diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native-gles3.c b/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native-gles3.c
index cf27ba8d4..fbdcb87b8 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native-gles3.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native-gles3.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "backends/meta-egl-ext.h"
 #include "backends/meta-gles3.h"
 #include "backends/meta-gles3-table.h"
+#include "meta/meta-debug.h"
 
 /*
  * GL/gl.h being included may conflict with gl3.h on some architectures.
diff --git a/src/meta/meson.build b/src/meta/meson.build
index a12ee492d..bc3910408 100644
--- a/src/meta/meson.build
+++ b/src/meta/meson.build
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ mutter_public_headers = [
   'meta-close-dialog.h',
   'meta-cursor-tracker.h',
   'meta-context.h',
+  'meta-debug.h',
   'meta-dnd.h',
   'meta-enums.h',
   'meta-idle-monitor.h',
diff --git a/src/meta/meta-debug.h b/src/meta/meta-debug.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4c70144b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/meta/meta-debug.h
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2001 Havoc Pennington
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 Elijah Newren
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "meta/meta-base.h"
+
+/**
+ * MetaDebugTopic:
+ * @META_DEBUG_VERBOSE: verbose logging
+ * @META_DEBUG_FOCUS: focus
+ * @META_DEBUG_WORKAREA: workarea
+ * @META_DEBUG_STACK: stack
+ * @META_DEBUG_SM: session management
+ * @META_DEBUG_EVENTS: events
+ * @META_DEBUG_WINDOW_STATE: window state
+ * @META_DEBUG_WINDOW_OPS: window operations
+ * @META_DEBUG_GEOMETRY: geometry
+ * @META_DEBUG_PLACEMENT: window placement
+ * @META_DEBUG_PING: ping
+ * @META_DEBUG_KEYBINDINGS: keybindings
+ * @META_DEBUG_SYNC: sync
+ * @META_DEBUG_STARTUP: startup
+ * @META_DEBUG_PREFS: preferences
+ * @META_DEBUG_GROUPS: groups
+ * @META_DEBUG_RESIZING: resizing
+ * @META_DEBUG_SHAPES: shapes
+ * @META_DEBUG_EDGE_RESISTANCE: edge resistance
+ * @META_DEBUG_WAYLAND: Wayland
+ * @META_DEBUG_KMS: kernel mode setting
+ * @META_DEBUG_SCREEN_CAST: screencasting
+ * @META_DEBUG_REMOTE_DESKTOP: remote desktop
+ * @META_DEBUG_BACKEND: backend
+ * @META_DEBUG_RENDER: native backend rendering
+ * @META_DEBUG_COLOR: color management
+ * @META_DEBUG_INPUT_EVENTS: input events
+ * @META_DEBUG_EIS: eis state
+ */
+typedef enum
+{
+  META_DEBUG_VERBOSE         = -1,
+  META_DEBUG_FOCUS           = 1 << 0,
