diff --git a/example/rotation.c b/example/rotation.c
index b8c43d4ca..84137078b 100644
--- a/example/rotation.c
+++ b/example/rotation.c
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
 	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_init();
 	state.cat_texture = wlr_render_surface_init(state.renderer);
-	wlr_surface_attach_pixels(state.cat_texture, GL_RGBA,
+	wlr_surface_attach_pixels(state.cat_texture, WL_SHM_FORMAT_ABGR8888,
 		cat_tex.width, cat_tex.height, cat_tex.pixel_data);
 
 	compositor_run(&compositor);
diff --git a/include/render/gles2.h b/include/render/gles2.h
index bd0106b3e..7b835209a 100644
--- a/include/render/gles2.h
+++ b/include/render/gles2.h
@@ -6,19 +6,38 @@
 #include <GLES2/gl2.h>
 #include <wlr/render.h>
 
+struct pixel_format {
+	uint32_t wl_format;
+	GLint gl_format, gl_type;
+	int depth, bpp;
+	GLuint *shader;
+};
+
 struct wlr_surface_state {
 	struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface;
 	GLuint tex_id;
+	const struct pixel_format *pixel_format;
 };
 
+struct shaders {
+	bool initialized;
+	GLuint rgba, rgbx;
+	GLuint quad;
+	GLuint ellipse;
+};
+
+extern struct shaders shaders;
+
+const struct pixel_format *gl_format_for_wl_format(enum wl_shm_format fmt);
+
 struct wlr_surface *gles2_surface_init();
 
 extern const GLchar quad_vertex_src[];
 extern const GLchar quad_fragment_src[];
 extern const GLchar ellipse_fragment_src[];
 extern const GLchar vertex_src[];
-extern const GLchar fragment_src_RGB[];
-extern const GLchar fragment_src_RGBA[];
+extern const GLchar fragment_src_rgba[];
+extern const GLchar fragment_src_rgbx[];
 
 bool _gles2_flush_errors(const char *file, int line);
 #define gles2_flush_errors(...) \
diff --git a/include/wlr/render.h b/include/wlr/render.h
index 496e3638a..bb3337237 100644
--- a/include/wlr/render.h
+++ b/include/wlr/render.h
@@ -63,8 +63,9 @@ struct wlr_surface {
  * Attaches a pixel buffer to this surface. The buffer may be discarded after
  * calling this function.
  */
-bool wlr_surface_attach_pixels(struct wlr_surface *surf, uint32_t format,
-		int width, int height, const unsigned char *pixels);
+bool wlr_surface_attach_pixels(struct wlr_surface *surf,
+		enum wl_shm_format format, int width, int height,
+		const unsigned char *pixels);
 /**
  * Attaches pixels from a wl_shm_buffer to this surface. The shm buffer may be
  * invalidated after calling this function.
diff --git a/include/wlr/render/interface.h b/include/wlr/render/interface.h
index c7fa54d68..f2168dcd1 100644
--- a/include/wlr/render/interface.h
+++ b/include/wlr/render/interface.h
@@ -32,8 +32,9 @@ struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer_init(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
 		struct wlr_renderer_impl *impl);
 
