diff --git a/examples/compositor.h b/examples/compositor.h
index 4773b83d3..0f2716fef 100644
--- a/examples/compositor.h
+++ b/examples/compositor.h
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 #ifndef _EXAMPLE_COMPOSITOR_H
 #define _EXAMPLE_COMPOSITOR_H
 #include <wayland-server.h>
+#include <wlr/render.h>
 
 struct wl_compositor_state {
 	struct wl_global *wl_global;
 	struct wl_list wl_resources;
+	struct wlr_renderer *renderer;
 };
 
 void wl_compositor_init(struct wl_display *display,
-		struct wl_compositor_state *state);
+		struct wl_compositor_state *state, struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
 
 struct wl_shell_state {
 	struct wl_global *wl_global;
diff --git a/examples/compositor/main.c b/examples/compositor/main.c
index 6a6896699..689269d0f 100644
--- a/examples/compositor/main.c
+++ b/examples/compositor/main.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <wlr/render/gles2.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_output.h>
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
+#include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include "shared.h"
 #include "compositor.h"
 
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ int main() {
 
 	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_init();
 	wl_display_init_shm(compositor.display);
-	wl_compositor_init(compositor.display, &state.compositor);
+	wl_compositor_init(compositor.display, &state.compositor, state.renderer);
 	wl_shell_init(compositor.display, &state.shell);
 
 	compositor_run(&compositor);
diff --git a/examples/compositor/wl_compositor.c b/examples/compositor/wl_compositor.c
index 0cd73afb9..4c49861c7 100644
--- a/examples/compositor/wl_compositor.c
+++ b/examples/compositor/wl_compositor.c
@@ -3,13 +3,95 @@
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include "compositor.h"
 
+static void surface_destroy(struct wl_client *client, struct wl_resource *resource) {
+	wl_resource_destroy(resource);
+}
+
+static void surface_attach(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource,
+		struct wl_resource *buffer_resource, int32_t sx, int32_t sy) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: surface attach");
+}
+
+static void surface_damage(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource,
+		int32_t x, int32_t y, int32_t width, int32_t height) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: surface damage");
+}
+
+static void surface_frame(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource, uint32_t callback) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: surface frame");
+}
+
+static void surface_set_opaque_region(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource,
+		struct wl_resource *region_resource) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: surface opaque region");
+}
+
+static void surface_set_input_region(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource,
+		struct wl_resource *region_resource) {
+
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: surface input region");
+}
+
+static void surface_commit(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: surface surface commit");
+}
+
+static void surface_set_buffer_transform(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource, int transform) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: surface surface buffer transform");
+}
+
+static void surface_set_buffer_scale(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource,
+		int32_t scale) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: surface set buffer scale");
+}
+
+
+static void surface_damage_buffer(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource,
+		int32_t x, int32_t y, int32_t width,
+		int32_t height) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: surface damage buffer");
+}
+
+struct wl_surface_interface surface_interface = {
+	surface_destroy,
+	surface_attach,
+	surface_damage,
+	surface_frame,
+	surface_set_opaque_region,
+	surface_set_input_region,
+	surface_commit,
+	surface_set_buffer_transform,
+	surface_set_buffer_scale,
+	surface_damage_buffer
+};
+
+static void destroy_surface(struct wl_resource *resource) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: destroy surface");
+}
+
 static void wl_compositor_create_surface(struct wl_client *client,
-			   struct wl_resource *resource, uint32_t id) {
-	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: implement create_surface");
+		struct wl_resource *resource, uint32_t id) {
+	struct wl_compositor_state *state = wl_resource_get_user_data(resource);
+	struct wl_resource *surface_resource = wl_resource_create(client,
+			&wl_surface_interface, wl_resource_get_version(resource), id);
+	struct wlr_surface *surface = wlr_render_surface_init(state->renderer);
+	wl_resource_set_implementation(surface_resource, &surface_interface,
+			surface, destroy_surface);
+	wl_resource_set_user_data(surface_resource, surface);
+
 }
 
 static void wl_compositor_create_region(struct wl_client *client,
-			  struct wl_resource *resource, uint32_t id) {
+		struct wl_resource *resource, uint32_t id) {
 	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: implement create_region");
 }
 
@@ -47,9 +129,10 @@ static void wl_compositor_bind(struct wl_client *wl_client, void *_state,
 }
 
 void wl_compositor_init(struct wl_display *display,
-		struct wl_compositor_state *state) {
+		struct wl_compositor_state *state, struct wlr_renderer *renderer) {
 	struct wl_global *wl_global = wl_global_create(display,
 		&wl_compositor_interface, 4, state, wl_compositor_bind);
 	state->wl_global = wl_global;
+	state->renderer = renderer;
 	wl_list_init(&state->wl_resources);
 }