diff --git a/dlls/user32/win.c b/dlls/user32/win.c
index 5252ceadd24..a924fe3e50e 100644
--- a/dlls/user32/win.c
+++ b/dlls/user32/win.c
@@ -1636,7 +1636,11 @@ HWND WINAPI GetDesktopWindow(void)
     SERVER_START_REQ( get_desktop_window )
     {
         req->force = 0;
-        if (!wine_server_call( req )) thread_info->top_window = reply->handle;
+        if (!wine_server_call( req ))
+        {
+            thread_info->top_window = reply->top_window;
+            thread_info->msg_window = reply->msg_window;
+        }
     }
     SERVER_END_REQ;
 
@@ -1675,7 +1679,11 @@ HWND WINAPI GetDesktopWindow(void)
         SERVER_START_REQ( get_desktop_window )
         {
             req->force = 1;
-            if (!wine_server_call( req )) thread_info->top_window = reply->handle;
+            if (!wine_server_call( req ))
+            {
+                thread_info->top_window = reply->top_window;
+                thread_info->msg_window = reply->msg_window;
+            }
         }
         SERVER_END_REQ;
     }
diff --git a/include/wine/server_protocol.h b/include/wine/server_protocol.h
index 810464c24b2..5f5565a2910 100644
--- a/include/wine/server_protocol.h
+++ b/include/wine/server_protocol.h
@@ -2796,7 +2796,8 @@ struct get_desktop_window_request
 struct get_desktop_window_reply
 {
     struct reply_header __header;
-    user_handle_t  handle;
+    user_handle_t  top_window;
+    user_handle_t  msg_window;
 };
 
 
@@ -4996,6 +4997,6 @@ union generic_reply
     struct add_fd_completion_reply add_fd_completion_reply;
 };
 
-#define SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION 339
+#define SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION 340
 
 #endif /* __WINE_WINE_SERVER_PROTOCOL_H */
diff --git a/server/protocol.def b/server/protocol.def
index 01d94d2ce0c..034bb1a6756 100644
--- a/server/protocol.def
+++ b/server/protocol.def
@@ -2061,7 +2061,8 @@ enum message_type
 @REQ(get_desktop_window)
     int            force;       /* force creation if it doesn't exist */
 @REPLY
-    user_handle_t  handle;      /* handle to the desktop window */
+    user_handle_t  top_window;  /* handle to the desktop window */
+    user_handle_t  msg_window;  /* handle to the top-level HWND_MESSAGE parent */
 @END
 
 
diff --git a/server/trace.c b/server/trace.c
index bbae5242174..777255c623f 100644
--- a/server/trace.c
+++ b/server/trace.c
@@ -2575,7 +2575,8 @@ static void dump_get_desktop_window_request( const struct get_desktop_window_req
 
 static void dump_get_desktop_window_reply( const struct get_desktop_window_reply *req )
 {
-    fprintf( stderr, " handle=%p", req->handle );
+    fprintf( stderr, " top_window=%p,", req->top_window );
+    fprintf( stderr, " msg_window=%p", req->msg_window );
 }
 
 static void dump_set_window_owner_request( const struct set_window_owner_request *req )
diff --git a/server/window.c b/server/window.c
index cae560339a4..53ea59fa4a1 100644
--- a/server/window.c
+++ b/server/window.c
@@ -549,21 +549,13 @@ void destroy_thread_windows( struct thread *thread )
 }
 
 /* get the desktop window */
-static struct window *get_desktop_window( struct thread *thread, int create )
+static struct window *get_desktop_window( struct thread *thread )
 {
     struct window *top_window;
     struct desktop *desktop = get_thread_desktop( thread, 0 );
 
     if (!desktop) return NULL;
-
-    if (!(top_window = desktop->top_window) && create)
-    {
-        if ((top_window = create_window( NULL, NULL, DESKTOP_ATOM, 0 )))
-        {
-            detach_window_thread( top_window );
-            top_window->style  = WS_POPUP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS | WS_CLIPCHILDREN;
-        }
-    }
+    top_window = desktop->top_window;
     release_object( desktop );
     return top_window;
 }
@@ -786,7 +778,7 @@ static struct window *find_child_to_repaint( struct window *parent, struct threa
 /* find a window that needs to receive a WM_PAINT; also clear its internal paint flag */
 user_handle_t find_window_to_repaint( user_handle_t parent, struct thread *thread )
 {
-    struct window *ptr, *win, *top_window = get_desktop_window( thread, 0 );
+    struct window *ptr, *win, *top_window = get_desktop_window( thread );
 
     if (!top_window) return 0;
 
@@ -1794,9 +1786,34 @@ DECL_HANDLER(destroy_window)
 /* retrieve the desktop window for the current thread */
 DECL_HANDLER(get_desktop_window)
 {
-    struct window *win = get_desktop_window( current, req->force );
+    struct desktop *desktop = get_thread_desktop( current, 0 );
 
-    if (win) reply->handle = win->handle;
+    if (!desktop) return;
+
+    if (!desktop->top_window && req->force)  /* create it */
+    {
+        if ((desktop->top_window = create_window( NULL, NULL, DESKTOP_ATOM, 0 )))
+        {
+            detach_window_thread( desktop->top_window );
+            desktop->top_window->style  = WS_POPUP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS | WS_CLIPCHILDREN;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!desktop->msg_window && req->force)  /* create it */
+    {
+        static const WCHAR messageW[] = {'M','e','s','s','a','g','e'};
+        static const struct unicode_str name = { messageW, sizeof(messageW) };
+        atom_t atom = add_global_atom( NULL, &name );
+        if (atom && (desktop->msg_window = create_window( NULL, NULL, atom, 0 )))
+        {
+            detach_window_thread( desktop->msg_window );
+            desktop->msg_window->style = WS_POPUP | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS | WS_CLIPCHILDREN;
+        }
+    }
+
+    reply->top_window = desktop->top_window ? desktop->top_window->handle : 0;
+    reply->msg_window = desktop->msg_window ? desktop->msg_window->handle : 0;
+    release_object( desktop );
 }