diff --git a/compositor/main.c b/compositor/main.c
index b3cb6842..66927e97 100644
--- a/compositor/main.c
+++ b/compositor/main.c
@@ -4141,6 +4141,9 @@ wet_main(int argc, char *argv[], const struct weston_testsuite_data *test_data)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	if (weston_compositor_backends_loaded(wet.compositor) < 0)
+		goto out;
+
 	if (test_data && !check_compositor_capabilities(wet.compositor,
 				test_data->test_quirks.required_capabilities)) {
 		ret = WET_MAIN_RET_MISSING_CAPS;
diff --git a/include/libweston/libweston.h b/include/libweston/libweston.h
index 626a5bee..4eff82ac 100644
--- a/include/libweston/libweston.h
+++ b/include/libweston/libweston.h
@@ -2665,6 +2665,9 @@ weston_compositor_add_screenshot_authority(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 					   void (*auth)(struct wl_listener *l,
 					   		struct weston_output_capture_attempt *att));
 
+int
+weston_compositor_backends_loaded(struct weston_compositor *compositor);
+
 #ifdef  __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/kms.c b/libweston/backend-drm/kms.c
index e57b4ab9..ba1c1696 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/kms.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/kms.c
@@ -1787,7 +1787,6 @@ int
 init_kms_caps(struct drm_device *device)
 {
 	struct drm_backend *b = device->backend;
-	struct weston_compositor *compositor = b->compositor;
 	uint64_t cap;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -1799,10 +1798,7 @@ init_kms_caps(struct drm_device *device)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock(compositor, CLOCK_MONOTONIC) < 0) {
-		weston_log("Error: failed to set presentation clock to CLOCK_MONOTONIC.\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
+	b->base.supported_presentation_clocks = 1 << CLOCK_MONOTONIC;
 
 	ret = drmGetCap(device->drm.fd, DRM_CAP_CURSOR_WIDTH, &cap);
 	if (ret == 0)
diff --git a/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c b/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
index 20644cc8..92fe26a5 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
@@ -539,8 +539,8 @@ headless_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	b->compositor = compositor;
 	compositor->backend = &b->base;
 
-	if (weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock_software(compositor) < 0)
-		goto err_free;
+	b->base.supported_presentation_clocks =
+			WESTON_PRESENTATION_CLOCKS_SOFTWARE;
 
 	b->base.destroy = headless_destroy;
 	b->base.create_output = headless_output_create;
diff --git a/libweston/backend-pipewire/pipewire.c b/libweston/backend-pipewire/pipewire.c
index b5e95c42..dc2fe10c 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-pipewire/pipewire.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-pipewire/pipewire.c
@@ -1041,8 +1041,8 @@ pipewire_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	backend->formats = pixel_format_get_array(pipewire_formats,
 						  backend->formats_count);
 
-	if (weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock_software(compositor) < 0)
-		goto err_compositor;
+	backend->base.supported_presentation_clocks =
+			WESTON_PRESENTATION_CLOCKS_SOFTWARE;
 
 	switch (config->renderer) {
 	case WESTON_RENDERER_AUTO:
diff --git a/libweston/backend-rdp/rdp.c b/libweston/backend-rdp/rdp.c
index 14dc62ad..79eee839 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-rdp/rdp.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-rdp/rdp.c
@@ -1891,8 +1891,8 @@ rdp_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 
 	wl_list_init(&b->peers);
 
-	if (weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock_software(compositor) < 0)
-		goto err_compositor;
+	b->base.supported_presentation_clocks =
+			WESTON_PRESENTATION_CLOCKS_SOFTWARE;
 
 	b->formats_count = ARRAY_LENGTH(rdp_formats);
 	b->formats = pixel_format_get_array(rdp_formats, b->formats_count);
diff --git a/libweston/backend-vnc/vnc.c b/libweston/backend-vnc/vnc.c
index 96d2bc1e..f8b496f2 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-vnc/vnc.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-vnc/vnc.c
@@ -1188,8 +1188,8 @@ vnc_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 
 	compositor->backend = &backend->base;
 
-	if (weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock_software(compositor) < 0)
-		goto err_compositor;
+	backend->base.supported_presentation_clocks =
+			WESTON_PRESENTATION_CLOCKS_SOFTWARE;
 
 	backend->formats_count = ARRAY_LENGTH(vnc_formats);
 	backend->formats = pixel_format_get_array(vnc_formats,
diff --git a/libweston/backend-wayland/wayland.c b/libweston/backend-wayland/wayland.c
index affeee8d..89442d05 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-wayland/wayland.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-wayland/wayland.c
@@ -2882,8 +2882,8 @@ wayland_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	b->compositor = compositor;
 	compositor->backend = &b->base;
 
