts);
+            tempseat_free(ts);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 static void rlogin_closing(Plug *plug, const char *error_msg, int error_code,
@@ -205,7 +212,7 @@ static char *rlogin_init(const BackendVtable *vt, Seat *seat,
      */
     rlogin->s = new_connection(addr, *realhost, port, true, false,
                                nodelay, keepalive, &rlogin->plug, conf,
-                               log_get_policy(logctx));
+                               log_get_policy(logctx), &rlogin->seat);
     if ((err = sk_socket_error(rlogin->s)) != NULL)
         return dupstr(err);
 
@@ -256,6 +263,8 @@ static void rlogin_free(Backend *be)
 {
     Rlogin *rlogin = container_of(be, Rlogin, backend);
 
+    if (is_tempseat(rlogin->seat))
+        tempseat_free(rlogin->seat);
     if (rlogin->prompt)
         free_prompts(rlogin->prompt);
     if (rlogin->s)
diff --git a/otherbackends/supdup.c b/otherbackends/supdup.c
index cfa1b2ad..ae7e67f7 100644
--- a/otherbackends/supdup.c
+++ b/otherbackends/supdup.c
@@ -563,8 +563,15 @@ static void supdup_log(Plug *plug, PlugLogType type, SockAddr *addr, int port,
     backend_socket_log(supdup->seat, supdup->logctx, type, addr, port,
                        error_msg, error_code,
                        supdup->conf, supdup->socket_connected);
-    if (type == PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS)
+    if (type == PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS) {
         supdup->socket_connected = true;
+        if (is_tempseat(supdup->seat)) {
+            Seat *ts = supdup->seat;
+            tempseat_flush(ts);
+            supdup->seat = tempseat_get_real(ts);
+            tempseat_free(ts);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 static void supdup_closing(Plug *plug, const char *error_msg, int error_code,
@@ -713,7 +720,7 @@ static char *supdup_init(const BackendVtable *x, Seat *seat,
      */
     supdup->s = new_connection(addr, *realhost, port, false, true,
                                nodelay, keepalive, &supdup->plug, supdup->conf,
-                               log_get_policy(logctx));
+                               log_get_policy(logctx), &supdup->seat);
     if ((err = sk_socket_error(supdup->s)) != NULL)
         return dupstr(err);
 
@@ -783,6 +790,8 @@ static void supdup_free(Backend *be)
 {
     Supdup *supdup = container_of(be, Supdup, backend);
 
+    if (is_tempseat(supdup->seat))
+        tempseat_free(supdup->seat);
     if (supdup->s)
         sk_close(supdup->s);
     if (supdup->pinger)
diff --git a/otherbackends/telnet.c b/otherbackends/telnet.c
index b006305d..540d384c 100644
--- a/otherbackends/telnet.c
+++ b/otherbackends/telnet.c
@@ -626,8 +626,15 @@ static void telnet_log(Plug *plug, PlugLogType type, SockAddr *addr, int port,
     backend_socket_log(telnet->seat, telnet->logctx, type, addr, port,
                        error_msg, error_code, telnet->conf,
                        telnet->socket_connected);
-    if (type == PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS)
+    if (type == PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS) {
         telnet->socket_connected = true;
+        if (is_tempseat(telnet->seat)) {
+            Seat *ts = telnet->seat;
+            tempseat_flush(ts);
+            telnet->seat = tempseat_get_real(ts);
+            tempseat_free(ts);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 static void telnet_closing(Plug *plug, const char *error_msg, int error_code,
@@ -698,9 +705,6 @@ static char *telnet_init(const BackendVtable *vt, Seat *seat,
     char *loghost;
     int addressfamily;
 
-    /* No local authentication phase in this protocol */
-    seat_set_trust_status(seat, false);
-
     telnet = snew(Telnet);
     telnet->plug.vt = &Telnet_plugvt;
     telnet->backend.vt = vt;
@@ -740,10 +744,13 @@ static char *telnet_init(const BackendVtable *vt, Seat *seat,
      */
     telnet->s = new_connection(addr, *realhost, port, false, true, nodelay,
                                keepalive, &telnet->plug, telnet->conf,
-                               log_get_policy(logctx));
+                               log_get_policy(logctx), &telnet->seat);
     if ((err = sk_socket_error(telnet->s)) != NULL)
         return dupstr(err);
 
+    /* No local authentication phase in this protocol */
+    seat_set_trust_status(telnet->seat, false);
+
     telnet->pinger = pinger_new(telnet->conf, &telnet->backend);
 