 struct wlr_surface_impl {
-	bool (*attach_pixels)(struct wlr_surface_state *state, uint32_t format,
-		int width, int height, const unsigned char *pixels);
+	bool (*attach_pixels)(struct wlr_surface_state *state,
+		enum wl_shm_format format, int width, int height,
+		const unsigned char *pixels);
 	bool (*attach_shm)(struct wlr_surface_state *state, uint32_t format,
 		struct wl_shm_buffer *shm);
 	// TODO: egl
diff --git a/render/CMakeLists.txt b/render/CMakeLists.txt
index 70ebced2a..63412b619 100644
--- a/render/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/render/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@ add_library(wlr-render STATIC
     gles2/shaders.c
     gles2/renderer.c
     gles2/surface.c
+    gles2/pixel_format.c
     gles2/util.c
 )
diff --git a/render/gles2/pixel_format.c b/render/gles2/pixel_format.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0b9d09f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/render/gles2/pixel_format.c
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#include <GLES2/gl2.h>
+#include <GLES2/gl2ext.h>
+#include "render/gles2.h"
+
+// Adapted from weston
+struct pixel_format formats[] = {
+	{
+		.wl_format = WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888,
+		.depth = 32,
+		.bpp = 32,
+		.gl_format = GL_BGRA_EXT,
+		.gl_type = GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE,
+		.shader = &shaders.rgba
+	},
+	{
+		.wl_format = WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB8888,
+		.depth = 24,
+		.bpp = 32,
+		.gl_format = GL_BGRA_EXT,
+		.gl_type = GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE,
+		.shader = &shaders.rgbx
+	},
+	{
+		.wl_format = WL_SHM_FORMAT_XBGR8888,
+		.gl_format = GL_RGBA,
+		.gl_type = GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE,
+		.shader = &shaders.rgbx
+	},
+	{
+		.wl_format = WL_SHM_FORMAT_ABGR8888,
+		.gl_format = GL_RGBA,
+		.gl_type = GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE,
+		.shader = &shaders.rgba
+	},
+};
+// TODO: more pixel formats
+
+const struct pixel_format *gl_format_for_wl_format(enum wl_shm_format fmt) {
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(formats) / sizeof(*formats); ++i) {
+		if (formats[i].wl_format == fmt) {
+			return &formats[i];
+		}
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/render/gles2/renderer.c b/render/gles2/renderer.c
index f3906125a..897dc3b80 100644
--- a/render/gles2/renderer.c
+++ b/render/gles2/renderer.c
@@ -10,12 +10,7 @@
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include "render/gles2.h"
 
-static struct {
-	bool initialized;
-	GLuint rgb, rgba;
-	GLuint quad;
-	GLuint ellipse;
-} shaders;
+struct shaders shaders;
 
 static bool compile_shader(GLuint type, const GLchar *src, GLuint *shader) {
 	*shader = GL_CALL(glCreateShader(type));
@@ -58,10 +53,10 @@ static void init_default_shaders() {
 	if (shaders.initialized) {
 		return;
 	}
-	if (!compile_program(vertex_src, fragment_src_RGB, &shaders.rgb)) {
+	if (!compile_program(vertex_src, fragment_src_rgba, &shaders.rgba)) {
 		goto error;
 	}
-	if (!compile_program(vertex_src, fragment_src_RGBA, &shaders.rgba)) {
+	if (!compile_program(vertex_src, fragment_src_rgbx, &shaders.rgbx)) {
 		goto error;
 	}
 	if (!compile_program(quad_vertex_src, quad_fragment_src, &shaders.quad)) {
@@ -129,21 +124,10 @@ static void draw_quad() {
 static bool wlr_gles2_render_surface(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
 		struct wlr_surface *surface, const float (*matrix)[16]) {
 	assert(surface && surface->valid);
-	// TODO: Convert GL formats to WL_SHM formats
-	switch (surface->format) {
-	case GL_RGB:
-		GL_CALL(glUseProgram(shaders.rgb));
-		break;
-	case GL_RGBA:
-		GL_CALL(glUseProgram(shaders.rgba));
-		break;
-	default:
-		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "No shader for this surface format");
-		return false;
-	}
-	gles2_flush_errors();
 	wlr_surface_bind(surface);
 	GL_CALL(glUniformMatrix4fv(0, 1, GL_FALSE, *matrix));
+	// TODO: source alpha from somewhere else I guess
+	GL_CALL(glUniform1f(2, 1.0f));
 	draw_quad();
 	return true;
 }
@@ -169,6 +153,8 @@ static const enum wl_shm_format *wlr_gles2_formats(
 	static enum wl_shm_format formats[] = {
 		WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888,
 		WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB8888,
+		WL_SHM_FORMAT_ABGR8888,
+		WL_SHM_FORMAT_XBGR8888,
 	};
 	*len = sizeof(formats) / sizeof(formats[0]);
 	return formats;
diff --git a/render/gles2/shaders.c b/render/gles2/shaders.c
index 627122308..f5e61dd69 100644
--- a/render/gles2/shaders.c
+++ b/render/gles2/shaders.c
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ const GLchar quad_vertex_src[] =
 "                 vec4(i0.z, i1.z, i2.z, i3.z),"
 "                 vec4(i0.w, i1.w, i2.w, i3.w)"
 "                 );"
-""
 "    return outMatrix;"
 "}"
 "void main() {"
@@ -37,8 +36,7 @@ const GLchar quad_fragment_src[] =
 "  gl_FragColor = v_color;"
 "}";
 
