diff --git a/src/compositor.c b/src/compositor.c
index 83bd244..bd95e8c 100644
--- a/src/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor.c
@@ -237,6 +237,11 @@
 	surface->alpha = 1.0;
 	surface->pitch = 1;
 
+	if (compositor->renderer->create_surface(surface) < 0) {
+		free(surface);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	surface->num_textures = 0;
 	surface->num_images = 0;
 	pixman_region32_init(&surface->texture_damage);
@@ -276,11 +281,7 @@
 weston_surface_set_color(struct weston_surface *surface,
 		 float red, float green, float blue, float alpha)
 {
-	surface->color[0] = red;
-	surface->color[1] = green;
-	surface->color[2] = blue;
-	surface->color[3] = alpha;
-	surface->shader = &surface->compositor->solid_shader;
+	surface->compositor->renderer->surface_set_color(surface, red, green, blue, alpha);
 }
 
 WL_EXPORT void
diff --git a/src/compositor.h b/src/compositor.h
index 57d363a..f66e58d 100644
--- a/src/compositor.h
+++ b/src/compositor.h
@@ -284,6 +284,10 @@
 			       pixman_region32_t *output_damage);
 	void (*flush_damage)(struct weston_surface *surface);
 	void (*attach)(struct weston_surface *es, struct wl_buffer *buffer);
+	int (*create_surface)(struct weston_surface *surface);
+	void (*surface_set_color)(struct weston_surface *surface,
+			       float red, float green,
+			       float blue, float alpha);
 	void (*destroy_surface)(struct weston_surface *surface);
 };
 
@@ -421,10 +425,11 @@
 	struct wl_list link;
 	struct wl_list layer_link;
 	struct weston_shader *shader;
-	GLfloat color[4];
 	float alpha;
 	struct weston_plane *plane;
 
+	void *renderer_state;
+
 	/* Surface geometry state, mutable.
 	 * If you change anything, set dirty = 1.
 	 * That includes the transformations referenced from the list.
diff --git a/src/gles2-renderer.c b/src/gles2-renderer.c
index 2a62da2..a02cdac 100644
--- a/src/gles2-renderer.c
+++ b/src/gles2-renderer.c
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@
 	EGLSurface egl_surface;
 };
 
+struct gles2_surface_state {
+	GLfloat color[4];
+};
+
 struct gles2_renderer {
 	struct weston_renderer base;
 	int fragment_shader_debug;
@@ -56,6 +60,12 @@
 	return (struct gles2_output_state *)output->renderer_state;
 }
 
+static inline struct gles2_surface_state *
+get_surface_state(struct weston_surface *surface)
+{
+	return (struct gles2_surface_state *)surface->renderer_state;
+}
+
 static inline struct gles2_renderer *
 get_renderer(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 {
@@ -648,10 +658,11 @@
 		       struct weston_output *output)
 {
 	int i;
+	struct gles2_surface_state *gs = get_surface_state(surface);
 
 	glUniformMatrix4fv(shader->proj_uniform,
 			   1, GL_FALSE, output->matrix.d);
-	glUniform4fv(shader->color_uniform, 1, surface->color);
+	glUniform4fv(shader->color_uniform, 1, gs->color);
 	glUniform1f(shader->alpha_uniform, surface->alpha);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < surface->num_textures; i++)
@@ -1123,8 +1134,38 @@
 }
 
 static void
+gles2_renderer_surface_set_color(struct weston_surface *surface,
+		 float red, float green, float blue, float alpha)
+{
+	struct gles2_surface_state *gs = get_surface_state(surface);
+
+	gs->color[0] = red;
+	gs->color[1] = green;
+	gs->color[2] = blue;
+	gs->color[3] = alpha;
+
+	surface->shader = &surface->compositor->solid_shader;
+}
+
+static int
+gles2_renderer_create_surface(struct weston_surface *surface)
+{
+	struct gles2_surface_state *gs;
+
+	gs = calloc(1, sizeof *gs);
+
+	if (!gs)
+		return -1;
+
+	surface->renderer_state = gs;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void
 gles2_renderer_destroy_surface(struct weston_surface *surface)
 {
+	struct gles2_surface_state *gs = get_surface_state(surface);
 	struct weston_compositor *ec = surface->compositor;
 	struct gles2_renderer *gr = get_renderer(ec);
 	int i;
@@ -1133,6 +1174,8 @@
 
 	for (i = 0; i < surface->num_images; i++)
 		ec->destroy_image(gr->egl_display, surface->images[i]);
+
+	free(gs);
 }
 
 static const char vertex_shader[] =
@@ -1600,6 +1643,8 @@
 	gr->base.repaint_output = gles2_renderer_repaint_output;
 	gr->base.flush_damage = gles2_renderer_flush_damage;
 	gr->base.attach = gles2_renderer_attach;
+	gr->base.create_surface = gles2_renderer_create_surface;
+	gr->base.surface_set_color = gles2_renderer_surface_set_color;
 	gr->base.destroy_surface = gles2_renderer_destroy_surface;
 
 	gr->egl_display = eglGetDisplay(display);
diff --git a/src/noop-renderer.c b/src/noop-renderer.c
index 76f1e8f..b42f26f 100644
--- a/src/noop-renderer.c
+++ b/src/noop-renderer.c
@@ -51,6 +51,18 @@
 {
 }
 
+static int
+noop_renderer_create_surface(struct weston_surface *surface)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void
+noop_renderer_surface_set_color(struct weston_surface *surface,
+		 float red, float green, float blue, float alpha)
+{
+}
+
 static void
 noop_renderer_destroy_surface(struct weston_surface *surface)
 {
@@ -77,6 +89,8 @@
 	renderer->repaint_output = noop_renderer_repaint_output;
 	renderer->flush_damage = noop_renderer_flush_damage;
 	renderer->attach = noop_renderer_attach;
+	renderer->create_surface = noop_renderer_create_surface;
+	renderer->surface_set_color = noop_renderer_surface_set_color;
 	renderer->destroy_surface = noop_renderer_destroy_surface;
 	ec->renderer = renderer;