diff --git a/examples/meson.build b/examples/meson.build
index 3402441b..89fc6211 100644
--- a/examples/meson.build
+++ b/examples/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 lib_shared = static_library(
 	'shared',
-	['shared.c', 'cat.c', 'ini.c', 'config.c'],
+	['support/shared.c', 'support/cat.c', 'support/ini.c', 'support/config.c'],
 	dependencies: wlroots,
+	include_directories: include_directories('support')
 )
 
 executable('simple', 'simple.c', dependencies: wlroots, link_with: lib_shared)
diff --git a/examples/multi-pointer.c b/examples/multi-pointer.c
index e0993987..e29a69db 100644
--- a/examples/multi-pointer.c
+++ b/examples/multi-pointer.c
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_cursor.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_list.h>
-#include "shared.h"
-#include "config.h"
-#include "cat.h"
+#include "support/shared.h"
+#include "support/config.h"
+#include "support/cat.h"
 
 struct sample_state;
 
diff --git a/examples/output-layout.c b/examples/output-layout.c
index 771ccd77..084bd7df 100644
--- a/examples/output-layout.c
+++ b/examples/output-layout.c
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_output.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_keyboard.h>
 #include <math.h>
-#include "shared.h"
-#include "config.h"
-#include "cat.h"
+#include "support/shared.h"
+#include "support/config.h"
+#include "support/cat.h"
 
 struct sample_state {
 	struct example_config *config;
diff --git a/examples/pointer.c b/examples/pointer.c
index 8927314e..1bcd7349 100644
--- a/examples/pointer.c
+++ b/examples/pointer.c
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_cursor.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_list.h>
-#include "shared.h"
-#include "config.h"
-#include "cat.h"
+#include "support/shared.h"
+#include "support/config.h"
+#include "support/cat.h"
 
 struct sample_state {
 	struct compositor_state *compositor;
diff --git a/examples/rotation.c b/examples/rotation.c
index d7892723..276b6255 100644
--- a/examples/rotation.c
+++ b/examples/rotation.c
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_keyboard.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include <math.h>
-#include "shared.h"
-#include "config.h"
-#include "cat.h"
+#include "support/shared.h"
+#include "support/config.h"
+#include "support/cat.h"
 
 struct sample_state {
 	struct example_config *config;
diff --git a/examples/simple.c b/examples/simple.c
index ba1ac289..ad1b0792 100644
--- a/examples/simple.c
+++ b/examples/simple.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_output.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
-#include "shared.h"
+#include "support/shared.h"
 
 struct sample_state {
 	float color[3];
diff --git a/examples/support/README b/examples/support/README
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c32c873e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/support/README
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Support code for the examples. Code that's not relevant to the principle each
+example demonstrates is largely offloaded to this directory.
diff --git a/examples/cat.c b/examples/support/cat.c
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/cat.c
rename to examples/support/cat.c
diff --git a/examples/cat.h b/examples/support/cat.h
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/cat.h
rename to examples/support/cat.h
diff --git a/examples/config.c b/examples/support/config.c
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/config.c
rename to examples/support/config.c
diff --git a/examples/config.h b/examples/support/config.h
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/config.h
rename to examples/support/config.h
diff --git a/examples/ini.c b/examples/support/ini.c
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/ini.c
rename to examples/support/ini.c
diff --git a/examples/ini.h b/examples/support/ini.h
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/ini.h
rename to examples/support/ini.h
diff --git a/examples/shared.c b/examples/support/shared.c
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/shared.c
rename to examples/support/shared.c
diff --git a/examples/shared.h b/examples/support/shared.h
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/shared.h
rename to examples/support/shared.h
diff --git a/examples/tablet.c b/examples/tablet.c
index 4b565d3d..4eaa204a 100644
--- a/examples/tablet.c
+++ b/examples/tablet.c
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_tablet_pad.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include <math.h>
-#include "shared.h"
-#include "cat.h"
+#include "support/shared.h"
+#include "support/cat.h"
 
 struct sample_state {
 	struct wlr_renderer *renderer;
diff --git a/examples/touch.c b/examples/touch.c
index 3f0c4867..df6c6c48 100644
--- a/examples/touch.c
+++ b/examples/touch.c
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
 #include <wlr/backend/session.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_list.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
-#include "shared.h"
-#include "cat.h"
+#include "support/shared.h"
+#include "support/cat.h"
 
 struct sample_state {
 	struct wlr_renderer *renderer;