diff --git a/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c b/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c
index e3ecf80a3..06aed4af4 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c
@@ -809,6 +809,12 @@ _cogl_atlas_texture_remove_reorganize_callback (GHookFunc callback,
     g_hook_destroy_link (&ctx->atlas_reorganize_callbacks, hook);
 }
 
+static CoglTextureType
+_cogl_atlas_texture_get_type (CoglTexture *tex)
+{
+  return COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_2D;
+}
+
 static const CoglTextureVtable
 cogl_atlas_texture_vtable =
   {
@@ -829,5 +835,6 @@ cogl_atlas_texture_vtable =
     _cogl_atlas_texture_get_gl_format,
     _cogl_atlas_texture_get_width,
     _cogl_atlas_texture_get_height,
+    _cogl_atlas_texture_get_type,
     NULL /* is_foreign */
   };
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-sub-texture.c b/cogl/cogl-sub-texture.c
index 3967ecd68..99ecfcc53 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-sub-texture.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-sub-texture.c
@@ -416,6 +416,14 @@ _cogl_sub_texture_get_height (CoglTexture *tex)
   return sub_tex->sub_height;
 }
 
+static CoglTextureType
+_cogl_sub_texture_get_type (CoglTexture *tex)
+{
+  CoglSubTexture *sub_tex = COGL_SUB_TEXTURE (tex);
+
+  return _cogl_texture_get_type (sub_tex->full_texture);
+}
+
 static const CoglTextureVtable
 cogl_sub_texture_vtable =
   {
@@ -436,5 +444,6 @@ cogl_sub_texture_vtable =
     _cogl_sub_texture_get_gl_format,
     _cogl_sub_texture_get_width,
     _cogl_sub_texture_get_height,
+    _cogl_sub_texture_get_type,
     NULL /* is_foreign */
   };
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-sliced.c b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-sliced.c
index 03d3299cb..7220bf24c 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-sliced.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-sliced.c
@@ -1293,6 +1293,12 @@ _cogl_texture_2d_sliced_get_height (CoglTexture *tex)
   return COGL_TEXTURE_2D_SLICED (tex)->height;
 }
 
+static CoglTextureType
+_cogl_texture_2d_sliced_get_type (CoglTexture *tex)
+{
+  return COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_2D;
+}
+
 static const CoglTextureVtable
 cogl_texture_2d_sliced_vtable =
   {
@@ -1313,5 +1319,6 @@ cogl_texture_2d_sliced_vtable =
     _cogl_texture_2d_sliced_get_gl_format,
     _cogl_texture_2d_sliced_get_width,
     _cogl_texture_2d_sliced_get_height,
+    _cogl_texture_2d_sliced_get_type,
     _cogl_texture_2d_sliced_is_foreign
   };
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d.c b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d.c
index 794f18641..89bf63dad 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d.c
@@ -859,6 +859,12 @@ _cogl_texture_2d_is_foreign (CoglTexture *tex)
   return COGL_TEXTURE_2D (tex)->is_foreign;
 }
 
+static CoglTextureType
+_cogl_texture_2d_get_type (CoglTexture *tex)
+{
+  return COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_2D;
+}
+
 static const CoglTextureVtable
 cogl_texture_2d_vtable =
   {
@@ -879,5 +885,6 @@ cogl_texture_2d_vtable =
     _cogl_texture_2d_get_gl_format,
     _cogl_texture_2d_get_width,
     _cogl_texture_2d_get_height,
+    _cogl_texture_2d_get_type,
     _cogl_texture_2d_is_foreign
   };
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-3d.c b/cogl/cogl-texture-3d.c
index d6e36dd4c..f332b68f3 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-3d.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-3d.c
@@ -592,6 +592,12 @@ _cogl_texture_3d_get_height (CoglTexture *tex)
   return COGL_TEXTURE_3D (tex)->height;
 }
 
+static CoglTextureType
+_cogl_texture_3d_get_type (CoglTexture *tex)
+{
+  return COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_3D;
+}
+
 static const CoglTextureVtable
 cogl_texture_3d_vtable =
   {
@@ -612,5 +618,6 @@ cogl_texture_3d_vtable =
     _cogl_texture_3d_get_gl_format,
     _cogl_texture_3d_get_width,
     _cogl_texture_3d_get_height,
+    _cogl_texture_3d_get_type,
     NULL /* is_foreign */
   };
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h b/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h
index 1048b210f..2f7d9251d 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ struct _CoglTextureVtable
   int (* get_width) (CoglTexture *tex);
   int (* get_height) (CoglTexture *tex);
 
+  CoglTextureType (* get_type) (CoglTexture *tex);
+
   gboolean (* is_foreign) (CoglTexture *tex);
 };
 
@@ -274,4 +276,16 @@ _cogl_texture_spans_foreach_in_region (CoglSpan *x_spans,
                                        CoglMetaTextureCallback callback,
                                        void *user_data);
 
