diff --git a/clients/subsurfaces.c b/clients/subsurfaces.c
index 0f11009e5..45cc44b44 100644
--- a/clients/subsurfaces.c
+++ b/clients/subsurfaces.c
@@ -498,6 +498,7 @@ triangle_create(struct window *window, struct egl_state *egl)
 	tri->egl = egl;
 	tri->widget = window_add_subsurface(window, tri,
 		int_to_mode(option_triangle_mode));
+	widget_set_use_cairo(tri->widget, 0);
 	widget_set_resize_handler(tri->widget, triangle_resize_handler);
 	widget_set_redraw_handler(tri->widget, triangle_redraw_handler);
 
diff --git a/clients/window.c b/clients/window.c
index be89b6412..cc4fe4ee8 100644
--- a/clients/window.c
+++ b/clients/window.c
@@ -285,6 +285,11 @@ struct widget {
 	int opaque;
 	int tooltip_count;
 	int default_cursor;
+	/* If this is set to false then no cairo surface will be
+	 * created before redrawing the surface. This is useful if the
+	 * redraw handler is going to do completely custom rendering
+	 * such as using EGL directly */
+	int use_cairo;
 };
 
 struct touch_point {
@@ -1609,6 +1614,7 @@ widget_create(struct window *window, struct surface *surface, void *data)
 	widget->tooltip = NULL;
 	widget->tooltip_count = 0;
 	widget->default_cursor = CURSOR_LEFT_PTR;
+	widget->use_cairo = 1;
 
 	return widget;
 }
@@ -1707,6 +1713,8 @@ widget_get_cairo_surface(struct widget *widget)
 	struct surface *surface = widget->surface;
 	struct window *window = widget->window;
 
+	assert(widget->use_cairo);
+
 	if (!surface->cairo_surface) {
 		if (surface == window->main_surface)
 			window_create_main_surface(window);
@@ -1939,6 +1947,13 @@ widget_schedule_redraw(struct widget *widget)
 	window_schedule_redraw_task(widget->window);
 }
 
+void
+widget_set_use_cairo(struct widget *widget,
+		     int use_cairo)
+{
+	widget->use_cairo = use_cairo;
+}
+
 cairo_surface_t *
 window_get_surface(struct window *window)
 {
@@ -3971,7 +3986,8 @@ surface_redraw(struct surface *surface)
 		wl_callback_destroy(surface->frame_cb);
 	}
 
-	if (!widget_get_cairo_surface(surface->widget)) {
+	if (surface->widget->use_cairo &&
+	    !widget_get_cairo_surface(surface->widget)) {
 		DBG_OBJ(surface->surface, "cancelled due buffer failure\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/clients/window.h b/clients/window.h
index 57ff87bfa..8bf9adc1d 100644
--- a/clients/window.h
+++ b/clients/window.h
@@ -507,6 +507,8 @@ widget_set_axis_handler(struct widget *widget,
 			widget_axis_handler_t handler);
 void
 widget_schedule_redraw(struct widget *widget);
+void
+widget_set_use_cairo(struct widget *widget, int use_cairo);
 
 struct widget *
 window_frame_create(struct window *window, void *data);