diff --git a/backend/drm/renderer.c b/backend/drm/renderer.c
index 00dfcbb0..6492ff40 100644
--- a/backend/drm/renderer.c
+++ b/backend/drm/renderer.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 #include "backend/drm/drm.h"
 #include "backend/drm/util.h"
 #include "render/drm_format_set.h"
-#include "render/gbm_allocator.h"
+#include "render/allocator.h"
 #include "render/pixel_format.h"
 #include "render/swapchain.h"
 #include "render/wlr_renderer.h"
@@ -35,16 +35,10 @@ bool init_drm_renderer(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm,
 		goto error_gbm;
 	}
 
-	int alloc_fd = fcntl(drm->fd, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, 0);
-	if (alloc_fd < 0) {
-		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "fcntl(F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC) failed");
-		goto error_wlr_rend;
-	}
-
-	renderer->allocator = wlr_gbm_allocator_create(alloc_fd);
+	renderer->allocator = wlr_allocator_autocreate(&drm->backend,
+			renderer->wlr_rend);
 	if (renderer->allocator == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create allocator");
-		close(alloc_fd);
 		goto error_wlr_rend;
 	}
 
diff --git a/backend/headless/backend.c b/backend/headless/backend.c
index 7f1e6aa4..be44a980 100644
--- a/backend/headless/backend.c
+++ b/backend/headless/backend.c
@@ -120,15 +120,12 @@ static void handle_renderer_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 }
 
 static bool backend_init(struct wlr_headless_backend *backend,
-		struct wl_display *display, struct wlr_allocator *allocator,
-		struct wlr_renderer *renderer) {
+		struct wl_display *display, struct wlr_renderer *renderer) {
 	wlr_backend_init(&backend->backend, &backend_impl);
 	backend->display = display;
 	wl_list_init(&backend->outputs);
 	wl_list_init(&backend->input_devices);
 
-	backend->allocator = allocator;
-
 	if (renderer == NULL) {
 		renderer = wlr_renderer_autocreate(&backend->backend);
 		if (!renderer) {
@@ -138,6 +135,12 @@ static bool backend_init(struct wlr_headless_backend *backend,
 	}
 	backend->renderer = renderer;
 
+	backend->allocator = wlr_allocator_autocreate(&backend->backend, renderer);
+	if (!backend->allocator) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create allocator");
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	const struct wlr_drm_format_set *formats =
 		wlr_renderer_get_render_formats(backend->renderer);
 	if (formats == NULL) {
@@ -219,33 +222,16 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_headless_backend_create(struct wl_display *display) {
 	backend->drm_fd = open_drm_render_node();
 	if (backend->drm_fd < 0) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to open DRM render node");
-		goto error_drm_fd;
 	}
 
-	int drm_fd = fcntl(backend->drm_fd, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, 0);
-	if (drm_fd < 0) {
-		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "fcntl(F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC) failed");
-		goto error_dup;
-	}
-
-	struct wlr_allocator *alloc = wlr_gbm_allocator_create(drm_fd);
-	if (alloc == NULL) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create GBM allocator");
-		close(drm_fd);
-		goto error_dup;
-	}
-
-	if (!backend_init(backend, display, alloc, NULL)) {
+	if (!backend_init(backend, display, NULL)) {
 		goto error_init;
 	}
 
 	return &backend->backend;
 
 error_init:
-	wlr_allocator_destroy(alloc);
-error_dup:
 	close(backend->drm_fd);
-error_drm_fd:
 	free(backend);
 	return NULL;
 }
@@ -265,23 +251,9 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_headless_backend_create_with_renderer(
 	backend->drm_fd = wlr_renderer_get_drm_fd(renderer);
 	if (backend->drm_fd < 0) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to get DRM device FD from renderer");
-		goto error_drm_fd;
 	}
 
-	int drm_fd = fcntl(backend->drm_fd, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, 0);
-	if (drm_fd < 0) {
-		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "fcntl(F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC) failed");
-		goto error_dup;
-	}
-
-	struct wlr_allocator *alloc = wlr_gbm_allocator_create(drm_fd);
-	if (alloc == NULL) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create GBM allocator");
-		close(drm_fd);
-		goto error_dup;
-	}
-
-	if (!backend_init(backend, display, alloc, renderer)) {
+	if (!backend_init(backend, display, renderer)) {
 		goto error_init;
 	}
 
@@ -291,10 +263,7 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_headless_backend_create_with_renderer(
 	return &backend->backend;
 
 error_init:
-	wlr_allocator_destroy(alloc);
-error_dup:
 	close(backend->drm_fd);
-error_drm_fd:
 	free(backend);
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/backend/wayland/backend.c b/backend/wayland/backend.c
index f0cb2e42..e05a13a0 100644
--- a/backend/wayland/backend.c
+++ b/backend/wayland/backend.c
@@ -444,7 +444,6 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 	}
 	wl_event_source_check(wl->remote_display_src);
 
