diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index 7ee2ec71..6610f009 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ struct seat_attachment_config *seat_attachment_config_new(void);
 struct seat_attachment_config *seat_config_get_attachment(
 		struct seat_config *seat_config, char *identifier);
 
-void apply_seat_config(struct seat_config *seat);
+struct seat_config *store_seat_config(struct seat_config *seat);
 
 int output_name_cmp(const void *item, const void *data);
 
diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index eda29c65..51bfe13a 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -42,21 +42,6 @@ struct cmd_results *checkarg(int argc, const char *name, enum expected_args type
 		: NULL;
 }
 
-void apply_seat_config(struct seat_config *seat_config) {
-	int i = list_seq_find(config->seat_configs, seat_name_cmp, seat_config->name);
-	if (i >= 0) {
-		// merge existing config
-		struct seat_config *sc = config->seat_configs->items[i];
-		merge_seat_config(sc, seat_config);
-		free_seat_config(seat_config);
-		seat_config = sc;
-	} else {
-		list_add(config->seat_configs, seat_config);
-	}
-
-	input_manager_apply_seat_config(seat_config);
-}
-
 /* Keep alphabetized */
 static struct cmd_handler handlers[] = {
 	{ "assign", cmd_assign },
diff --git a/sway/commands/seat.c b/sway/commands/seat.c
index 5abb19b0..56acd204 100644
--- a/sway/commands/seat.c
+++ b/sway/commands/seat.c
@@ -26,9 +26,16 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_seat(int argc, char **argv) {
 
 	struct cmd_results *res = config_subcommand(argv + 1, argc - 1,
 			seat_handlers, sizeof(seat_handlers));
+	if (res && res->status != CMD_SUCCESS) {
+		free_seat_config(config->handler_context.seat_config);
+		config->handler_context.seat_config = NULL;
+		return res;
+	}
 
-	free_seat_config(config->handler_context.seat_config);
-	config->handler_context.seat_config = NULL;
+	struct seat_config *sc =
+		store_seat_config(config->handler_context.seat_config);
+	input_manager_apply_seat_config(sc);
 
-	return res;
+	config->handler_context.seat_config = NULL;
+	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/sway/commands/seat/attach.c b/sway/commands/seat/attach.c
index 8d646c2d..0fb17f1d 100644
--- a/sway/commands/seat/attach.c
+++ b/sway/commands/seat/attach.c
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 #define _POSIX_C_SOURCE 200809L
 #include <string.h>
-#include <strings.h>
-#include "sway/input/input-manager.h"
 #include "sway/commands.h"
 #include "sway/config.h"
-#include "log.h"
 #include "stringop.h"
 
 struct cmd_results *seat_cmd_attach(int argc, char **argv) {
@@ -12,19 +9,17 @@ struct cmd_results *seat_cmd_attach(int argc, char **argv) {
 	if ((error = checkarg(argc, "attach", EXPECTED_AT_LEAST, 1))) {
 		return error;
 	}
-	struct seat_config *current_seat_config =
-		config->handler_context.seat_config;
-	if (!current_seat_config) {
+	if (!config->handler_context.seat_config) {
 		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "attach", "No seat defined");
 	}
 
-	struct seat_config *new_config = new_seat_config(current_seat_config->name);
-	struct seat_attachment_config *new_attachment = seat_attachment_config_new();
-	new_attachment->identifier = strdup(argv[0]);
-	list_add(new_config->attachments, new_attachment);
-
-	if (!config->validating) {
-		apply_seat_config(new_config);
+	struct seat_attachment_config *attachment = seat_attachment_config_new();
+	if (!attachment) {
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "attach",
+				"Failed to allocate seat attachment config");
 	}
+	attachment->identifier = strdup(argv[0]);
+	list_add(config->handler_context.seat_config->attachments, attachment);
+
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/sway/commands/seat/fallback.c b/sway/commands/seat/fallback.c
index a0ddf3ef..8f1ab12c 100644
--- a/sway/commands/seat/fallback.c
+++ b/sway/commands/seat/fallback.c
@@ -1,27 +1,18 @@
-#include <string.h>
-#include <strings.h>
 #include "sway/config.h"
 #include "sway/commands.h"
-#include "sway/input/input-manager.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
 struct cmd_results *seat_cmd_fallback(int argc, char **argv) {
 	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
-	if ((error = checkarg(argc, "fallback", EXPECTED_AT_LEAST, 1))) {
+	if ((error = checkarg(argc, "fallback", EXPECTED_EQUAL_TO, 1))) {
 		return error;
 	}
-	struct seat_config *current_seat_config =
-		config->handler_context.seat_config;
-	if (!current_seat_config) {
+	if (!config->handler_context.seat_config) {
 		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "fallback", "No seat defined");
 	}
-	struct seat_config *new_config =
-		new_seat_config(current_seat_config->name);
-		
-	new_config->fallback = parse_boolean(argv[0], false);
 
