diff --git a/src/backends/meta-monitor.c b/src/backends/meta-monitor.c
index 0dca085ea..96e2b1aa6 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-monitor.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-monitor.c
@@ -386,6 +386,15 @@ meta_monitor_is_laptop_panel (MetaMonitor *monitor)
     }
 }
 
+gboolean
+meta_monitor_is_virtual (MetaMonitor *monitor)
+{
+  const MetaOutputInfo *output_info =
+    meta_monitor_get_main_output_info (monitor);
+
+  return output_info->is_virtual;
+}
+
 gboolean
 meta_monitor_is_same_as (MetaMonitor *monitor,
                          MetaMonitor *other_monitor)
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-monitor.h b/src/backends/meta-monitor.h
index 17c4ff3b3..5d924b07b 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-monitor.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-monitor.h
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ gboolean meta_monitor_get_max_bpc (MetaMonitor  *monitor,
 
 gboolean meta_monitor_is_laptop_panel (MetaMonitor *monitor);
 
+gboolean meta_monitor_is_virtual (MetaMonitor *monitor);
+
 gboolean meta_monitor_is_same_as (MetaMonitor *monitor,
                                   MetaMonitor *other_monitor);
 
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-output.h b/src/backends/meta-output.h
index 02ec0fa09..f87a625e6 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-output.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-output.h
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ typedef struct _MetaOutputInfo
 {
   grefcount ref_count;
 
+  gboolean is_virtual;
+
   char *name;
   char *vendor;
   char *product;
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-output-virtual.c b/src/backends/native/meta-output-virtual.c
index 12efb3338..d276d3c6e 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-output-virtual.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-output-virtual.c
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ meta_output_virtual_new (uint64_t                      id,
   output_info = meta_output_info_new ();
   output_info->name = g_strdup_printf ("Meta-%" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, id);
 
+  output_info->is_virtual = TRUE;
+
   output_info->n_possible_crtcs = 1;
   output_info->possible_crtcs = g_new0 (MetaCrtc *, 1);
   output_info->possible_crtcs[0] = META_CRTC (crtc_virtual);