diff --git a/examples/fullscreen-shell.c b/examples/fullscreen-shell.c
index cba5a4cb0..ff8f60c1c 100644
--- a/examples/fullscreen-shell.c
+++ b/examples/fullscreen-shell.c
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	server.allocator = wlr_allocator_autocreate(server.backend,
 		server.renderer);
 
-	wlr_compositor_create(server.wl_display, server.renderer);
+	wlr_compositor_create(server.wl_display, 5, server.renderer);
 
 	server.output_layout = wlr_output_layout_create();
 
diff --git a/examples/output-layers.c b/examples/output-layers.c
index 2ccfafe11..69c97b11a 100644
--- a/examples/output-layers.c
+++ b/examples/output-layers.c
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 		server.renderer);
 
 	struct wlr_compositor *compositor =
-		wlr_compositor_create(server.wl_display, server.renderer);
+		wlr_compositor_create(server.wl_display, 5, server.renderer);
 
 	wlr_xdg_shell_create(server.wl_display, 1);
 
diff --git a/examples/scene-graph.c b/examples/scene-graph.c
index 5821c9064..3d75164bd 100644
--- a/examples/scene-graph.c
+++ b/examples/scene-graph.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 		server.renderer);
 
 	struct wlr_compositor *compositor =
-		wlr_compositor_create(server.display, server.renderer);
+		wlr_compositor_create(server.display, 5, server.renderer);
 
 	wlr_xdg_shell_create(server.display, 2);
 
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_compositor.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_compositor.h
index 75d6605fb..70b219d8e 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_compositor.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_compositor.h
@@ -327,6 +327,6 @@ void wlr_surface_unlock_cached(struct wlr_surface *surface, uint32_t seq);
  * objects from client buffers on surface commit.
  */
 struct wlr_compositor *wlr_compositor_create(struct wl_display *display,
-	struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
+	uint32_t version, struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/tinywl/tinywl.c b/tinywl/tinywl.c
index d490167dd..5ed941814 100644
--- a/tinywl/tinywl.c
+++ b/tinywl/tinywl.c
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	 * to dig your fingers in and play with their behavior if you want. Note that
 	 * the clients cannot set the selection directly without compositor approval,
 	 * see the handling of the request_set_selection event below.*/
-	wlr_compositor_create(server.wl_display, server.renderer);
+	wlr_compositor_create(server.wl_display, 5, server.renderer);
 	wlr_subcompositor_create(server.wl_display);
 	wlr_data_device_manager_create(server.wl_display);
 
diff --git a/types/wlr_compositor.c b/types/wlr_compositor.c
index 6a882a0ac..812dd2204 100644
--- a/types/wlr_compositor.c
+++ b/types/wlr_compositor.c
@@ -1146,14 +1146,16 @@ static void compositor_handle_display_destroy(
 }
 
 struct wlr_compositor *wlr_compositor_create(struct wl_display *display,
-		struct wlr_renderer *renderer) {
+		uint32_t version, struct wlr_renderer *renderer) {
+	assert(version <= COMPOSITOR_VERSION);
+
 	struct wlr_compositor *compositor = calloc(1, sizeof(*compositor));
 	if (!compositor) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	compositor->global = wl_global_create(display, &wl_compositor_interface,
-		COMPOSITOR_VERSION, compositor, compositor_bind);
+		version, compositor, compositor_bind);
 	if (!compositor->global) {
 		free(compositor);
 		return NULL;