-	if (!config->validating) {
-		apply_seat_config(new_config);
-	}
+	config->handler_context.seat_config->fallback =
+		parse_boolean(argv[0], false);
+
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/sway/config/seat.c b/sway/config/seat.c
index 1cb4c363..c248990a 100644
--- a/sway/config/seat.c
+++ b/sway/config/seat.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ struct seat_config *new_seat_config(const char* name) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "new_seat_config(%s)", name);
 	seat->name = strdup(name);
 	if (!sway_assert(seat->name, "could not allocate name for seat")) {
 		free(seat);
@@ -30,6 +29,52 @@ struct seat_config *new_seat_config(const char* name) {
 	return seat;
 }
 
+static void merge_wildcard_on_all(struct seat_config *wildcard) {
+	for (int i = 0; i < config->seat_configs->length; i++) {
+		struct seat_config *sc = config->seat_configs->items[i];
+		if (strcmp(wildcard->name, sc->name) != 0) {
+			wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Merging seat * config on %s", sc->name);
+			merge_seat_config(sc, wildcard);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+struct seat_config *store_seat_config(struct seat_config *sc) {
+	bool wildcard = strcmp(sc->name, "*") == 0;
+	if (wildcard) {
+		merge_wildcard_on_all(sc);
+	}
+
+	int i = list_seq_find(config->seat_configs, seat_name_cmp, sc->name);
+	if (i >= 0) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Merging on top of existing seat config");
+		struct seat_config *current = config->seat_configs->items[i];
+		merge_seat_config(current, sc);
+		free_seat_config(sc);
+		sc = current;
+	} else if (!wildcard) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Adding non-wildcard seat config");
+		i = list_seq_find(config->seat_configs, seat_name_cmp, "*");
+		if (i >= 0) {
+			wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Merging on top of seat * config");
+			struct seat_config *current = new_seat_config(sc->name);
+			merge_seat_config(current, config->seat_configs->items[i]);
+			merge_seat_config(current, sc);
+			free_seat_config(sc);
+			sc = current;
+		}
+		list_add(config->seat_configs, sc);
+	} else {
+		// New wildcard config. Just add it
+		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Adding seat * config");
+		list_add(config->seat_configs, sc);
+	}
+
+	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Config stored for seat %s", sc->name);
+
+	return sc;
+}
+
 struct seat_attachment_config *seat_attachment_config_new(void) {
 	struct seat_attachment_config *attachment =
 		calloc(1, sizeof(struct seat_attachment_config));
@@ -65,11 +110,6 @@ static void merge_seat_attachment_config(struct seat_attachment_config *dest,
 }
 
 void merge_seat_config(struct seat_config *dest, struct seat_config *source) {
-	if (source->name) {
-		free(dest->name);
-		dest->name = strdup(source->name);
-	}
-
 	if (source->fallback != -1) {
 		dest->fallback = source->fallback;
 	}
diff --git a/sway/input/input-manager.c b/sway/input/input-manager.c
index 89146d5b..055f6752 100644
--- a/sway/input/input-manager.c
+++ b/sway/input/input-manager.c
@@ -82,11 +82,12 @@ static struct sway_input_device *input_sway_device_from_wlr(
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static bool input_has_seat_configuration(void) {
+static bool input_has_seat_fallback_configuration(void) {
 	struct sway_seat *seat = NULL;
 	wl_list_for_each(seat, &server.input->seats, link) {
 		struct seat_config *seat_config = seat_get_config(seat);
-		if (seat_config) {
+		if (seat_config && strcmp(seat_config->name, "*") != 0
+				&& seat_config->fallback != -1) {
 			return true;
 		}
 	}
@@ -296,11 +297,12 @@ static void handle_new_input(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	input_device->device_destroy.notify = handle_device_destroy;
 
 	struct sway_seat *seat = NULL;
-	if (!input_has_seat_configuration()) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "no seat configuration, using default seat");
+	if (!input_has_seat_fallback_configuration()) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "no seat config - creating default seat config");
 		seat = input_manager_get_default_seat();
-		seat_add_device(seat, input_device);
-		return;
+		struct seat_config *sc = new_seat_config(seat->wlr_seat->name);
+		sc->fallback = true;
+		store_seat_config(sc);
 	}
 
 	bool added = false;
@@ -459,15 +461,26 @@ void input_manager_apply_input_config(struct input_config *input_config) {
 }
 
 void input_manager_apply_seat_config(struct seat_config *seat_config) {
-	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "applying new seat config for seat %s",
-		seat_config->name);
-	struct sway_seat *seat = input_manager_get_seat(seat_config->name);
-	if (!seat) {
-		return;
+	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "applying seat config for seat %s", seat_config->name);
+	if (strcmp(seat_config->name, "*") == 0) {
+		struct sway_seat *seat = NULL;
+		wl_list_for_each(seat, &server.input->seats, link) {
+			// Only apply the wildcard config directly if there is no seat
+			// specific config
+			struct seat_config *sc = seat_get_config(seat);
+			if (!sc) {
+				sc = seat_config;
+			}
+			seat_apply_config(seat, sc);
+		}
+	} else {
+		struct sway_seat *seat = input_manager_get_seat(seat_config->name);
+		if (!seat) {
+			return;
+		}
+		seat_apply_config(seat, seat_config);
 	}
 
-	seat_apply_config(seat, seat_config);
-
 	// for every device, try to add it to a seat and if no seat has it
 	// attached, add it to the fallback seats.
 	struct sway_input_device *input_device = NULL;