diff --git a/backend/meson.build b/backend/meson.build
index 5ed7b227b..c9d473173 100644
--- a/backend/meson.build
+++ b/backend/meson.build
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ backend_files = files(
 	'wayland/output.c',
 	'wayland/registry.c',
 	'wayland/wl_seat.c',
-	'wayland/os-compatibility.c',
 	'x11/backend.c',
 )
 
diff --git a/examples/meson.build b/examples/meson.build
index 89fc6211e..af0f5a18b 100644
--- a/examples/meson.build
+++ b/examples/meson.build
@@ -29,5 +29,6 @@ executable(
 executable(
 	'screenshot',
 	'screenshot.c',
-	dependencies: [wayland_client, wlr_protos],
+	dependencies: [wayland_client, wlr_protos, wlroots],
+	link_with: lib_shared,
 )
diff --git a/examples/screenshot.c b/examples/screenshot.c
index fc7f3cb32..a887d1d74 100644
--- a/examples/screenshot.c
+++ b/examples/screenshot.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <screenshooter-client-protocol.h>
-#include "../backend/wayland/os-compatibility.c"
+#include "util/os-compatibility.h"
 
 static struct wl_shm *shm = NULL;
 static struct orbital_screenshooter *screenshooter = NULL;
diff --git a/include/util/os-compatibility.h b/include/util/os-compatibility.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b2ec2db98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/util/os-compatibility.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#ifndef _WLR_UTIL_OS_COMPATIBILITY_H
+#define _WLR_UTIL_OS_COMPATIBILITY_H
+
+int os_fd_set_cloexec(int fd);
+
+int set_cloexec_or_close(int fd);
+
+int create_tmpfile_cloexec(char *tmpname);
+
+int os_create_anonymous_file(off_t size);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/util/meson.build b/util/meson.build
index dd6208189..219306937 100644
--- a/util/meson.build
+++ b/util/meson.build
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ lib_wlr_util = static_library(
 	'wlr_util',
 	files(
 		'log.c',
+		'os-compatibility.c',
 	),
 	include_directories: wlr_inc,
 )
diff --git a/backend/wayland/os-compatibility.c b/util/os-compatibility.c
similarity index 94%
rename from backend/wayland/os-compatibility.c
rename to util/os-compatibility.c
index cbd7988d1..98aeab3d8 100644
--- a/backend/wayland/os-compatibility.c
+++ b/util/os-compatibility.c
@@ -31,10 +31,9 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include "util/os-compatibility.h"
 
-int
-os_fd_set_cloexec(int fd)
-{
+int os_fd_set_cloexec(int fd) {
 	long flags;
 
 	if (fd == -1)
@@ -50,9 +49,7 @@ os_fd_set_cloexec(int fd)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-set_cloexec_or_close(int fd)
-{
+int set_cloexec_or_close(int fd) {
 	if (os_fd_set_cloexec(fd) != 0) {
 		close(fd);
 		return -1;
@@ -60,8 +57,7 @@ set_cloexec_or_close(int fd)
 	return fd;
 }
 
-static int
-create_tmpfile_cloexec(char *tmpname)
+int create_tmpfile_cloexec(char *tmpname)
 {
 	int fd;
 
@@ -101,9 +97,7 @@ create_tmpfile_cloexec(char *tmpname)
  * If posix_fallocate() is not supported, program may receive
  * SIGBUS on accessing mmap()'ed file contents instead.
  */
-int
-os_create_anonymous_file(off_t size)
-{
+int os_create_anonymous_file(off_t size) {
 	static const char template[] = "/wlroots-shared-XXXXXX";
 	const char *path;
 	char *name;