-	if (weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock_software(compositor) < 0)
-		goto err_compositor;
+	b->base.supported_presentation_clocks =
+		WESTON_PRESENTATION_CLOCKS_SOFTWARE;
 
 	b->parent.wl_display = wl_display_connect(new_config->display_name);
 	if (b->parent.wl_display == NULL) {
diff --git a/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c b/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c
index d9df40f7..b345e310 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c
@@ -1884,8 +1884,8 @@ x11_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 
 	compositor->backend = &b->base;
 
-	if (weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock_software(compositor) < 0)
-		goto err_free;
+	b->base.supported_presentation_clocks =
+			WESTON_PRESENTATION_CLOCKS_SOFTWARE;
 
 	b->dpy = XOpenDisplay(NULL);
 	if (b->dpy == NULL)
diff --git a/libweston/backend.h b/libweston/backend.h
index ad60786d..4bb430b6 100644
--- a/libweston/backend.h
+++ b/libweston/backend.h
@@ -32,9 +32,20 @@
 #ifndef LIBWESTON_BACKEND_INTERNAL_H
 #define LIBWESTON_BACKEND_INTERNAL_H
 
+#define WESTON_PRESENTATION_CLOCKS_SOFTWARE \
+	((1 << CLOCK_MONOTONIC) | \
+	 (1 << CLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW) | \
+	 (1 << CLOCK_MONOTONIC_COARSE))
+
 struct weston_hdr_metadata_type1;
 
 struct weston_backend {
+	/** Bitfield of supported presentation clocks
+	 *
+	 * Bit positions correspond to system clock IDs.
+	 */
+	unsigned int supported_presentation_clocks;
+
 	/** Prepare for compositor shutdown (optional)
 	 *
 	 * This will be called before weston_compositor_shutdown()
diff --git a/libweston/compositor.c b/libweston/compositor.c
index 68120939..239dd2b6 100644
--- a/libweston/compositor.c
+++ b/libweston/compositor.c
@@ -8841,6 +8841,9 @@ weston_compositor_create(struct wl_display *display,
 	if (test_data)
 		ec->test_data = *test_data;
 
+	/* No backend supports CLOCK_REALTIME, use it to mean 'uninitialized' */
+	ec->presentation_clock = CLOCK_REALTIME;
+
 	ec->weston_log_ctx = log_ctx;
 	ec->wl_display = display;
 	ec->user_data = user_data;
@@ -9046,10 +9049,7 @@ weston_compositor_set_default_pointer_grab(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 	}
 }
 
-/** weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock
- * \ingroup compositor
- */
-WL_EXPORT int
+static int
 weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 					 clockid_t clk_id)
 {
@@ -9063,15 +9063,19 @@ weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/** For choosing the software clock, when the display hardware or API
- * does not expose a compatible presentation timestamp.
+/** To be called by the compositor after the last backend is loaded.
+ *
+ * \param compositor A compositor that has all backends loaded.
+ *
+ * \return 0 on success, or -1 on error.
  *
  * \ingroup compositor
  */
 WL_EXPORT int
-weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock_software(
-					struct weston_compositor *compositor)
+weston_compositor_backends_loaded(struct weston_compositor *compositor)
 {
+	struct weston_backend *backend = compositor->backend;
+	uint32_t supported_clocks = backend->supported_presentation_clocks;
 	/* In order of preference */
 	static const clockid_t clocks[] = {
 		CLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW,	/* no jumps, no crawling */
@@ -9080,10 +9084,17 @@ weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock_software(
 	};
 	unsigned i;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(clocks); i++)
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(clocks); i++) {
+		clockid_t clk_id = clocks[i];
+		bool supported = (supported_clocks >> clocks[i]) & 1;
+
+		if (!supported)
+			continue;
+
 		if (weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock(compositor,
-							     clocks[i]) == 0)
+							     clk_id) == 0)
 			return 0;
+	}
 
 	weston_log("Error: no suitable presentation clock available.\n");
 
@@ -9111,6 +9122,12 @@ weston_compositor_read_presentation_clock(
 {
 	int ret;
 
+	/*
+	 * Make sure weston_compositor_backends_loaded() was called.
+	 * We use CLOCK_REALTIME to mean 'uninitialized'.
+	 */
+	assert(compositor->presentation_clock != CLOCK_REALTIME);
+
 	ret = clock_gettime(compositor->presentation_clock, ts);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		ts->tv_sec = 0;
diff --git a/libweston/libweston-internal.h b/libweston/libweston-internal.h
index c153a72e..0cb98dc5 100644
--- a/libweston/libweston-internal.h
+++ b/libweston/libweston-internal.h
@@ -238,13 +238,6 @@ weston_compositor_set_touch_mode_normal(struct weston_compositor *compositor);
 void
 weston_compositor_set_touch_mode_calib(struct weston_compositor *compositor);
 
-int
-weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
-					 clockid_t clk_id);
-int
-weston_compositor_set_presentation_clock_software(
-					struct weston_compositor *compositor);
-
 void
 weston_compositor_xkb_destroy(struct weston_compositor *ec);