-// Colored ellipses (TODO)
-
+// Colored ellipses
 const GLchar ellipse_fragment_src[] =
 "precision mediump float;"
 "varying vec4 v_color;"
@@ -74,18 +72,21 @@ const GLchar vertex_src[] =
 "	v_texcoord = texcoord;"
 "}";
 
-const GLchar fragment_src_RGB[] =
+const GLchar fragment_src_rgba[] =
 "precision mediump float;"
 "varying vec2 v_texcoord;"
 "uniform sampler2D tex;"
+"uniform float alpha;"
 "void main() {"
-"	gl_FragColor = vec4(texture2D(tex, v_texcoord).rgb, 1.0);"
+"	gl_FragColor = alpha * texture2D(tex, v_texcoord);"
 "}";
 
-const GLchar fragment_src_RGBA[] =
+const GLchar fragment_src_rgbx[] =
 "precision mediump float;"
 "varying vec2 v_texcoord;"
 "uniform sampler2D tex;"
+"uniform float alpha;"
 "void main() {"
-"	gl_FragColor = texture2D(tex, v_texcoord);"
+"   gl_FragColor.rgb = alpha * texture2D(tex, v_texcoord).rgb;"
+"   gl_FragColor.a = alpha;"
 "}";
diff --git a/render/gles2/surface.c b/render/gles2/surface.c
index 278b3dc32..8c2f459fb 100644
--- a/render/gles2/surface.c
+++ b/render/gles2/surface.c
@@ -7,18 +7,26 @@
 #include <wlr/render.h>
 #include <wlr/render/interface.h>
 #include <wlr/render/matrix.h>
+#include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include "render/gles2.h"
 
 static bool gles2_surface_attach_pixels(struct wlr_surface_state *surface,
-		uint32_t format, int width, int height, const unsigned char *pixels) {
+		enum wl_shm_format format, int width, int height,
+		const unsigned char *pixels) {
 	assert(surface);
+	const struct pixel_format *fmt = gl_format_for_wl_format(format);
+	if (!fmt || !fmt->gl_format) {
+		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "No supported pixel format for this surface");
+		return false;
+	}
 	surface->wlr_surface->width = width;
 	surface->wlr_surface->height = height;
 	surface->wlr_surface->format = format;
+	surface->pixel_format = fmt;
 	GL_CALL(glGenTextures(1, &surface->tex_id));
 	GL_CALL(glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, surface->tex_id));
-	GL_CALL(glTexImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, format, width, height, 0,
-			format, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, pixels));
+	GL_CALL(glTexImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, fmt->gl_format, width, height, 0,
+			fmt->gl_format, fmt->gl_type, pixels));
 	surface->wlr_surface->valid = true;
 	return true;
 }
@@ -40,6 +48,7 @@ static void gles2_surface_bind(struct wlr_surface_state *surface) {
 	GL_CALL(glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, surface->tex_id));
 	GL_CALL(glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR));
 	GL_CALL(glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_LINEAR));
+	GL_CALL(glUseProgram(*surface->pixel_format->shader));
 }
 
 static void gles2_surface_destroy(struct wlr_surface_state *surface) {