     /*
@@ -797,6 +804,8 @@ static void telnet_free(Backend *be)
 {
     Telnet *telnet = container_of(be, Telnet, backend);
 
+    if (is_tempseat(telnet->seat))
+        tempseat_free(telnet->seat);
     strbuf_free(telnet->sb_buf);
     if (telnet->s)
         sk_close(telnet->s);
diff --git a/putty.h b/putty.h
index 8538bd52..8b419a32 100644
--- a/putty.h
+++ b/putty.h
@@ -1295,6 +1295,31 @@ bool console_can_set_trust_status(Seat *seat);
 int filexfer_get_userpass_input(Seat *seat, prompts_t *p, bufchain *input);
 bool cmdline_seat_verbose(Seat *seat);
 
+/*
+ * TempSeat: a seat implementation that can be given to a backend
+ * temporarily while network proxy setup is using the real seat.
+ * Buffers output and trust-status changes until the real seat is
+ * available again.
+ */
+
+/* Called by the proxy code to make a TempSeat. */
+Seat *tempseat_new(Seat *real);
+
+/* Query functions to tell if a Seat _is_ temporary, and if so, to
+ * return the underlying real Seat. */
+bool is_tempseat(Seat *seat);
+Seat *tempseat_get_real(Seat *seat);
+
+/* Called by the backend once the proxy connection has finished
+ * setting up (or failed), to pass on any buffered stuff to the real
+ * seat. */
+void tempseat_flush(Seat *ts);
+
+/* Frees a TempSeat, without flushing anything it has buffered. (Call
+ * this after tempseat_flush, or alternatively, when you were going to
+ * abandon the whole connection anyway.) */
+void tempseat_free(Seat *ts);
+
 typedef struct rgb {
     uint8_t r, g, b;
 } rgb;
diff --git a/ssh/portfwd.c b/ssh/portfwd.c
index a67268a4..268935eb 100644
--- a/ssh/portfwd.c
+++ b/ssh/portfwd.c
@@ -1161,7 +1161,7 @@ char *portfwdmgr_connect(PortFwdManager *mgr, Channel **chan_ret,
 
     pf->s = new_connection(addr, dummy_realhost, port,
                            false, true, false, false, &pf->plug, mgr->conf,
-                           NULL);
+                           NULL, NULL);
     sfree(dummy_realhost);
     if ((err = sk_socket_error(pf->s)) != NULL) {
         char *err_ret = dupstr(err);
diff --git a/ssh/ssh.c b/ssh/ssh.c
index 8b7dd92c..98b7a68a 100644
--- a/ssh/ssh.c
+++ b/ssh/ssh.c
@@ -598,6 +598,15 @@ static void ssh_socket_log(Plug *plug, PlugLogType type, SockAddr *addr,
         backend_socket_log(ssh->seat, ssh->logctx, type, addr, port,
                            error_msg, error_code, ssh->conf,
                            ssh->session_started);
+
+    if (type == PLUGLOG_CONNECT_SUCCESS) {
+        if (is_tempseat(ssh->seat)) {
+            Seat *ts = ssh->seat;
+            tempseat_flush(ts);
+            ssh->seat = tempseat_get_real(ts);
+            tempseat_free(ts);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 static void ssh_closing(Plug *plug, const char *error_msg, int error_code,
@@ -790,7 +799,7 @@ static char *connect_to_host(
         ssh->s = new_connection(addr, *realhost, port,
                                 false, true, nodelay, keepalive,
                                 &ssh->plug, ssh->conf,
-                                log_get_policy(ssh->logctx));
+                                log_get_policy(ssh->logctx), &ssh->seat);
         if ((err = sk_socket_error(ssh->s)) != NULL) {
             ssh->s = NULL;
             seat_notify_remote_exit(ssh->seat);
@@ -955,6 +964,9 @@ static void ssh_free(Backend *be)
 
     ssh_shutdown(ssh);
 
