diff --git a/compositor/main.c b/compositor/main.c
index ecc5a352c..58b52d0dc 100644
--- a/compositor/main.c
+++ b/compositor/main.c
@@ -781,6 +781,7 @@ static const struct {
 } capability_strings[] = {
 	{ WESTON_CAP_ROTATION_ANY, "arbitrary surface rotation:" },
 	{ WESTON_CAP_CAPTURE_YFLIP, "screen capture uses y-flip:" },
+	{ WESTON_CAP_COLOR_OPS, "color operations:" },
 };
 
 static void
diff --git a/include/libweston/libweston.h b/include/libweston/libweston.h
index a7b1dbafb..07bb3209f 100644
--- a/include/libweston/libweston.h
+++ b/include/libweston/libweston.h
@@ -359,6 +359,8 @@ struct weston_output {
 	bool enabled; /**< is in the output_list, not pending list */
 	int scale;
 
+	bool use_renderer_shadow_buffer;
+
 	int (*enable)(struct weston_output *output);
 	int (*disable)(struct weston_output *output);
 
@@ -970,6 +972,9 @@ enum weston_capability {
 
 	/* renderer supports explicit synchronization */
 	WESTON_CAP_EXPLICIT_SYNC		= 0x0020,
+
+	/* renderer supports color management operations */
+	WESTON_CAP_COLOR_OPS			= 0x0040,
 };
 
 /* Configuration struct for a backend.
@@ -2053,6 +2058,9 @@ void
 weston_output_set_transform(struct weston_output *output,
 			    uint32_t transform);
 
+bool
+weston_output_set_renderer_shadow_buffer(struct weston_output *output);
+
 void
 weston_output_init(struct weston_output *output,
 		   struct weston_compositor *compositor,
diff --git a/libweston/compositor.c b/libweston/compositor.c
index 12eb3cd81..89fa7c48b 100644
--- a/libweston/compositor.c
+++ b/libweston/compositor.c
@@ -6224,6 +6224,39 @@ weston_output_set_transform(struct weston_output *output,
 	}
 }
 
+/** Make the output use renderer shadow buffer.
+ *
+ * \param output The weston_output object to modify.
+ * \return True on success, false if unsupported.
+ *
+ * This can only be set on a disabled output object.
+ *
+ * This is a temporary API to demonstrate WESTON_CAP_COLOR_OPS and allow
+ * testing related features. This will be superseded with color management
+ * API.
+ *
+ * By default, a renderer is not using a shadow buffer of its own. Enabling
+ * a shadow buffer may enable other color related features.
+ *
+ * Support depends on the chosen renderer and the graphics driver stack in use.
+ *
+ * \ingroup output
+ */
+WL_EXPORT bool
+weston_output_set_renderer_shadow_buffer(struct weston_output *output)
+{
+	struct weston_compositor *compositor = output->compositor;
+
+	assert(!output->enabled);
+
+	if (compositor->capabilities & WESTON_CAP_COLOR_OPS) {
+		output->use_renderer_shadow_buffer = true;
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
 /** Initializes a weston_output object with enough data so
  ** an output can be configured.
  *