diff --git a/libweston/color-lcms/color-lcms.c b/libweston/color-lcms/color-lcms.c
index 23965c905..ffff2d745 100644
--- a/libweston/color-lcms/color-lcms.c
+++ b/libweston/color-lcms/color-lcms.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
 #include "color.h"
 #include "color-lcms.h"
-#include "color-management.h"
+#include "color-properties.h"
 #include "shared/helpers.h"
 #include "shared/xalloc.h"
 #include "shared/weston-assert.h"
@@ -470,6 +470,7 @@ weston_color_manager_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor)
 
 	cm->base.name = "work-in-progress";
 	cm->base.compositor = compositor;
+	cm->base.supports_client_protocol = true;
 	cm->base.init = cmlcms_init;
 	cm->base.destroy = cmlcms_destroy;
 	cm->base.destroy_color_profile = cmlcms_destroy_color_profile;
@@ -480,10 +481,6 @@ weston_color_manager_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor)
 	cm->base.get_surface_color_transform = cmlcms_get_surface_color_transform;
 	cm->base.create_output_color_outcome = cmlcms_create_output_color_outcome;
 
-	/* We support the CM&HDR protocol extension when using LittleCMS. */
-	if (weston_compositor_enable_color_management_protocol(compositor) < 0)
-		goto err;
-
 	/* We still do not support creating parametric color profiles. */
 	cm->base.supported_color_features = (1 << WESTON_COLOR_FEATURE_ICC);
 
diff --git a/libweston/color-management.c b/libweston/color-management.c
index c757c0d14..986fd5623 100644
--- a/libweston/color-management.c
+++ b/libweston/color-management.c
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ bind_color_management(struct wl_client *client, void *data, uint32_t version,
  * \param compositor The compositor to init for.
  * \return Zero on success, -1 on failure.
  */
-WL_EXPORT int
+int
 weston_compositor_enable_color_management_protocol(struct weston_compositor *compositor)
 {
         uint32_t version = 1;
diff --git a/libweston/color-noop.c b/libweston/color-noop.c
index 0ace976bf..22ca289cb 100644
--- a/libweston/color-noop.c
+++ b/libweston/color-noop.c
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ weston_color_manager_noop_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor)
 
 	cm->base.name = "no-op";
 	cm->base.compositor = compositor;
+	cm->base.supports_client_protocol = false;
 	cm->base.init = cmnoop_init;
 	cm->base.destroy = cmnoop_destroy;
 	cm->base.destroy_color_profile = cmnoop_destroy_color_profile;
diff --git a/libweston/color.h b/libweston/color.h
index cd08b9ef4..1ac2a4e00 100644
--- a/libweston/color.h
+++ b/libweston/color.h
@@ -252,6 +252,9 @@ struct weston_color_manager {
 	/** This compositor instance */
 	struct weston_compositor *compositor;
 
+	/** Supports the Wayland CM&HDR protocol extension? */
+	bool supports_client_protocol;
+
 	/**
 	 * Supported color features from Wayland CM&HDR protocol extension.
 	 *
diff --git a/libweston/compositor.c b/libweston/compositor.c
index 203cf1f27..5745af27a 100644
--- a/libweston/compositor.c
+++ b/libweston/compositor.c
@@ -9455,6 +9455,17 @@ weston_compositor_backends_loaded(struct weston_compositor *compositor)
 		return -1;
 
 	weston_log("Color manager: %s\n", compositor->color_manager->name);
+	weston_log_continue(STAMP_SPACE "  protocol support: %s\n",
+			    yesno(compositor->color_manager->supports_client_protocol));
+
+	if (compositor->color_manager->supports_client_protocol &&
+	    weston_compositor_enable_color_management_protocol(compositor) < 0) {
+		/*
+		 * The only way out is to quit the compositor,
+		 * and that will clean up.
+		 */
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }