diff --git a/jay-config/src/_private/client.rs b/jay-config/src/_private/client.rs
index 0f092d91..08cfc0db 100644
--- a/jay-config/src/_private/client.rs
+++ b/jay-config/src/_private/client.rs
@@ -476,6 +476,10 @@ impl Client {
         pci_id
     }
 
+    pub fn make_render_device(&self, device: DrmDevice) {
+        self.send(&ClientMessage::MakeRenderDevice { device });
+    }
+
     pub fn connector_connected(&self, connector: Connector) -> bool {
         let res = self.send_with_response(&ClientMessage::ConnectorConnected { connector });
         get_response!(res, false, ConnectorConnected { connected });
diff --git a/jay-config/src/_private/ipc.rs b/jay-config/src/_private/ipc.rs
index 23c52a59..b2850882 100644
--- a/jay-config/src/_private/ipc.rs
+++ b/jay-config/src/_private/ipc.rs
@@ -313,6 +313,9 @@ pub enum ClientMessage<'a> {
         connector: Connector,
         enabled: bool,
     },
+    MakeRenderDevice {
+        device: DrmDevice,
+    },
 }
 
 #[derive(Encode, Decode, Debug)]
diff --git a/jay-config/src/video.rs b/jay-config/src/video.rs
index 25076f61..5f9d494b 100644
--- a/jay-config/src/video.rs
+++ b/jay-config/src/video.rs
@@ -357,4 +357,9 @@ impl DrmDevice {
     pub fn pci_id(self) -> PciId {
         get!().drm_device_pci_id(self)
     }
+
+    /// Makes this device the render device.
+    pub fn make_render_device(self) {
+        get!().make_render_device(self);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/backend.rs b/src/backend.rs
index 57b78438..706a8862 100644
--- a/src/backend.rs
+++ b/src/backend.rs
@@ -221,4 +221,5 @@ pub trait BackendDrmDevice {
     fn event(&self) -> Option<DrmEvent>;
     fn on_change(&self, cb: Rc<dyn Fn()>);
     fn dev_t(&self) -> c::dev_t;
+    fn make_render_device(self: Rc<Self>);
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/metal/video.rs b/src/backends/metal/video.rs
index 1864d29b..e3a703d5 100644
--- a/src/backends/metal/video.rs
+++ b/src/backends/metal/video.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ pub struct MetalRenderContext {
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct MetalDrmDevice {
+    pub backend: Rc<MetalBackend>,
     pub id: DrmDeviceId,
     pub devnum: c::dev_t,
     pub devnode: CString,
@@ -88,6 +89,10 @@ impl BackendDrmDevice for MetalDrmDevice {
     fn dev_t(&self) -> dev_t {
         self.devnum
     }
+
+    fn make_render_device(self: Rc<Self>) {
+        self.backend.make_render_device(&self, true);
+    }
 }
 
 pub struct HandleEvents {
@@ -869,6 +874,7 @@ impl MetalBackend {
             fatal!("We are not innocent. Terminating.");
         }
         log::info!("Trying to create a new context");
+        self.ctx.set(None);
         self.state.set_render_ctx(None);
         let mut old_buffers = vec![];
         for dev in self.device_holder.drm_devices.lock().values() {
@@ -876,16 +882,7 @@ impl MetalBackend {
                 old_buffers.push(connector.buffers.take());
             }
         }
-        if !self.install_render_context(&ctx.dev) {
-            return false;
-        }
-        let mut preserve = Preserve::default();
-        for dev in self.device_holder.drm_devices.lock().values() {
-            if let Err(e) = self.init_drm_device(dev, &mut preserve) {
-                log::error!("Could not re-initialize device: {}", ErrorFmt(e));
-            }
-        }
-        true
+        self.make_render_device(&ctx.dev, true)
     }
 
     fn install_render_context(&self, dev: &Rc<MetalDrmDevice>) -> bool {
@@ -1006,11 +1003,7 @@ impl MetalBackend {
                 if !preserve.connectors.contains(&connector.id) {
                     connector.can_present.set(true);
                 }
-                let dd = connector.display.borrow_mut();
-                if !connector.connect_sent.get() {
-                    self.send_connected(connector, &dd);
-                }
-                self.start_connector(connector, &dd);
+                self.start_connector(connector, true);
             }
         }
         dev.unprocessed_change.set(false);
@@ -1092,6 +1085,7 @@ impl MetalBackend {
         };
 
         let dev = Rc::new(MetalDrmDevice {
+            backend: self.clone(),
             id: pending.id,
             devnum: pending.devnum,
             devnode: pending.devnode,
@@ -1111,13 +1105,8 @@ impl MetalBackend {
             },
         });
 
-        let mut preserve = Preserve::default();
-
         if self.ctx.get().is_none() {
-            self.install_render_context(&dev);
-            for dev in self.device_holder.drm_devices.lock().values() {
-                let _ = self.init_drm_device(dev, &mut preserve);
-            }
+            self.make_render_device(&dev, false);
         }
 
         let (connectors, futures) = get_connectors(self, &dev, &resources.connectors)?;
@@ -1129,7 +1118,7 @@ impl MetalBackend {
             unprocessed_change: Cell::new(false),
         });
 
-        self.init_drm_device(&slf, &mut preserve)?;
+        self.init_drm_device(&slf, &mut Preserve::default())?;
 
         self.state
             .backend_events
@@ -1140,9 +1129,7 @@ impl MetalBackend {
                 .backend_events
                 .push(BackendEvent::NewConnector(connector.clone()));
             if connector.connected() {
-                let dd = connector.display.borrow_mut();
-                self.send_connected(connector, &dd);
-                self.start_connector(connector, &dd);
+                self.start_connector(connector, true);
             }
         }
 
@@ -1417,6 +1404,31 @@ impl MetalBackend {
         }
     }
 
+    fn make_render_device(&self, dev: &Rc<MetalDrmDevice>, log: bool) -> bool {
+        if let Some(ctx) = self.ctx.get() {
+            if ctx.dev.id == dev.id {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        if !self.install_render_context(dev) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        let mut preserve = Preserve::default();
+        for dev in self.device_holder.drm_devices.lock().values() {
+            if let Err(e) = self.init_drm_device(dev, &mut preserve) {
+                if log {
+                    log::error!("Could not initialize device: {}", ErrorFmt(e));
+                }
+            }
+            for connector in dev.connectors.lock().values() {
+                if connector.connected() {
+                    self.start_connector(connector, false);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        true
+    }
+
     fn init_drm_device(
         &self,
         dev: &Rc<MetalDrmDeviceData>,
@@ -1749,13 +1761,19 @@ impl MetalBackend {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn start_connector(&self, connector: &Rc<MetalConnector>, dd: &ConnectorDisplayData) {
-        log::info!(
-            "Initialized connector {}-{} with mode {:?}",
-            dd.connector_type,
-            dd.connector_type_id,
-            dd.mode.as_ref().unwrap(),
-        );
+    fn start_connector(&self, connector: &Rc<MetalConnector>, log_mode: bool) {
+        let dd = connector.display.borrow_mut();
+        if !connector.connect_sent.get() {
+            self.send_connected(connector, &dd);
+        }
+        if log_mode {
+            log::info!(
+                "Initialized connector {}-{} with mode {:?}",
+                dd.connector_type,
+                dd.connector_type_id,
+                dd.mode.as_ref().unwrap(),
+            );
+        }
         connector.has_damage.set(true);
         connector.cursor_changed.set(true);
         connector.schedule_present();
diff --git a/src/backends/x.rs b/src/backends/x.rs
index bd8aeb4f..990adf03 100644
--- a/src/backends/x.rs
+++ b/src/backends/x.rs
@@ -960,6 +960,11 @@ impl BackendDrmDevice for XDrmDevice {
     fn dev_t(&self) -> dev_t {
         self.dev
     }
+
+    fn make_render_device(self: Rc<Self>) {
+        log::warn!("make_render_device is not supported by the X backend");
+        // nothing
+    }
 }
 
 struct XOutput {
diff --git a/src/config/handler.rs b/src/config/handler.rs
index 11d7590b..37bb66ef 100644
--- a/src/config/handler.rs
+++ b/src/config/handler.rs
@@ -195,6 +195,12 @@ impl ConfigProxyHandler {
         self.respond(Response::GetDrmDevices { devices: res });
     }
 
+    fn handle_make_render_device(&self, dev: DrmDevice) -> Result<(), CphError> {
+        let dev = self.get_drm_device(dev)?;
+        dev.make_render_device();
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     fn handle_get_drm_device_model(&self, dev: DrmDevice) -> Result<(), CphError> {
         let dev = self.get_drm_device(dev)?;
         let model = dev.model.clone().unwrap_or_default();
@@ -1217,6 +1223,9 @@ impl ConfigProxyHandler {
             ClientMessage::DisablePointerConstraint { seat } => self
                 .handle_disable_pointer_constraint(seat)
                 .wrn("disable_pointer_constraint")?,
+            ClientMessage::MakeRenderDevice { device } => self
+                .handle_make_render_device(device)
+                .wrn("make_render_device")?,
         }
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
index 604021f1..5ce8def5 100644
--- a/src/state.rs
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -209,11 +209,22 @@ pub struct DrmDevData {
     pub handler: Cell<Option<SpawnedFuture<()>>>,
     pub connectors: CopyHashMap<ConnectorId, Rc<ConnectorData>>,
     pub syspath: Option<String>,
+    pub devnode: Option<String>,
     pub vendor: Option<String>,
     pub model: Option<String>,
     pub pci_id: Option<PciId>,
 }
 
+impl DrmDevData {
+    pub fn make_render_device(&self) {
+        log::info!(
+            "Making {} the render device",
+            self.devnode.as_deref().unwrap_or("unknown"),
+        );
+        self.dev.clone().make_render_device();
+    }
+}
+
 struct UpdateTextTexturesVisitor;
 impl NodeVisitorBase for UpdateTextTexturesVisitor {
     fn visit_container(&mut self, node: &Rc<ContainerNode>) {
diff --git a/src/tasks/drmdev.rs b/src/tasks/drmdev.rs
index 2703a67a..c4b413d5 100644
--- a/src/tasks/drmdev.rs
+++ b/src/tasks/drmdev.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use {
 pub fn handle(state: &Rc<State>, dev: Rc<dyn BackendDrmDevice>) {
     let id = dev.id();
     let mut syspath = None;
+    let mut devnode = None;
     let mut vendor = None;
     let mut model = None;
     let mut pci_id = None;
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ pub fn handle(state: &Rc<State>, dev: Rc<dyn BackendDrmDevice>) {
         syspath = dev.syspath().map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
         vendor = dev.vendor().map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
         model = dev.model().map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
+        devnode = odev.devnode().map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
         'get_pci_id: {
             let id = match dev.pci_id() {
                 Some(id) => id,
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ pub fn handle(state: &Rc<State>, dev: Rc<dyn BackendDrmDevice>) {
         handler: Cell::new(None),
         connectors: Default::default(),
         syspath,
+        devnode,
         vendor,
         model,
         pci_id,