diff --git a/backend/drm/renderer.c b/backend/drm/renderer.c
index c1531ce37..f06de1ee5 100644
--- a/backend/drm/renderer.c
+++ b/backend/drm/renderer.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ bool wlr_drm_renderer_init(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm,
 		goto error_gbm;
 	}
 
-	renderer->wlr_rend = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(&drm->backend);
+	renderer->wlr_rend = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(&renderer->egl);
 	if (!renderer->wlr_rend) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to create WLR renderer");
 		goto error_egl;
diff --git a/backend/headless/backend.c b/backend/headless/backend.c
index 663bc13be..5bc482405 100644
--- a/backend/headless/backend.c
+++ b/backend/headless/backend.c
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_headless_backend_create(struct wl_display *display) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	backend->renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(&backend->backend);
+	backend->renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(&backend->egl);
 	if (backend->renderer == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to create renderer");
 	}
diff --git a/backend/wayland/backend.c b/backend/wayland/backend.c
index abb25df55..0135f7c53 100644
--- a/backend/wayland/backend.c
+++ b/backend/wayland/backend.c
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display, const char
 		backend->remote_display, NULL, WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888);
 	wlr_egl_bind_display(&backend->egl, backend->local_display);
 
-	backend->renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(&backend->backend);
+	backend->renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(&backend->egl);
 	if (backend->renderer == NULL) {
 		wlr_log_errno(L_ERROR, "Could not create renderer");
 	}
diff --git a/backend/x11/backend.c b/backend/x11/backend.c
index 90658f268..f598aea12 100644
--- a/backend/x11/backend.c
+++ b/backend/x11/backend.c
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_x11_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 		goto error_event;
 	}
 
-	x11->renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(&x11->backend);
+	x11->renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(&x11->egl);
 	if (x11->renderer == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to create renderer");
 		goto error_egl;
diff --git a/examples/output-layout.c b/examples/output-layout.c
index c1392a30a..53aae7f08 100644
--- a/examples/output-layout.c
+++ b/examples/output-layout.c
@@ -196,7 +196,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	compositor.keyboard_key_cb = handle_keyboard_key;
 	compositor_init(&compositor);
 
-	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(compositor.backend);
+	struct wlr_egl *egl = wlr_backend_get_egl(compositor.backend);
+	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(egl);
 	state.cat_texture = wlr_texture_from_pixels(state.renderer,
 		WL_SHM_FORMAT_ABGR8888, cat_tex.width * 4, cat_tex.width, cat_tex.height,
 		cat_tex.pixel_data);
diff --git a/examples/rotation.c b/examples/rotation.c
index dfafeecad..37873797f 100644
--- a/examples/rotation.c
+++ b/examples/rotation.c
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	compositor.keyboard_key_cb = handle_keyboard_key;
 	compositor_init(&compositor);
 
-	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(compositor.backend);
+	struct wlr_egl *egl = wlr_backend_get_egl(compositor.backend);
+	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(egl);
 	if (!state.renderer) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Could not start compositor, OOM");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
diff --git a/examples/tablet.c b/examples/tablet.c
index be428f862..d80b4b2fc 100644
--- a/examples/tablet.c
+++ b/examples/tablet.c
@@ -192,7 +192,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	};
 	compositor_init(&compositor);
 
-	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(compositor.backend);
+	struct wlr_egl *egl = wlr_backend_get_egl(compositor.backend);
+	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(egl);
 	if (!state.renderer) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Could not start compositor, OOM");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
diff --git a/examples/touch.c b/examples/touch.c
index e9dcf29ce..16024fc89 100644
--- a/examples/touch.c
+++ b/examples/touch.c
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	};
 	compositor_init(&compositor);
 
-	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(compositor.backend);
+	struct wlr_egl *egl = wlr_backend_get_egl(compositor.backend);
+	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(egl);
 	if (!state.renderer) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Could not start compositor, OOM");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
diff --git a/include/wlr/render/gles2.h b/include/wlr/render/gles2.h
index b3b43ab23..a59956bdd 100644
--- a/include/wlr/render/gles2.h
+++ b/include/wlr/render/gles2.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <wlr/render/wlr_renderer.h>
 
 struct wlr_egl;
-struct wlr_renderer *wlr_gles2_renderer_create(struct wlr_backend *backend);
+
+struct wlr_renderer *wlr_gles2_renderer_create(struct wlr_egl *egl);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/render/gles2/renderer.c b/render/gles2/renderer.c
index c80948475..77af0ab7d 100644
--- a/render/gles2/renderer.c
+++ b/render/gles2/renderer.c
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <wayland-server-protocol.h>
 #include <wayland-util.h>
-#include <wlr/backend.h>
 #include <wlr/render/egl.h>
 #include <wlr/render/interface.h>
 #include <wlr/render/wlr_renderer.h>
@@ -400,7 +399,7 @@ extern const GLchar tex_fragment_src_rgba[];
 extern const GLchar tex_fragment_src_rgbx[];
 extern const GLchar tex_fragment_src_external[];
 
-struct wlr_renderer *wlr_gles2_renderer_create(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
+struct wlr_renderer *wlr_gles2_renderer_create(struct wlr_egl *egl) {
 	struct wlr_gles2_renderer *renderer =
 		calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_gles2_renderer));
 	if (renderer == NULL) {
@@ -408,7 +407,7 @@ struct wlr_renderer *wlr_gles2_renderer_create(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 	}
 	wlr_renderer_init(&renderer->wlr_renderer, &renderer_impl);
 
-	renderer->egl = wlr_backend_get_egl(backend);
+	renderer->egl = egl;
 	wlr_egl_make_current(renderer->egl, EGL_NO_SURFACE, NULL);
 
 	renderer->exts_str = (const char*) glGetString(GL_EXTENSIONS);