-	wl->drm_fd = -1;
 	if (wl->drm_render_name != NULL) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Opening DRM render node %s", wl->drm_render_name);
 		wl->drm_fd = open(wl->drm_render_name, O_RDWR | O_NONBLOCK | O_CLOEXEC);
@@ -453,45 +452,40 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 				wl->drm_render_name);
 			goto error_remote_display_src;
 		}
-
-		int drm_fd = fcntl(wl->drm_fd, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, 0);
-		if (drm_fd < 0) {
-			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "fcntl(F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC) failed");
-			goto error_drm_fd;
-		}
-
-		wl->allocator = wlr_gbm_allocator_create(drm_fd);
-		if (wl->allocator == NULL) {
-			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create GBM allocator");
-			close(drm_fd);
-			goto error_drm_fd;
-		}
 	} else {
-		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "No render node found, falling back to shared memory");
-		wl->allocator = wlr_shm_allocator_create();
-		if (wl->allocator == NULL) {
-			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create shared memory allocator");
-			goto error_remote_display_src;
-		}
+		wl->drm_fd = -1;
 	}
 
 	wl->renderer = wlr_renderer_autocreate(&wl->backend);
 	if (wl->renderer == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create renderer");
+		goto error_renderer;
+	}
+
+	uint32_t caps = renderer_get_render_buffer_caps(wl->renderer);
+
+	wl->allocator = wlr_allocator_autocreate(&wl->backend, wl->renderer);
+	if (wl->allocator == NULL) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create allocator");
 		goto error_allocator;
 	}
 
 	const struct wlr_drm_format_set *remote_formats;
-	if (wl->drm_fd >= 0) {
+	if ((caps & WLR_BUFFER_CAP_DMABUF) && wl->zwp_linux_dmabuf_v1) {
 		remote_formats = &wl->linux_dmabuf_v1_formats;
-	} else {
+	} else if ((caps & WLR_BUFFER_CAP_DATA_PTR) && wl->shm) {
 		remote_formats = &wl->shm_formats;
+	}  else {
+		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR,
+				"Failed to get remote formats (DRI3 and SHM unavailable)");
+		goto error_allocator;
 	}
+
 	const struct wlr_drm_format_set *render_formats =
 		wlr_renderer_get_render_formats(wl->renderer);
 	if (render_formats == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to get available render-capable formats");
-		goto error_renderer;
+		goto error_allocator;
 	}
 
 	uint32_t fmt = DRM_FORMAT_ARGB8888;
@@ -501,21 +495,21 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 	if (remote_format == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Remote compositor doesn't support DRM format "
 			"0x%"PRIX32, fmt);
-		goto error_renderer;
+		goto error_allocator;
 	}
 
 	const struct wlr_drm_format *render_format =
 		wlr_drm_format_set_get(render_formats, fmt);
 	if (render_format == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Renderer doesn't support DRM format 0x%"PRIX32, fmt);
-		goto error_renderer;
+		goto error_allocator;
 	}
 
 	wl->format = wlr_drm_format_intersect(remote_format, render_format);
 	if (wl->format == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to intersect remote and render modifiers "
 			"for format 0x%"PRIX32, fmt);
-		goto error_renderer;
+		goto error_allocator;
 	}
 
 	wl->local_display_destroy.notify = handle_display_destroy;
@@ -523,11 +517,10 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_wl_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 
 	return &wl->backend;
 
-error_renderer:
-	wlr_renderer_destroy(wl->renderer);
 error_allocator:
 	wlr_allocator_destroy(wl->allocator);
-error_drm_fd:
+error_renderer:
+	wlr_renderer_destroy(wl->renderer);
 	close(wl->drm_fd);
 error_remote_display_src:
 	wl_event_source_remove(wl->remote_display_src);
diff --git a/backend/x11/backend.c b/backend/x11/backend.c
index 9ffdfb2d..8999912d 100644
--- a/backend/x11/backend.c
+++ b/backend/x11/backend.c
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_x11_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	const struct wlr_drm_format_set *pixmap_formats;
+	x11->drm_fd = -1;
 	if (x11->have_dri3) {
 		// DRI3 may return a render node (Xwayland) or an authenticated primary
 		// node (plain Glamor).
@@ -619,36 +619,6 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_x11_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to query DRI3 DRM FD");
 			goto error_event;
 		}
-
-		char *drm_name = drmGetDeviceNameFromFd2(x11->drm_fd);
-		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Using DRM node %s", drm_name);
-		free(drm_name);
-
-		int drm_fd = fcntl(x11->drm_fd, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, 0);
-		if (drm_fd < 0) {
-			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "fcntl(F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC) failed");
-			goto error_event;
-		}
-
-		x11->allocator = wlr_gbm_allocator_create(drm_fd);
-		if (x11->allocator == NULL) {
-			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create GBM allocator");
-			close(drm_fd);
-			goto error_event;
-		}
-		pixmap_formats = &x11->dri3_formats;
-	} else if (x11->have_shm) {
-		x11->drm_fd = -1;
-		x11->allocator = wlr_shm_allocator_create();
-		if (x11->allocator == NULL) {
-			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create shared memory allocator");
-			goto error_event;
-		}
-		pixmap_formats = &x11->shm_formats;
-	} else {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR,
-			"Failed to create allocator (DRI3 and SHM unavailable)");
-		goto error_event;
 	}
 
 	x11->renderer = wlr_renderer_autocreate(&x11->backend);
@@ -657,6 +627,25 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_x11_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 		goto error_event;
 	}
 
+	uint32_t caps = renderer_get_render_buffer_caps(x11->renderer);
+
+	const struct wlr_drm_format_set *pixmap_formats;
+	if (x11->have_dri3 && (caps & WLR_BUFFER_CAP_DMABUF)) {
+		pixmap_formats = &x11->dri3_formats;
+	} else if (x11->have_shm && (caps & WLR_BUFFER_CAP_DATA_PTR)) {
+		pixmap_formats = &x11->shm_formats;
+	} else {
+		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR,
+				"Failed to create allocator (DRI3 and SHM unavailable)");
+		goto error_event;
+	}
+
+	x11->allocator = wlr_allocator_autocreate(&x11->backend, x11->renderer);
+	if (x11->allocator == NULL) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to create allocator");
+		goto error_event;
+	}
+
 	const struct wlr_drm_format_set *render_formats =
 		wlr_renderer_get_render_formats(x11->renderer);
 	if (render_formats == NULL) {