diff --git a/clutter/Makefile.am b/clutter/Makefile.am
index cb0a6c0ef..71ab39271 100644
--- a/clutter/Makefile.am
+++ b/clutter/Makefile.am
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ DISTCLEANFILES =
 EXTRA_DIST =
 BUILT_SOURCES =
 
-if WINSYS_WIN32
+if SUPPORT_WIN32
 
 # Ideally this resources stuff would go in win32/ but libtool doesn't
 # seem to pass on the -Wl argument when linking a convenience library
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ win32/resources.o : $(srcdir)/win32/invisible-cursor.cur
 win32_resources = win32/resources.o
 win32_resources_ldflag = -Wl,win32/resources.o
 
-endif # WINSYS_WIN32
+endif # SUPPORT_WIN32
 
 INCLUDES = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir) 				\
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/Makefile.am b/clutter/cogl/cogl/Makefile.am
index 058551d77..43934ad33 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/Makefile.am
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/Makefile.am
@@ -71,20 +71,8 @@ cogl_public_h = \
 	$(srcdir)/cogl.h			\
 	$(NULL)
 
-# windowing system; all sources have to be distributed, but we'll
-# compile just the one we need
-cogl_winsys_sources = \
-	$(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-eglnative.c	\
-	$(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-eglx.c		\
-	$(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-glx.c		\
-	$(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-osx.c		\
-	$(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-sdl.c		\
-	$(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-win32.c		\
-	$(NULL)
-
 cogl_sources_c = \
 	$(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-winsys.h			\
-	$(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-@COGL_WINSYS@.c		\
 	$(srcdir)/cogl-handle.h 			\
 	$(srcdir)/cogl-context.h			\
 	$(srcdir)/cogl-context.c			\
@@ -161,7 +149,31 @@ libclutter_cogl_la_LIBADD = -lm $(CLUTTER_LIBS) $(top_builddir)/clutter/cogl/cog
 
 libclutter_cogl_la_SOURCES = $(BUILT_SOURCES) $(cogl_sources_c)
 
-EXTRA_DIST += $(cogl_winsys_sources)
+if SUPPORT_GLX
+libclutter_cogl_la_SOURCES += \
+       $(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-glx.c
+endif
+if SUPPORT_EGL_PLATFORM_POWERVR_X11
+libclutter_cogl_la_SOURCES += \
+       $(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-eglx.c
+endif
+if SUPPORT_EGL_PLATFORM_POWERVR_NULL
+libclutter_cogl_la_SOURCES += \
+       $(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-eglnative.c
+endif
+if SUPPORT_EGL_PLATFORM_FRUITY
+libclutter_cogl_la_SOURCES += \
+       $(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-fruity.c
+endif
+if SUPPORT_WIN32
+libclutter_cogl_la_SOURCES += \
+       $(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-win32.c
+endif
+if SUPPORT_OSX
+libclutter_cogl_la_SOURCES += \
+       $(srcdir)/winsys/cogl-osx.c
+endif
+
 EXTRA_DIST += stb_image.c
 
 # COGL installed headers
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2b103f31a..6b4507315 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -351,7 +351,21 @@ AS_CASE([$CLUTTER_WINSYS],
         [AC_MSG_ERROR([Invalid backend for Clutter: use glx, osx, win32, eglx, eglnative or fruity])]
 )
 
-AM_CONDITIONAL(WINSYS_WIN32, [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xwin32"])
+# winsys conditionals for use in automake files...
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SUPPORT_GLX, [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xglx"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SUPPORT_X11, [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xglx" -o \
+                             "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xeglx"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SUPPORT_XLIB, [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xglx" -o \
+                              "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xeglx"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SUPPORT_EGL,
+               [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xeglx" -o \
+                "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xeglnative" -o \
+                "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xfruity"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SUPPORT_EGL_PLATFORM_POWERVR_X11, [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xeglx"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SUPPORT_EGL_PLATFORM_POWERVR_NULL, [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xeglnative"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SUPPORT_EGL_PLATFORM_FRUITY, [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xfruity"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SUPPORT_OSX, [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xosx"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SUPPORT_WIN32, [test "x$CLUTTER_WINSYS" = "xwin32"])
 
 # at this point we must have a GL header to check
 AS_IF([test "x$clutter_gl_header" = "x"], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Internal error: no GL header set])])