diff --git a/backend/backend.c b/backend/backend.c
index 30ced3e80..e0c52a7ea 100644
--- a/backend/backend.c
+++ b/backend/backend.c
@@ -39,13 +39,39 @@ void wlr_backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 	free(backend);
 }
 
+static struct wlr_backend *attempt_wl_backend(struct wl_display *display) {
+	struct wlr_backend *backend = wlr_wl_backend_create(display);
+	if (backend) {
+		int outputs = 1;
+		const char *_outputs = getenv("WLR_WL_OUTPUTS");
+		if (_outputs) {
+			char *end;
+			outputs = (int)strtol(_outputs, &end, 10);
+			if (*end) {
+				wlr_log(L_ERROR, "WLR_WL_OUTPUTS specified with invalid integer, ignoring");
+				outputs = 1;
+			} else if (outputs < 0) {
+				wlr_log(L_ERROR, "WLR_WL_OUTPUTS specified with negative outputs, ignoring");
+				outputs = 1;
+			}
+		}
+		while (outputs--) {
+			wlr_wl_output_create(backend);
+		}
+	}
+	return backend;
+}
+
 struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend_autocreate(struct wl_display *display,
 		struct wlr_session *session) {
-	// TODO: Choose the most appropriate backend for the situation
-	// Attempt DRM+libinput
+	struct wlr_backend *backend;
 	if (getenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY") || getenv("_WAYLAND_DISPLAY")) {
-		return wlr_wl_backend_create(display, 1);
+		backend = attempt_wl_backend(display);
+		if (backend) {
+			return backend;
+		}
 	}
+	// Attempt DRM+libinput
 	struct wlr_udev *udev;
 	if (!(udev = wlr_udev_create(display))) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to start udev");
@@ -56,8 +82,8 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend_autocreate(struct wl_display *display,
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to open DRM device");
 		goto error_udev;
 	}
-	struct wlr_backend *multi = wlr_multi_backend_create();
-	if (!multi) {
+	backend = wlr_multi_backend_create();
+	if (!backend) {
 		goto error_gpu;
 	}
 	struct wlr_backend *libinput =
@@ -70,13 +96,13 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend_autocreate(struct wl_display *display,
 	if (!drm) {
 		goto error_libinput;
 	}
-	wlr_multi_backend_add(multi, libinput);
-	wlr_multi_backend_add(multi, drm);
-	return multi;
+	wlr_multi_backend_add(backend, libinput);
+	wlr_multi_backend_add(backend, drm);
+	return backend;
 error_libinput:
 	wlr_backend_destroy(libinput);
 error_multi:
-	wlr_backend_destroy(multi);
+	wlr_backend_destroy(backend);
 error_gpu:
 	close(gpu);
 error_udev:
diff --git a/backend/wayland/backend.c b/backend/wayland/backend.c
index 344cc35da..d1213ab79 100644
--- a/backend/wayland/backend.c
+++ b/backend/wayland/backend.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ static int dispatch_events(int fd, uint32_t mask, void *data) {
 static bool wlr_wl_backend_init(struct wlr_backend_state* state) {
 	wlr_log(L_INFO, "Initializating wayland backend");
 
-	state->remote_display = wl_display_connect(getenv("_WAYLAND_DISPLAY"));
+	state->remote_display = wl_display_connect(NULL);
 	if (!state->remote_display) {
 		wlr_log_errno(L_ERROR, "Could not connect to remote display");
 		return false;
@@ -52,11 +52,8 @@ static bool wlr_wl_backend_init(struct wlr_backend_state* state) {
 	}
 
 	wlr_egl_init(&state->egl, EGL_PLATFORM_WAYLAND_EXT, state->remote_display);
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < state->num_outputs; ++i) {
-		if(!(state->outputs[i] = wlr_wl_output_create(state, i))) {
-			wlr_log_errno(L_ERROR, "Failed to create %zuth output", i);
-			return false;
-		}
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < state->requested_outputs; ++i) {
+		wlr_wl_output_create(state->backend);
 	}
 
 	struct wl_event_loop *loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(state->local_display);
@@ -75,8 +72,8 @@ static void wlr_wl_backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend_state *state) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < state->num_outputs; ++i) {
-		wlr_output_destroy(state->outputs[i]);
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < state->outputs->length; ++i) {
+		wlr_output_destroy(state->outputs->items[i]);
 	}
 
 	for (size_t i = 0; state->devices && i < state->devices->length; ++i) {
@@ -101,9 +98,11 @@ static struct wlr_backend_impl backend_impl = {
 	.destroy = wlr_wl_backend_destroy
 };
 
+bool wlr_backend_is_wl(struct wlr_backend *b) {
+	return b->impl == &backend_impl;
+}
 
-struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
-		size_t num_outputs) {
+struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display) {
 	wlr_log(L_INFO, "Creating wayland backend");
 
 	struct wlr_backend_state *state = calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_backend_state));
@@ -123,15 +122,13 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 		goto error;
 	}
 
-	if (!(state->outputs = calloc(sizeof(void*), num_outputs))) {
+	if (!(state->outputs = list_create())) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Could not allocate outputs list");
 		goto error;
 	}
 
 	state->local_display = display;
 	state->backend = backend;
-	state->num_outputs = num_outputs;
-
 	return backend;
 
 error:
diff --git a/backend/wayland/output.c b/backend/wayland/output.c
index 4ce6d97fc..49b40ffdd 100644
--- a/backend/wayland/output.c
+++ b/backend/wayland/output.c
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ static void surface_frame_callback(void *data, struct wl_callback *cb, uint32_t
 		return;
 	}
 