+/*
+ * _cogl_texture_get_type:
+ * @texture: a #CoglTexture pointer
+ *
+ * Retrieves the texture type of the underlying hardware texture that
+ * this #CoglTexture will use.
+ *
+ * Return value: The type of the hardware texture.
+ */
+CoglTextureType
+_cogl_texture_get_type (CoglTexture *texture);
+
 #endif /* __COGL_TEXTURE_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-rectangle.c b/cogl/cogl-texture-rectangle.c
index c43779b27..556b718ef 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-rectangle.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-rectangle.c
@@ -579,6 +579,12 @@ _cogl_texture_rectangle_is_foreign (CoglTexture *tex)
   return COGL_TEXTURE_RECTANGLE (tex)->is_foreign;
 }
 
+static CoglTextureType
+_cogl_texture_rectangle_get_type (CoglTexture *tex)
+{
+  return COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_RECTANGLE;
+}
+
 static const CoglTextureVtable
 cogl_texture_rectangle_vtable =
   {
@@ -599,5 +605,6 @@ cogl_texture_rectangle_vtable =
     _cogl_texture_rectangle_get_gl_format,
     _cogl_texture_rectangle_get_width,
     _cogl_texture_rectangle_get_height,
+    _cogl_texture_rectangle_get_type,
     _cogl_texture_rectangle_is_foreign
   };
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture.c b/cogl/cogl-texture.c
index d957a9448..6f6f96303 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture.c
@@ -643,6 +643,12 @@ cogl_texture_get_gl_texture (CoglTexture *texture,
                                           out_gl_handle, out_gl_target);
 }
 
+CoglTextureType
+_cogl_texture_get_type (CoglTexture *texture)
+{
+  return texture->vtable->get_type (texture);
+}
+
 void
 _cogl_texture_set_filters (CoglTexture *texture,
                            GLenum min_filter,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture.h b/cogl/cogl-texture.h
index 6fedfb25a..36fde2a21 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture.h
@@ -78,6 +78,24 @@ typedef enum {
   COGL_TEXTURE_ERROR_TYPE
 } CoglTextureError;
 
+/**
+ * CoglTextureType:
+ * @COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_2D: A #CoglTexture2D
+ * @COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_3D: A #CoglTexture3D
+ * @COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_RECTANGLE: A #CoglTextureRectangle
+ *
+ * Constants representing the underlying hardware texture type of a
+ * #CoglTexture.
+ *
+ * Stability: unstable
+ * Since: 1.10
+ */
+typedef enum {
+  COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_2D,
+  COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_3D,
+  COGL_TEXTURE_TYPE_RECTANGLE
+} CoglTextureType;
+
 GQuark cogl_texture_error_quark (void);
 
 /**
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-texture-pixmap-x11.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-texture-pixmap-x11.c
index 33d74ba33..1b1a1b42e 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-texture-pixmap-x11.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-texture-pixmap-x11.c
@@ -998,6 +998,18 @@ _cogl_texture_pixmap_x11_get_height (CoglTexture *tex)
   return tex_pixmap->height;
 }
 
+static CoglTextureType
+_cogl_texture_pixmap_x11_get_type (CoglTexture *tex)
+{
+  CoglTexturePixmapX11 *tex_pixmap = COGL_TEXTURE_PIXMAP_X11 (tex);
+  CoglTexture *child_tex;
+
+  child_tex = _cogl_texture_pixmap_x11_get_texture (tex_pixmap);
+
+  /* Forward on to the child texture */
+  return _cogl_texture_get_type (child_tex);
+}
+
 static void
 _cogl_texture_pixmap_x11_free (CoglTexturePixmapX11 *tex_pixmap)
 {
@@ -1049,5 +1061,6 @@ cogl_texture_pixmap_x11_vtable =
     _cogl_texture_pixmap_x11_get_gl_format,
     _cogl_texture_pixmap_x11_get_width,
     _cogl_texture_pixmap_x11_get_height,
+    _cogl_texture_pixmap_x11_get_type,
     NULL /* is_foreign */
   };
diff --git a/doc/reference/cogl-2.0-experimental/cogl-2.0-experimental-sections.txt b/doc/reference/cogl-2.0-experimental/cogl-2.0-experimental-sections.txt
index 36f491937..2c2b561f7 100644
--- a/doc/reference/cogl-2.0-experimental/cogl-2.0-experimental-sections.txt
+++ b/doc/reference/cogl-2.0-experimental/cogl-2.0-experimental-sections.txt
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ cogl_texture_get_format
 cogl_texture_is_sliced
 cogl_texture_get_data
 cogl_texture_set_region
+CoglTextureType
 
 <SUBSECTION Private>
 COGL_TEXTURE_MAX_WASTE