diff --git a/composite.cpp b/composite.cpp
index 950ed10a22..c9df4de3ae 100644
--- a/composite.cpp
+++ b/composite.cpp
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ void Compositor::lastFrameRendered()
 
 void Compositor::performCompositing()
 {
-    if (!isOverlayWindowVisible())
+    if (m_scene->usesOverlayWindow() && !isOverlayWindowVisible())
         return; // nothing is visible anyway
     if (!m_scene->isLastFrameRendered()) {
         m_waitingForFrameRendered = true;
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ void Compositor::checkUnredirect()
 // force is needed when the list of windows changes (e.g. a window goes away)
 void Compositor::checkUnredirect(bool force)
 {
-    if (!hasScene() || m_scene->overlayWindow()->window() == None || !options->isUnredirectFullscreen())
+    if (!hasScene() || !m_scene->overlayWindow() || m_scene->overlayWindow()->window() == None || !options->isUnredirectFullscreen())
         return;
     if (force)
         forceUnredirectCheck = true;
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ void Compositor::checkUnredirect(bool force)
 
 void Compositor::delayedCheckUnredirect()
 {
-    if (!hasScene() || m_scene->overlayWindow()->window() == None || !(options->isUnredirectFullscreen() || sender() == options))
+    if (!hasScene() || !m_scene->overlayWindow() || m_scene->overlayWindow()->window() == None || !(options->isUnredirectFullscreen() || sender() == options))
         return;
     ToplevelList list;
     bool changed = forceUnredirectCheck;
diff --git a/egl_wayland_backend.cpp b/egl_wayland_backend.cpp
index 62f5f4d02f..9e436ece77 100644
--- a/egl_wayland_backend.cpp
+++ b/egl_wayland_backend.cpp
@@ -369,6 +369,11 @@ void EglWaylandBackend::lastFrameRendered()
     Compositor::self()->lastFrameRendered();
 }
 
+bool EglWaylandBackend::usesOverlayWindow() const
+{
+    return false;
+}
+
 /************************************************
  * EglTexture
  ************************************************/
diff --git a/egl_wayland_backend.h b/egl_wayland_backend.h
index 8712764ca6..c07d950ca1 100644
--- a/egl_wayland_backend.h
+++ b/egl_wayland_backend.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ public:
     virtual bool isLastFrameRendered() const override;
     Xcb::Shm *shm();
     void lastFrameRendered();
+    virtual bool usesOverlayWindow() const override;
 
 protected:
     virtual void present();
diff --git a/eglonxbackend.cpp b/eglonxbackend.cpp
index 53442e2a9c..d4205d26a7 100644
--- a/eglonxbackend.cpp
+++ b/eglonxbackend.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ namespace KWin
 
 EglOnXBackend::EglOnXBackend()
     : OpenGLBackend()
+    , m_overlayWindow(new OverlayWindow())
     , ctx(EGL_NO_CONTEXT)
     , surfaceHasSubPost(0)
     , m_bufferAge(0)
@@ -46,6 +47,9 @@ EglOnXBackend::EglOnXBackend()
 
 EglOnXBackend::~EglOnXBackend()
 {
+    if (isFailed()) {
+        m_overlayWindow->destroy();
+    }
     cleanupGL();
     doneCurrent();
     eglDestroyContext(dpy, ctx);
@@ -55,6 +59,7 @@ EglOnXBackend::~EglOnXBackend()
     if (overlayWindow()->window()) {
         overlayWindow()->destroy();
     }
+    delete m_overlayWindow;
 }
 
 static bool gs_tripleBufferUndetected = true;
@@ -420,6 +425,16 @@ void EglOnXBackend::doneCurrent()
     eglMakeCurrent(dpy, EGL_NO_SURFACE, EGL_NO_SURFACE, EGL_NO_CONTEXT);
 }
 
+bool EglOnXBackend::usesOverlayWindow() const
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
+OverlayWindow* EglOnXBackend::overlayWindow()
+{
+    return m_overlayWindow;
+}
+
 /************************************************
  * EglTexture
  ************************************************/
diff --git a/eglonxbackend.h b/eglonxbackend.h
index 36d47005f6..6c85b1691f 100644
--- a/eglonxbackend.h
+++ b/eglonxbackend.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ public:
     virtual void endRenderingFrame(const QRegion &damage, const QRegion &damagedRegion);
     virtual bool makeCurrent() override;
     virtual void doneCurrent() override;
+    virtual OverlayWindow* overlayWindow() override;
+    virtual bool usesOverlayWindow() const override;
 
 protected:
     virtual void present();
@@ -46,6 +48,10 @@ private:
     void init();
     bool initBufferConfigs();
     bool initRenderingContext();
+    /**
+     * @brief The OverlayWindow used by this Backend.
+     **/
+    OverlayWindow *m_overlayWindow;
     EGLDisplay dpy;
     EGLConfig config;
     EGLSurface surface;
diff --git a/glxbackend.cpp b/glxbackend.cpp
index 73e9dfa186..e9cd430fc6 100644
--- a/glxbackend.cpp
+++ b/glxbackend.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ namespace KWin
 {
 GlxBackend::GlxBackend()
     : OpenGLBackend()
+    , m_overlayWindow(new OverlayWindow())
     , window(None)
     , fbconfig(NULL)
     , glxWindow(None)
@@ -54,6 +55,9 @@ GlxBackend::GlxBackend()
 
 GlxBackend::~GlxBackend()
 {
+    if (isFailed()) {
+        m_overlayWindow->destroy();
+    }
     // TODO: cleanup in error case
     // do cleanup after initBuffer()
     cleanupGL();
@@ -70,6 +74,7 @@ GlxBackend::~GlxBackend()
 
     overlayWindow()->destroy();
     checkGLError("Cleanup");
+    delete m_overlayWindow;
 }
 
 static bool gs_tripleBufferUndetected = true;
@@ -593,6 +598,16 @@ void GlxBackend::doneCurrent()
     glXMakeCurrent(display(), None, nullptr);
 }
 
+OverlayWindow* GlxBackend::overlayWindow()
+{
+    return m_overlayWindow;
+}
+
+bool GlxBackend::usesOverlayWindow() const
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
 /********************************************************
  * GlxTexture
  *******************************************************/
diff --git a/glxbackend.h b/glxbackend.h
index 26ca19c27c..d9f81ec426 100644
--- a/glxbackend.h
+++ b/glxbackend.h
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ public:
     virtual void endRenderingFrame(const QRegion &damage, const QRegion &damagedRegion);
     virtual bool makeCurrent() override;
     virtual void doneCurrent() override;
+    virtual OverlayWindow* overlayWindow() override;
+    virtual bool usesOverlayWindow() const override;
 
 protected:
     virtual void present();
@@ -61,6 +63,10 @@ private:
     bool initFbConfig();
     void setSwapInterval(int interval);
 
+    /**
+     * @brief The OverlayWindow used by this Backend.
+     **/
+    OverlayWindow *m_overlayWindow;
     Window window;
     FBConfigInfo fbcdrawableinfo[ 32 + 1 ];
     GLXFBConfig fbconfig;
diff --git a/scene.cpp b/scene.cpp
index 333514de4a..d13e84b862 100644
--- a/scene.cpp
+++ b/scene.cpp
@@ -619,6 +619,9 @@ bool Scene::syncsToVBlank() const
 
 void Scene::screenGeometryChanged(const QSize &size)
 {
+    if (!overlayWindow()) {
+        return;
+    }
     overlayWindow()->resize(size);
 }
 
diff --git a/scene.h b/scene.h
index 1a0855f35d..09689c2da7 100644
--- a/scene.h
+++ b/scene.h
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ public:
     virtual bool makeOpenGLContextCurrent();
     virtual void doneOpenGLContextCurrent();
 
+    /**
+     * Whether the Scene uses an X11 overlay window to perform compositing.
+     */
+    virtual bool usesOverlayWindow() const = 0;
     /**
      * @brief Allows the Compositor to delay the rendering of the next frame until the last one
      * has been rendered. This is mostly interesting in case that the system compositor is not able
diff --git a/scene_opengl.cpp b/scene_opengl.cpp
index 6e113ef473..09079cd921 100644
--- a/scene_opengl.cpp
+++ b/scene_opengl.cpp
@@ -79,8 +79,7 @@ extern int currentRefreshRate();
 // SceneOpenGL
 //****************************************
 OpenGLBackend::OpenGLBackend()
-    : m_overlayWindow(new OverlayWindow()) // TODO: maybe create only if needed?
-    , m_syncsToVBlank(false)
+    : m_syncsToVBlank(false)
     , m_blocksForRetrace(false)
     , m_directRendering(false)
     , m_haveBufferAge(false)
@@ -90,10 +89,6 @@ OpenGLBackend::OpenGLBackend()
 
