diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native-types.h b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native-types.h
index f6c87484b..a8c4dd544 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native-types.h
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native-types.h
@@ -39,4 +39,10 @@ typedef enum _MetaSeatNativeFlag
   META_SEAT_NATIVE_FLAG_NO_LIBINPUT = 1 << 0,
 } MetaSeatNativeFlag;
 
+typedef enum _MetaBackendNativeMode
+{
+  META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_DEFAULT = 0,
+  META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_HEADLESS,
+} MetaBackendNativeMode;
+
 #endif /* META_BACKEND_NATIVE_TYPES_H */
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
index 0cbe40d87..be133b100 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
@@ -66,11 +66,13 @@
 #include "backends/meta-screen-cast.h"
 #endif
 
+#include "meta-private-enum-types.h"
+
 enum
 {
   PROP_0,
 
-  PROP_HEADLESS,
+  PROP_MODE,
 
   N_PROPS
 };
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ struct _MetaBackendNative
   MetaUdev *udev;
   MetaKms *kms;
 
-  gboolean is_headless;
+  MetaBackendNativeMode mode;
 };
 
 static GInitableIface *initable_parent_iface;
@@ -254,10 +256,12 @@ meta_backend_native_create_monitor_manager (MetaBackend *backend,
 {
   MetaBackendNative *backend_native = META_BACKEND_NATIVE (backend);
   MetaMonitorManager *manager;
+  gboolean needs_outputs;
 
+  needs_outputs = !(backend_native->mode & META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_HEADLESS);
   manager = g_initable_new (META_TYPE_MONITOR_MANAGER_NATIVE, NULL, error,
                             "backend", backend,
-                            "needs-outputs", !backend_native->is_headless,
+                            "needs-outputs", needs_outputs,
                             NULL);
   if (!manager)
     return NULL;
@@ -372,16 +376,22 @@ meta_backend_native_lock_layout_group (MetaBackend *backend,
 const char *
 meta_backend_native_get_seat_id (MetaBackendNative *backend_native)
 {
-  if (backend_native->is_headless)
-    return "seat0";
-  else
-    return meta_launcher_get_seat_id (backend_native->launcher);
+  switch (backend_native->mode)
+    {
+    case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_DEFAULT:
+      return meta_launcher_get_seat_id (backend_native->launcher);
+    case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_HEADLESS:
+      return "seat0";
+    }
+  g_assert_not_reached ();
 }
 
 static gboolean
 meta_backend_native_is_headless (MetaBackend *backend)
 {
-  return META_BACKEND_NATIVE (backend)->is_headless;
+  MetaBackendNative *backend_native = META_BACKEND_NATIVE (backend);
+
+  return backend_native->mode == META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_HEADLESS;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -537,7 +547,7 @@ init_gpus (MetaBackendNative  *native,
 
   g_list_free_full (devices, g_object_unref);
 
-  if (!native->is_headless &&
+  if (!meta_backend_is_headless (backend) &&
       g_list_length (meta_backend_get_gpus (backend)) == 0)
     {
       g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
@@ -558,6 +568,7 @@ meta_backend_native_initable_init (GInitable     *initable,
                                    GError       **error)
 {
   MetaBackendNative *native = META_BACKEND_NATIVE (initable);
+  MetaBackend *backend = META_BACKEND (native);
   MetaKmsFlags kms_flags;
 
   if (!meta_is_stage_views_enabled ())
@@ -567,7 +578,7 @@ meta_backend_native_initable_init (GInitable     *initable,
       return FALSE;
     }
 
-  if (!native->is_headless)
+  if (!meta_backend_is_headless (backend))
     {
       native->launcher = meta_launcher_new (error);
       if (!native->launcher)
@@ -578,7 +589,7 @@ meta_backend_native_initable_init (GInitable     *initable,
   native->udev = meta_udev_new (native);
 
   kms_flags = META_KMS_FLAG_NONE;
-  if (native->is_headless)
+  if (meta_backend_is_headless (backend))
     kms_flags |= META_KMS_FLAG_NO_MODE_SETTING;
 
   native->kms = meta_kms_new (META_BACKEND (native), kms_flags, error);
@@ -601,8 +612,8 @@ meta_backend_native_set_property (GObject      *object,
 
   switch (prop_id)
     {
-    case PROP_HEADLESS:
-      backend_native->is_headless = g_value_get_boolean (value);
+    case PROP_MODE:
+      backend_native->mode = g_value_get_enum (value);
       break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
@@ -649,14 +660,15 @@ meta_backend_native_class_init (MetaBackendNativeClass *klass)
 
   backend_class->is_headless = meta_backend_native_is_headless;
 
-  obj_props[PROP_HEADLESS] =
-    g_param_spec_boolean ("headless",
-                          "headless",
-                          "Headless",
-                          FALSE,
-                          G_PARAM_WRITABLE |
-                          G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
-                          G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
+  obj_props[PROP_MODE] =
+    g_param_spec_enum ("mode",
+                       "mode",
+                       "mode",
+                       META_TYPE_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE,
+                       META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_DEFAULT,
+                       G_PARAM_WRITABLE |
+                       G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
+                       G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
   g_object_class_install_properties (object_class, N_PROPS, obj_props);
 }
 
@@ -696,14 +708,18 @@ meta_activate_vt (int vt, GError **error)
   MetaBackendNative *native = META_BACKEND_NATIVE (backend);
   MetaLauncher *launcher = meta_backend_native_get_launcher (native);
 
-  if (native->is_headless)
+  switch (native->mode)
     {
+    case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_DEFAULT:
+      return meta_launcher_activate_vt (launcher, vt, error);
+    case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_HEADLESS:
+    case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_TEST:
       g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED,
                    "Can't switch VT while headless");
       return FALSE;
     }
 
-  return meta_launcher_activate_vt (launcher, vt, error);
+  g_assert_not_reached ();
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/core/meta-context-main.c b/src/core/meta-context-main.c
index a81ea9f9f..fe11b4bb6 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-context-main.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-context-main.c
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ create_headless_backend (MetaContext  *context,
   return g_initable_new (META_TYPE_BACKEND_NATIVE,
                          NULL, error,
                          "context", context,
-                         "headless", TRUE,
+                         "mode", META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_HEADLESS,
                          NULL);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/tests/meta-context-test.c b/src/tests/meta-context-test.c
index 863c20a98..08acdcb73 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-context-test.c
+++ b/src/tests/meta-context-test.c
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ create_headless_backend (MetaContext  *context,
   return g_initable_new (META_TYPE_BACKEND_NATIVE,
                          NULL, error,
                          "context", context,
-                         "headless", TRUE,
+                         "mode", META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_HEADLESS,
                          NULL);
 }
 #endif /* HAVE_NATIVE_BACKEND */