-	wl_signal_emit(&output->output->events.frame, output->output);
+	struct wlr_output *wlr_output = output->wlr_output;
+	wl_signal_emit(&wlr_output->events.frame, wlr_output);
 	output->frame_callback = wl_surface_frame(output->surface);
 	wl_callback_add_listener(output->frame_callback, &frame_listener, output);
 	wl_callback_destroy(cb);
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ static struct wl_callback_listener frame_listener = {
 
 static void wlr_wl_output_transform(struct wlr_output_state *output,
 		enum wl_output_transform transform) {
-	output->output->transform = transform;
+	output->wlr_output->transform = transform;
 }
 
 static void wlr_wl_output_destroy(struct wlr_output_state *output) {
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ void handle_configure(void *data, struct wl_shell_surface *wl_shell_surface,
 		uint32_t edges, int32_t width, int32_t height){
 	struct wlr_output_state *ostate = data;
 	assert(ostate && ostate->shell_surface == wl_shell_surface);
-	struct wlr_output *output = ostate->output;
+	struct wlr_output *output = ostate->wlr_output;
 	wl_egl_window_resize(ostate->egl_window, width, height, 0, 0);
 	output->width = width;
 	output->height = height;
@@ -85,8 +86,14 @@ static struct wl_shell_surface_listener shell_surface_listener = {
 	.popup_done = handle_popup_done
 };
 
-struct wlr_output *wlr_wl_output_create(struct wlr_backend_state* backend,
-		size_t id) {
+struct wlr_output *wlr_wl_output_create(struct wlr_backend *_backend) {
+	assert(wlr_backend_is_wl(_backend));
+	struct wlr_backend_state *backend = _backend->state;
+	if (!backend->remote_display) {
+		++backend->requested_outputs;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	struct wlr_output_state *ostate;
 	if (!(ostate = calloc(sizeof(struct wlr_output_state), 1))) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to allocate wlr_output_state");
@@ -105,11 +112,11 @@ struct wlr_output *wlr_wl_output_create(struct wlr_backend_state* backend,
 	wlr_output->scale = 1;
 	strncpy(wlr_output->make, "wayland", sizeof(wlr_output->make));
 	strncpy(wlr_output->model, "wayland", sizeof(wlr_output->model));
-	snprintf(wlr_output->name, sizeof(wlr_output->name), "WL-%d", 1);
+	snprintf(wlr_output->name, sizeof(wlr_output->name), "WL-%zd",
+			backend->outputs->length + 1);
 
-	ostate->id = id;
 	ostate->backend = backend;
-	ostate->output = wlr_output;
+	ostate->wlr_output = wlr_output;
 
 	// TODO: error handling
 	ostate->surface = wl_compositor_create_surface(backend->compositor);
@@ -144,6 +151,7 @@ struct wlr_output *wlr_wl_output_create(struct wlr_backend_state* backend,
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	list_add(backend->outputs, wlr_output);
 	wl_signal_emit(&backend->backend->events.output_add, wlr_output);
 	return wlr_output;
 }
diff --git a/include/backend/wayland.h b/include/backend/wayland.h
index 03667c9aa..f4a0a3b43 100644
--- a/include/backend/wayland.h
+++ b/include/backend/wayland.h
@@ -11,34 +11,30 @@
 struct wlr_backend_state {
 	/* local state */
 	struct wl_display *local_display;
+	struct wlr_backend *backend;
+	list_t *devices;
+	list_t *outputs;
+	struct wlr_egl egl;
+	size_t requested_outputs;
 	/* remote state */
 	struct wl_display *remote_display;
+	struct wl_event_source *remote_display_src;
 	struct wl_registry *registry;
 	struct wl_compositor *compositor;
 	struct wl_shell *shell;
 	struct wl_shm *shm;
 	struct wl_seat *seat;
 	const char *seatName;
-
-	struct wlr_backend *backend;
-	list_t *devices;
-
-	struct wl_event_source* remote_display_src;
-
-	size_t num_outputs;
-	struct wlr_output **outputs;
-	struct wlr_egl egl;
 };
 
 struct wlr_output_state {
-	size_t id;
 	struct wlr_backend_state *backend;
-	struct wlr_output *output;
+	struct wlr_output *wlr_output;
 	struct wl_surface *surface;
 	struct wl_shell_surface *shell_surface;
 	struct wl_egl_window* egl_window;
 	struct wl_callback* frame_callback;
-	void* egl_surface;
+	void *egl_surface;
 };
 
 struct wlr_input_device_state {
@@ -47,8 +43,6 @@ struct wlr_input_device_state {
 };
 
 void wlr_wl_registry_poll(struct wlr_backend_state *backend);
-struct wlr_output *wlr_wl_output_create(struct wlr_backend_state* backend,
-		size_t id);
 
 extern const struct wl_seat_listener seat_listener;
 
diff --git a/include/wlr/backend/wayland.h b/include/wlr/backend/wayland.h
index 83b465c1d..43a0b72e4 100644
--- a/include/wlr/backend/wayland.h
+++ b/include/wlr/backend/wayland.h
@@ -4,8 +4,23 @@
 #include <wayland-client.h>
 #include <wayland-server.h>
 #include <wlr/backend.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 
-struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
-		size_t outputs);
+/**
+ * Creates a new wlr_wl_backend. This backend will be created with no outputs;
+ * you must use wlr_wl_output_create to add them.
+ */
+struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display);
+/**
+ * Adds a new output to this backend. You may remove outputs by destroying them.
+ * Note that if called before initializing the backend, this will return NULL
+ * and your outputs will be created during initialization (and given to you via
+ * the output_add signal).
+ */
+struct wlr_output *wlr_wl_output_create(struct wlr_backend *backend);
+/**
+ * True if the given backend is a wlr_wl_backend.
+ */
+bool wlr_backend_is_wl(struct wlr_backend *backend);
 
 #endif