+    if (is_tempseat(ssh->seat))
+        tempseat_free(ssh->seat);
+
     conf_free(ssh->conf);
     if (ssh->connshare)
         sharestate_free(ssh->connshare);
diff --git a/ssh/x11fwd.c b/ssh/x11fwd.c
index eb4d4584..60a9f1aa 100644
--- a/ssh/x11fwd.c
+++ b/ssh/x11fwd.c
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ static size_t x11_send(
         xconn->s = new_connection(sk_addr_dup(xconn->disp->addr),
                                   xconn->disp->realhost, xconn->disp->port,
                                   false, true, false, false, &xconn->plug,
-                                  sshfwd_get_conf(xconn->c), NULL);
+                                  sshfwd_get_conf(xconn->c), NULL, NULL);
         if ((err = sk_socket_error(xconn->s)) != NULL) {
             char *err_message = dupprintf("unable to connect to"
                                           " forwarded X server: %s", err);
diff --git a/unix/pageant.c b/unix/pageant.c
index b68b829d..7402ac60 100644
--- a/unix/pageant.c
+++ b/unix/pageant.c
@@ -1190,7 +1190,7 @@ void run_agent(FILE *logfp, const char *symlink_path)
         s = new_connection(sk_addr_dup(disp->addr),
                            disp->realhost, disp->port,
                            false, true, false, false, &conn->plug, conf,
-                           NULL);
+                           NULL, NULL);
         if ((err = sk_socket_error(s)) != NULL) {
             fprintf(stderr, "pageant: unable to connect to X server: %s", err);
             exit(1);
diff --git a/unix/sharing.c b/unix/sharing.c
index 268b8df1..58038ab9 100644
--- a/unix/sharing.c
+++ b/unix/sharing.c
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ int platform_ssh_share(const char *pi_name, Conf *conf,
     if (can_downstream) {
         retsock = new_connection(unix_sock_addr(sockname),
                                  "", 0, false, true, false, false,
-                                 downplug, conf, NULL);
+                                 downplug, conf, NULL, NULL);
         if (sk_socket_error(retsock) == NULL) {
             sfree(*logtext);
             *logtext = sockname;
diff --git a/utils/CMakeLists.txt b/utils/CMakeLists.txt
index 260f9920..4b10442b 100644
--- a/utils/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/utils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ add_sources_from_current_dir(utils
   strbuf.c
   string_length_for_printf.c
   stripctrl.c
+  tempseat.c
   tree234.c
   validate_manual_hostkey.c
   version.c
diff --git a/utils/tempseat.c b/utils/tempseat.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22cf642c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/tempseat.c
@@ -0,0 +1,353 @@
+/*
+ * Implementation of the Seat trait that buffers output and other
+ * events until it can give them back to a real Seat.
+ *
+ * This is used by the SSH proxying code, which temporarily takes over
+ * the real user-facing Seat so that it can issue host key warnings,
+ * password prompts etc for the proxy SSH connection. While it's got
+ * the real Seat, it gives the primary connection's backend one of
+ * these temporary Seats in the interim, so that if the backend wants
+ * to send some kind of initial output, or start by reconfiguring the
+ * trust status, or what have you, then it can do that without having
+ * to keep careful track of the fact that its Seat is out on loan.
+ */
+
+#include "putty.h"
+
+typedef struct TempSeat TempSeat;
+struct TempSeat {
+    Seat *realseat;
+    bufchain outputs[2]; /* stdout, stderr */
+    bool seen_session_started;
+    bool seen_remote_exit;
+    bool seen_remote_disconnect;
+    bool seen_update_specials_menu;
+    bool seen_echoedit_update, echoing, editing;
+    bool seen_trust_status, trusted;
+
+    Seat seat;
+};
+
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ * Methods we can usefully buffer, and pass their results on to the
+ * real Seat in tempseat_flush().
+ */
+
+static size_t tempseat_output(Seat *seat, bool is_stderr, const void *data,
+                              size_t len)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    bufchain_add(&ts->outputs[is_stderr], data, len);
+    return bufchain_size(&ts->outputs[0]) + bufchain_size(&ts->outputs[1]);
+}
+
+static void tempseat_notify_session_started(Seat *seat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    ts->seen_session_started = true;
+}
+
+static void tempseat_notify_remote_exit(Seat *seat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    ts->seen_remote_exit = true;
+}
+
+static void tempseat_notify_remote_disconnect(Seat *seat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    ts->seen_remote_disconnect = true;
+}
+
+static void tempseat_update_specials_menu(Seat *seat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    ts->seen_update_specials_menu = true;
+}
+
+static void tempseat_echoedit_update(Seat *seat, bool echoing, bool editing)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    ts->seen_echoedit_update = true;
+    ts->echoing = echoing;
+    ts->editing = editing;
