diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-render-device-gbm.c b/src/backends/native/meta-render-device-gbm.c
index 5dc99d379..bde08adc3 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-render-device-gbm.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-render-device-gbm.c
@@ -153,3 +153,9 @@ meta_render_device_gbm_new (MetaBackend     *backend,
                          "device-file", device_file,
                          NULL);
 }
+
+struct gbm_device *
+meta_render_device_gbm_get_gbm_device (MetaRenderDeviceGbm *render_device_gbm)
+{
+  return render_device_gbm->gbm_device;
+}
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-render-device-gbm.h b/src/backends/native/meta-render-device-gbm.h
index c831b0d40..4c8b0516c 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-render-device-gbm.h
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-render-device-gbm.h
@@ -32,4 +32,6 @@ MetaRenderDeviceGbm * meta_render_device_gbm_new (MetaBackend     *backend,
                                                   MetaDeviceFile  *device_file,
                                                   GError         **error);
 
+struct gbm_device * meta_render_device_gbm_get_gbm_device (MetaRenderDeviceGbm *render_device_gbm);
+
 #endif /* META_RENDER_DEVICE_GBM_H */