 OpenGLBackend::~OpenGLBackend()
 {
-    if (isFailed()) {
-        m_overlayWindow->destroy();
-    }
-    delete m_overlayWindow;
 }
 
 void OpenGLBackend::setFailed(const QString &reason)
@@ -138,6 +133,11 @@ bool OpenGLBackend::isLastFrameRendered() const
     return true;
 }
 
+OverlayWindow* OpenGLBackend::overlayWindow()
+{
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 /************************************************
  * SceneOpenGL
  ***********************************************/
diff --git a/scene_opengl.h b/scene_opengl.h
index 6d6a0ecc27..6b0fe600c9 100644
--- a/scene_opengl.h
+++ b/scene_opengl.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public:
     virtual Shadow *createShadow(Toplevel *toplevel);
     virtual void screenGeometryChanged(const QSize &size);
     virtual OverlayWindow *overlayWindow();
+    virtual bool usesOverlayWindow() const;
     virtual bool blocksForRetrace() const;
     virtual bool syncsToVBlank() const;
     virtual bool makeOpenGLContextCurrent() override;
@@ -483,6 +484,7 @@ public:
      * frame got rendered. If a backend needs more control it needs to implement this method.
      */
     virtual bool isLastFrameRendered() const;
+    virtual bool usesOverlayWindow() const = 0;
     /**
      * @brief Compositor is going into idle mode, flushes any pending paints.
      **/
@@ -504,9 +506,7 @@ public:
      *
      * @return :OverlayWindow*
      **/
-    OverlayWindow *overlayWindow() {
-        return m_overlayWindow;
-    }
+    virtual OverlayWindow *overlayWindow();
     /**
      * @brief Whether the creation of the Backend failed.
      *
@@ -635,10 +635,6 @@ protected:
     SwapProfiler m_swapProfiler;
 
 private:
-    /**
-     * @brief The OverlayWindow used by this Backend.
-     **/
-    OverlayWindow *m_overlayWindow;
     /**
      * @brief Whether VSync is available and used, defaults to @c false.
      **/
@@ -683,6 +679,11 @@ inline bool SceneOpenGL::isLastFrameRendered() const
     return m_backend->isLastFrameRendered();
 }
 
+inline bool SceneOpenGL::usesOverlayWindow() const
+{
+    return m_backend->usesOverlayWindow();
+}
+
 inline SceneOpenGL::Texture* OpenGLWindowPixmap::texture() const
 {
     return m_texture.data();
diff --git a/scene_xrender.cpp b/scene_xrender.cpp
index ecc0e6d583..6e3525b8db 100644
--- a/scene_xrender.cpp
+++ b/scene_xrender.cpp
@@ -243,6 +243,11 @@ void X11XRenderBackend::screenGeometryChanged(const QSize &size)
     init(false);
 }
 
+bool X11XRenderBackend::usesOverlayWindow() const
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
 //****************************************
 // SceneXrender
 //****************************************
diff --git a/scene_xrender.h b/scene_xrender.h
index 59fdb550ab..d9e82a98f4 100644
--- a/scene_xrender.h
+++ b/scene_xrender.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ public:
      * @return :OverlayWindow*
      **/
     virtual OverlayWindow *overlayWindow();
+    virtual bool usesOverlayWindow() const = 0;
     /**
      * @brief Shows the Overlay Window
      *
@@ -136,6 +137,7 @@ public:
     virtual OverlayWindow* overlayWindow();
     virtual void showOverlay();
     virtual void screenGeometryChanged(const QSize &size);
+    virtual bool usesOverlayWindow() const;
 private:
     void init(bool createOverlay);
     void createBuffer();
@@ -163,6 +165,9 @@ public:
     virtual OverlayWindow *overlayWindow() {
         return m_backend->overlayWindow();
     }
+    virtual bool usesOverlayWindow() const {
+        return m_backend->usesOverlayWindow();
+    }
     virtual bool isLastFrameRendered() const {
         return m_backend->isLastFrameRendered();
     }