+}
+
+static void tempseat_set_trust_status(Seat *seat, bool trusted)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    ts->seen_trust_status = true;
+    ts->trusted = trusted;
+}
+
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ * Methods we can safely pass straight on to the real Seat, usually
+ * (but not in every case) because they're read-only queries.
+ */
+
+static char *tempseat_get_ttymode(Seat *seat, const char *mode)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_get_ttymode(ts->realseat, mode);
+}
+
+static void tempseat_set_busy_status(Seat *seat, BusyStatus status)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    /*
+     * set_busy_status is generally called when something is about to
+     * do some single-threaded, event-loop blocking computation. This
+     * _shouldn't_ happen in a backend while it's waiting for a
+     * network connection to be made, but if for some reason it were
+     * to, there's no reason we can't just pass this straight to the
+     * real seat, because we expect that it will mark itself busy,
+     * compute, and mark itself unbusy, all between yields to the
+     * event loop that might give whatever else is using the real Seat
+     * an opportunity to do anything.
+     */
+    seat_set_busy_status(ts->realseat, status);
+}
+
+static bool tempseat_is_utf8(Seat *seat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_is_utf8(ts->realseat);
+}
+
+static const char *tempseat_get_x_display(Seat *seat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_get_x_display(ts->realseat);
+}
+
+static bool tempseat_get_windowid(Seat *seat, long *id_out)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_get_windowid(ts->realseat, id_out);
+}
+
+static bool tempseat_get_window_pixel_size(Seat *seat, int *width, int *height)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_get_window_pixel_size(ts->realseat, width, height);
+}
+
+static StripCtrlChars *tempseat_stripctrl_new(
+    Seat *seat, BinarySink *bs_out, SeatInteractionContext sic)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_stripctrl_new(ts->realseat, bs_out, sic);
+}
+
+static bool tempseat_verbose(Seat *seat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_verbose(ts->realseat);
+}
+
+static bool tempseat_interactive(Seat *seat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_interactive(ts->realseat);
+}
+
+static bool tempseat_get_cursor_position(Seat *seat, int *x, int *y)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_get_cursor_position(ts->realseat, x, y);
+}
+
+static bool tempseat_can_set_trust_status(Seat *seat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return seat_can_set_trust_status(ts->realseat);
+}
+
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ * Methods that should never be called on a TempSeat, so we can put an
+ * unreachable() in them.
+ *
+ * A backend in possession of a TempSeat ought to be sitting and
+ * patiently waiting for a network connection attempt to either
+ * succeed or fail. And it should be aware of the possibility that the
+ * proxy setup code to which it has lent the real Seat might need to
+ * present interactive prompts - that's the whole point of lending out
+ * the Seat in the first place - so it absolutely shouldn't get any
+ * ideas about issuing some kind of prompt of its own while it waits
+ * for the network connection.
+ */
+
+static int tempseat_get_userpass_input(Seat *seat, prompts_t *p,
+                                       bufchain *input)
+{
+    /*
+     * Interactive prompts of this nature are a thing that a backend
+     * MUST NOT do while not in possession of the real Seat, because
+     * the whole point of temporarily lending the real Seat to
+     * something else is that so it can have a clear field to do
+     * interactive stuff of its own while making a network connection.
+     */
+    unreachable("get_userpass_input should never be called on TempSeat");
+}
+
+static int tempseat_verify_ssh_host_key(
+    Seat *seat, const char *host, int port, const char *keytype,
+    char *keystr, const char *keydisp, char **key_fingerprints,
+    void (*callback)(void *ctx, int result), void *ctx)
+{
+    unreachable("verify_ssh_host_key should never be called on TempSeat");
+}
+
+static int tempseat_confirm_weak_crypto_primitive(
+    Seat *seat, const char *algtype, const char *algname,
+    void (*callback)(void *ctx, int result), void *ctx)
+{
+    unreachable("confirm_weak_crypto_primitive "
+                "should never be called on TempSeat");
+}
+
+static int tempseat_confirm_weak_cached_hostkey(
+    Seat *seat, const char *algname, const char *betteralgs,
+    void (*callback)(void *ctx, int result), void *ctx)
+{
+    unreachable("confirm_weak_cached_hostkey "
+                "should never be called on TempSeat");
+}
+
+static void tempseat_connection_fatal(Seat *seat, const char *message)
+{
+    /*
+     * Fatal errors are another thing a backend should not have any
+     * reason to encounter while waiting to hear back about its