+  META_DEBUG_WORKAREA        = 1 << 1,
+  META_DEBUG_STACK           = 1 << 2,
+  META_DEBUG_SM              = 1 << 3,
+  META_DEBUG_EVENTS          = 1 << 4,
+  META_DEBUG_WINDOW_STATE    = 1 << 5,
+  META_DEBUG_WINDOW_OPS      = 1 << 6,
+  META_DEBUG_GEOMETRY        = 1 << 7,
+  META_DEBUG_PLACEMENT       = 1 << 8,
+  META_DEBUG_PING            = 1 << 9,
+  META_DEBUG_KEYBINDINGS     = 1 << 10,
+  META_DEBUG_SYNC            = 1 << 11,
+  META_DEBUG_STARTUP         = 1 << 12,
+  META_DEBUG_PREFS           = 1 << 13,
+  META_DEBUG_GROUPS          = 1 << 14,
+  META_DEBUG_RESIZING        = 1 << 15,
+  META_DEBUG_SHAPES          = 1 << 16,
+  META_DEBUG_EDGE_RESISTANCE = 1 << 17,
+  META_DEBUG_DBUS            = 1 << 18,
+  META_DEBUG_INPUT           = 1 << 19,
+  META_DEBUG_WAYLAND         = 1 << 20,
+  META_DEBUG_KMS             = 1 << 21,
+  META_DEBUG_SCREEN_CAST     = 1 << 22,
+  META_DEBUG_REMOTE_DESKTOP  = 1 << 23,
+  META_DEBUG_BACKEND         = 1 << 24,
+  META_DEBUG_RENDER          = 1 << 25,
+  META_DEBUG_COLOR           = 1 << 26,
+  META_DEBUG_INPUT_EVENTS    = 1 << 27,
+  META_DEBUG_EIS             = 1 << 28,
+} MetaDebugTopic;
+
+META_EXPORT
+gboolean meta_is_topic_enabled (MetaDebugTopic topic);
+
+/* To disable verbose mode, we make these functions into no-ops */
+#ifdef WITH_VERBOSE_MODE
+
+const char * meta_topic_to_string (MetaDebugTopic topic);
+
+META_EXPORT
+void meta_log (const char *format, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF (1, 2);
+
+#define meta_topic(debug_topic, ...) \
+  G_STMT_START \
+    { \
+      if (meta_is_topic_enabled (debug_topic)) \
+        { \
+          g_autofree char *_topic_message = NULL; \
+\
+          _topic_message = g_strdup_printf (__VA_ARGS__); \
+          meta_log ("%s: %s", meta_topic_to_string (debug_topic), \
+                     _topic_message); \
+        } \
+    } \
+  G_STMT_END
+
+#define meta_verbose(...) meta_topic (META_DEBUG_VERBOSE, __VA_ARGS__)
+
+#else
+
+#  ifdef G_HAVE_ISO_VARARGS
+#    define meta_verbose(...)
+#    define meta_topic(...)
+#  elif defined(G_HAVE_GNUC_VARARGS)
+#    define meta_verbose(format...)
+#    define meta_topic(format...)
+#  else
+#    error "This compiler does not support varargs macros and thus verbose mode can't be disabled meaningfully"
+#  endif
+
+#endif /* !WITH_VERBOSE_MODE */
diff --git a/src/meta/util.h b/src/meta/util.h
index 0019c8078..ca8ca2ade 100644
--- a/src/meta/util.h
+++ b/src/meta/util.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <glib-object.h>
 
