diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/drm-virtual.c b/libweston/backend-drm/drm-virtual.c
index 38f8a0b6..fc228e5d 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/drm-virtual.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/drm-virtual.c
@@ -375,6 +375,7 @@ drm_virtual_output_create(struct weston_compositor *c, char *name,
 	output->base.disable = drm_virtual_output_disable;
 	output->base.attach_head = NULL;
 
+	output->backend = b;
 	output->state_cur = drm_output_state_alloc(output, NULL);
 
 	weston_compositor_add_pending_output(&output->base, c);