diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c b/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
index 33ccbeb3..6e1169c6 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
@@ -2958,6 +2958,9 @@ drm_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 		if (linux_dmabuf_setup(compositor) < 0)
 			weston_log("Error: initializing dmabuf "
 				   "support failed.\n");
+		if (weston_direct_display_setup(compositor) < 0)
+			weston_log("Error: initializing direct-display "
+				   "support failed.\n");
 	}
 
 	if (compositor->capabilities & WESTON_CAP_EXPLICIT_SYNC) {
diff --git a/libweston/linux-dmabuf.h b/libweston/linux-dmabuf.h
index dbeda660..926dd9e0 100644
--- a/libweston/linux-dmabuf.h
+++ b/libweston/linux-dmabuf.h
@@ -75,11 +75,17 @@ struct linux_dmabuf_buffer {
 	 * feasible to scan it out directly. This would improve the
 	 * possibilities to successfully scan out, avoiding compositing.
 	 */
+
+	/**< marked as scan-out capable, avoids any composition */
+	bool direct_display;
 };
 
 int
 linux_dmabuf_setup(struct weston_compositor *compositor);
 
+int
+weston_direct_display_setup(struct weston_compositor *compositor);
+
 struct linux_dmabuf_buffer *
 linux_dmabuf_buffer_get(struct wl_resource *resource);
 
diff --git a/libweston/meson.build b/libweston/meson.build
index 8dbb625d..08d23ecd 100644
--- a/libweston/meson.build
+++ b/libweston/meson.build
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ srcs_libweston = [
 	'weston-log-file.c',
 	'weston-log-flight-rec.c',
 	'weston-log.c',
+	'weston-direct-display.c',
 	'zoom.c',
 	linux_dmabuf_unstable_v1_protocol_c,
 	linux_dmabuf_unstable_v1_server_protocol_h,
@@ -62,6 +63,8 @@ srcs_libweston = [
 	xdg_output_unstable_v1_server_protocol_h,
 	weston_debug_protocol_c,
 	weston_debug_server_protocol_h,
+	weston_direct_display_protocol_c,
+	weston_direct_display_server_protocol_h,
 ]
 
 if get_option('renderer-gl')
diff --git a/libweston/weston-direct-display.c b/libweston/weston-direct-display.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf25b5a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libweston/weston-direct-display.c
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright © 2019 Collabora, Ltd.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
+ * a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+ * "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+ * without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+ * distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
+ * permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
+ * the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice (including the
+ * next paragraph) shall be included in all copies or substantial
+ * portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+ * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+ * MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
+ * NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS
+ * BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN
+ * ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN
+ * CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+ * SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+
+#include <libweston/libweston.h>
+#include "linux-dmabuf.h"
+#include "weston-direct-display-server-protocol.h"
+#include "libweston-internal.h"
+
+static void
+direct_display_enable(struct wl_client *client,
+		      struct wl_resource *resource,
+		      struct wl_resource *dmabuf_res)
+{
+	struct linux_dmabuf_buffer *dmabuf;
+
+	dmabuf = wl_resource_get_user_data(dmabuf_res);
+	assert(dmabuf);
+	dmabuf->direct_display = true;
+}
+
+static void
+direct_display_destroy(struct wl_client *client,
+		       struct wl_resource *global_resource)
+{
+	wl_resource_destroy(global_resource);
+}
+
+static const struct weston_direct_display_v1_interface
+	weston_direct_display_interface_v1 = {
+		direct_display_enable,
+		direct_display_destroy,
+};
+
+static void
+bind_direct_display(struct wl_client *client, void *data,
+		    uint32_t version, uint32_t id)
+{
+	struct wl_resource *resource;
+	struct weston_compositor *ec = data;
+
+	resource = wl_resource_create(client,
+			&weston_direct_display_v1_interface,
+			version, id);
+	if (!resource) {
+		wl_client_post_no_memory(client);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	wl_resource_set_implementation(resource,
+				       &weston_direct_display_interface_v1,
+				       ec, NULL);
+}
+
+WL_EXPORT int
+weston_direct_display_setup(struct weston_compositor *ec)
+{
+	if (!wl_global_create(ec->wl_display,
+			      &weston_direct_display_v1_interface, 1,
+			      ec, bind_direct_display))
+		return -1;
+
+	return 0;
+}