 #include "meta/common.h"
+#include "meta/meta-debug.h"
 #include "meta/meta-later.h"
 
 META_EXPORT
@@ -46,71 +47,6 @@ META_EXPORT
 void meta_fatal      (const char *format,
                       ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF (1, 2) G_GNUC_NORETURN G_ANALYZER_NORETURN;
 
-/**
- * MetaDebugTopic:
- * @META_DEBUG_VERBOSE: verbose logging
- * @META_DEBUG_FOCUS: focus
- * @META_DEBUG_WORKAREA: workarea
- * @META_DEBUG_STACK: stack
- * @META_DEBUG_SM: session management
- * @META_DEBUG_EVENTS: events
- * @META_DEBUG_WINDOW_STATE: window state
- * @META_DEBUG_WINDOW_OPS: window operations
- * @META_DEBUG_GEOMETRY: geometry
- * @META_DEBUG_PLACEMENT: window placement
- * @META_DEBUG_PING: ping
- * @META_DEBUG_KEYBINDINGS: keybindings
- * @META_DEBUG_SYNC: sync
- * @META_DEBUG_STARTUP: startup
- * @META_DEBUG_PREFS: preferences
- * @META_DEBUG_GROUPS: groups
- * @META_DEBUG_RESIZING: resizing
- * @META_DEBUG_SHAPES: shapes
- * @META_DEBUG_EDGE_RESISTANCE: edge resistance
- * @META_DEBUG_WAYLAND: Wayland
- * @META_DEBUG_KMS: kernel mode setting
- * @META_DEBUG_SCREEN_CAST: screencasting
- * @META_DEBUG_REMOTE_DESKTOP: remote desktop
- * @META_DEBUG_BACKEND: backend
- * @META_DEBUG_RENDER: native backend rendering
- * @META_DEBUG_COLOR: color management
- * @META_DEBUG_INPUT_EVENTS: input events
- * @META_DEBUG_EIS: eis state
- */
-typedef enum
-{
-  META_DEBUG_VERBOSE         = -1,
-  META_DEBUG_FOCUS           = 1 << 0,
-  META_DEBUG_WORKAREA        = 1 << 1,
-  META_DEBUG_STACK           = 1 << 2,
-  META_DEBUG_SM              = 1 << 3,
-  META_DEBUG_EVENTS          = 1 << 4,
-  META_DEBUG_WINDOW_STATE    = 1 << 5,
-  META_DEBUG_WINDOW_OPS      = 1 << 6,
-  META_DEBUG_GEOMETRY        = 1 << 7,
-  META_DEBUG_PLACEMENT       = 1 << 8,
-  META_DEBUG_PING            = 1 << 9,
-  META_DEBUG_KEYBINDINGS     = 1 << 10,
-  META_DEBUG_SYNC            = 1 << 11,
-  META_DEBUG_STARTUP         = 1 << 12,
-  META_DEBUG_PREFS           = 1 << 13,
-  META_DEBUG_GROUPS          = 1 << 14,
-  META_DEBUG_RESIZING        = 1 << 15,
-  META_DEBUG_SHAPES          = 1 << 16,
-  META_DEBUG_EDGE_RESISTANCE = 1 << 17,
-  META_DEBUG_DBUS            = 1 << 18,
-  META_DEBUG_INPUT           = 1 << 19,
-  META_DEBUG_WAYLAND         = 1 << 20,
-  META_DEBUG_KMS             = 1 << 21,
-  META_DEBUG_SCREEN_CAST     = 1 << 22,
-  META_DEBUG_REMOTE_DESKTOP  = 1 << 23,
-  META_DEBUG_BACKEND         = 1 << 24,
-  META_DEBUG_RENDER          = 1 << 25,
-  META_DEBUG_COLOR           = 1 << 26,
-  META_DEBUG_INPUT_EVENTS    = 1 << 27,
-  META_DEBUG_EIS             = 1 << 28,
-} MetaDebugTopic;
-
 /**
  * MetaDebugPaintFlag:
  * @META_DEBUG_PAINT_NONE: default
@@ -122,9 +58,6 @@ typedef enum
   META_DEBUG_PAINT_OPAQUE_REGION = 1 << 0,
 } MetaDebugPaintFlag;
 
-META_EXPORT
-gboolean meta_is_topic_enabled (MetaDebugTopic topic);
-
 META_EXPORT
 void meta_add_verbose_topic    (MetaDebugTopic topic);
 
@@ -155,44 +88,6 @@ char* meta_external_binding_name_for_action (guint keybinding_action);
 META_EXPORT
 char* meta_g_utf8_strndup (const gchar *src, gsize n);
 
-/* To disable verbose mode, we make these functions into no-ops */
-#ifdef WITH_VERBOSE_MODE
-
-const char * meta_topic_to_string (MetaDebugTopic topic);
-
-META_EXPORT
-void meta_log (const char *format, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF (1, 2);
-
-#define meta_topic(debug_topic, ...) \
-  G_STMT_START \
-    { \
-      if (meta_is_topic_enabled (debug_topic)) \
-        { \
-          g_autofree char *_topic_message = NULL; \
-\
-          _topic_message = g_strdup_printf (__VA_ARGS__); \
-          meta_log ("%s: %s", meta_topic_to_string (debug_topic), \
-                     _topic_message); \
-        } \
-    } \
-  G_STMT_END
-
-#define meta_verbose(...) meta_topic (META_DEBUG_VERBOSE, __VA_ARGS__)
-
-#else
-
-#  ifdef G_HAVE_ISO_VARARGS
-#    define meta_verbose(...)
-#    define meta_topic(...)
-#  elif defined(G_HAVE_GNUC_VARARGS)
-#    define meta_verbose(format...)
-#    define meta_topic(format...)
-#  else
-#    error "This compiler does not support varargs macros and thus verbose mode can't be disabled meaningfully"
-#  endif
-
-#endif /* !WITH_VERBOSE_MODE */
-
 typedef enum
 {
   META_LOCALE_DIRECTION_LTR,