diff --git a/render/gles2/renderer.c b/render/gles2/renderer.c
index 17452e9a..c512016e 100644
--- a/render/gles2/renderer.c
+++ b/render/gles2/renderer.c
@@ -245,10 +245,12 @@ static struct wlr_renderer_impl wlr_renderer_impl = {
 
 struct wlr_renderer *wlr_gles2_renderer_init(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 	init_globals();
-	struct wlr_egl *egl = wlr_backend_get_egl(backend);
 	struct wlr_gles2_renderer *renderer =
 		calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_gles2_renderer));
 	wlr_renderer_init(&renderer->wlr_renderer, &wlr_renderer_impl);
-	renderer->egl = egl;
+	if (backend) {
+		struct wlr_egl *egl = wlr_backend_get_egl(backend);
+		renderer->egl = egl;
+	}
 	return &renderer->wlr_renderer;
 }
diff --git a/render/wlr_renderer.c b/render/wlr_renderer.c
index 1afba6e3..15b8b999 100644
--- a/render/wlr_renderer.c
+++ b/render/wlr_renderer.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ void wlr_renderer_init(struct wlr_renderer *renderer,
 }
 
 void wlr_renderer_destroy(struct wlr_renderer *r) {
-	if (r->impl->destroy) {
+	if (r && r->impl->destroy) {
 		r->impl->destroy(r);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/render/wlr_texture.c b/render/wlr_texture.c
index d2bcca07..72d56c8f 100644
--- a/render/wlr_texture.c
+++ b/render/wlr_texture.c
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ void wlr_texture_init(struct wlr_texture *texture,
 }
 
 void wlr_texture_destroy(struct wlr_texture *texture) {
-	if (texture->impl->destroy) {
+	if (texture && texture->impl->destroy) {
 		texture->impl->destroy(texture);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/types/wlr_output.c b/types/wlr_output.c
index 26f7316e..04dcbfa5 100644
--- a/types/wlr_output.c
+++ b/types/wlr_output.c
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ bool wlr_output_set_cursor(struct wlr_output *output,
 		return true;
 	}
 
-	/*
 	wlr_log(L_INFO, "Falling back to software cursor");
 
 	output->cursor.is_sw = true;
@@ -138,18 +137,22 @@ bool wlr_output_set_cursor(struct wlr_output *output,
 	output->cursor.height = height;
 
 	if (!output->cursor.renderer) {
-		output->cursor.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_init();
+		/* NULL egl is okay given that we are only using pixel buffers */
+		output->cursor.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_init(NULL);
+		if (!output->cursor.renderer) {
+			return false;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (!output->cursor.texture) {
 		output->cursor.texture = wlr_render_texture_init(output->cursor.renderer);
+		if (!output->cursor.texture) {
+			return false;
+		}
 	}
 
-	wlr_texture_upload_pixels(output->cursor.texture, WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888,
-		stride, width, height, buf);
-	*/
-
-	return false;
+	return wlr_texture_upload_pixels(output->cursor.texture,
+				WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888, stride, width, height, buf);
 }
 
 bool wlr_output_move_cursor(struct wlr_output *output, int x, int y) {
@@ -172,6 +175,9 @@ void wlr_output_destroy(struct wlr_output *output) {
 		return;
 	}
 
+	wlr_texture_destroy(output->cursor.texture);
+	wlr_renderer_destroy(output->cursor.renderer);
+
 	output->impl->destroy(output);
 	for (size_t i = 0; output->modes && i < output->modes->length; ++i) {
 		struct wlr_output_mode *mode = output->modes->items[i];