+     * network connection setup.
+     *
+     * Also, if a backend _did_ call this, it would be hellish to
+     * unpick all the error handling. Just passing on the fatal error
+     * to the real Seat wouldn't be good enough: what about freeing
+     * all the various things that are confusingly holding pointers to
+     * each other? Better to leave this as an assertion-failure level
+     * issue, so that if it does ever happen by accident, we'll know
+     * it's a bug.
+     */
+    unreachable("connection_fatal should never be called on TempSeat");
+}
+
+static bool tempseat_eof(Seat *seat)
+{
+    /*
+     * EOF is _very nearly_ something that we could buffer, and pass
+     * on to the real Seat at flush time. The only difficulty is that
+     * sometimes the front end wants to respond to an incoming EOF by
+     * instructing the back end to send an outgoing one, which it does
+     * by returning a bool from its eof method.
+     *
+     * So we'd have to arrange that tempseat_flush caught that return
+     * value and passed it on to the calling backend. And then every
+     * backend would have to deal with tempseat_flush maybe returning
+     * it an 'actually, please start closing down now' indication,
+     * which could only happen _in theory_, if it had for some reason
+     * called seat_eof on the TempSeat.
+     *
+     * But in fact, we don't expect back ends to call seat_eof on the
+     * TempSeat in the first place, so all of that effort would be a
+     * total waste. Hence, we'll put EOF in the category of things we
+     * expect backends never to do while the real Seat is out on loan.
+     */
+    unreachable("eof should never be called on TempSeat");
+}
+
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ * Done with the TempSeat methods. Here's the vtable definition and
+ * the main setup/teardown code.
+ */
+
+static const struct SeatVtable tempseat_vt = {
+    .output = tempseat_output,
+    .eof = tempseat_eof,
+    .sent = nullseat_sent,
+    .get_userpass_input = tempseat_get_userpass_input,
+    .notify_session_started = tempseat_notify_session_started,
+    .notify_remote_exit = tempseat_notify_remote_exit,
+    .notify_remote_disconnect = tempseat_notify_remote_disconnect,
+    .connection_fatal = tempseat_connection_fatal,
+    .update_specials_menu = tempseat_update_specials_menu,
+    .get_ttymode = tempseat_get_ttymode,
+    .set_busy_status = tempseat_set_busy_status,
+    .verify_ssh_host_key = tempseat_verify_ssh_host_key,
+    .confirm_weak_crypto_primitive = tempseat_confirm_weak_crypto_primitive,
+    .confirm_weak_cached_hostkey = tempseat_confirm_weak_cached_hostkey,
+    .is_utf8 = tempseat_is_utf8,
+    .echoedit_update = tempseat_echoedit_update,
+    .get_x_display = tempseat_get_x_display,
+    .get_windowid = tempseat_get_windowid,
+    .get_window_pixel_size = tempseat_get_window_pixel_size,
+    .stripctrl_new = tempseat_stripctrl_new,
+    .set_trust_status = tempseat_set_trust_status,
+    .can_set_trust_status = tempseat_can_set_trust_status,
+    .verbose = tempseat_verbose,
+    .interactive = tempseat_interactive,
+    .get_cursor_position = tempseat_get_cursor_position,
+};
+
+Seat *tempseat_new(Seat *realseat)
+{
+    TempSeat *ts = snew(TempSeat);
+    memset(ts, 0, sizeof(*ts));
+    ts->seat.vt = &tempseat_vt;
+
+    ts->realseat = realseat;
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < 2; i++)
+        bufchain_init(&ts->outputs[i]);
+
+    return &ts->seat;
+}
+
+bool is_tempseat(Seat *seat)
+{
+    return seat->vt == &tempseat_vt;
+}
+
+Seat *tempseat_get_real(Seat *seat)
+{
+    assert(seat->vt == &tempseat_vt);
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    return ts->realseat;
+}
+
+void tempseat_free(Seat *seat)
+{
+    assert(seat->vt == &tempseat_vt);
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < 2; i++)
+        bufchain_clear(&ts->outputs[i]);
+    sfree(ts);
+}
+
+void tempseat_flush(Seat *seat)
+{
+    assert(seat->vt == &tempseat_vt);
+    TempSeat *ts = container_of(seat, TempSeat, seat);
+
+    /* Empty the stdout/stderr bufchains into the real seat */
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+        while (bufchain_size(&ts->outputs[i])) {
+            ptrlen pl = bufchain_prefix(&ts->outputs[i]);
+            seat_output(ts->realseat, i, pl.ptr, pl.len);
+            bufchain_consume(&ts->outputs[i], pl.len);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Pass on any other kinds of event we've buffered */
+    if (ts->seen_session_started)
+        seat_notify_session_started(ts->realseat);
+    if (ts->seen_remote_exit)
+        seat_notify_remote_exit(ts->realseat);
+    if (ts->seen_remote_disconnect)
+        seat_notify_remote_disconnect(ts->realseat);
+    if (ts->seen_update_specials_menu)
+        seat_update_specials_menu(ts->realseat);
+    if (ts->seen_echoedit_update)
+        seat_echoedit_update(ts->realseat, ts->echoing, ts->editing);
+    if (ts->seen_trust_status)
+        seat_set_trust_status(ts->realseat, ts->trusted);
+}