diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d.c b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d.c
index 216c566eb..ba4c6d086 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d.c
@@ -460,9 +460,9 @@ _cogl_egl_texture_2d_new_from_image (CoglContext *ctx,
   CoglTexture2D *tex_2d;
   GLenum gl_error;
 
-  _COGL_RETURN_VAL_IF_FAIL (_cogl_context_get_winsys (ctx) ==
-                        _cogl_winsys_egl_get_vtable (),
-                        NULL);
+  _COGL_RETURN_VAL_IF_FAIL (_cogl_context_get_winsys (ctx)->criteria &
+                            COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_EGL,
+                            NULL);
 
   _COGL_RETURN_VAL_IF_FAIL (ctx->private_feature_flags &
                         COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_TEXTURE_2D_FROM_EGL_IMAGE,
@@ -547,8 +547,8 @@ cogl_wayland_texture_2d_new_from_buffer (CoglContext *ctx,
     {
       EGLImageKHR image;
 
-      _COGL_RETURN_VAL_IF_FAIL (_cogl_context_get_winsys (ctx) ==
-                                _cogl_winsys_egl_get_vtable (),
+      _COGL_RETURN_VAL_IF_FAIL (_cogl_context_get_winsys (ctx)->criteria &
+                                COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_EGL,
                                 NULL);
       image = _cogl_egl_create_image (ctx,
                                       EGL_WAYLAND_BUFFER_WL,
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-x11.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-x11.c
index b66a6d879..3506ba964 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-x11.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-x11.c
@@ -696,6 +696,8 @@ _cogl_winsys_egl_xlib_get_vtable (void)
 
       vtable.id = COGL_WINSYS_ID_EGL_XLIB;
       vtable.name = "EGL_XLIB";
+      vtable.criteria |= (COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_X11 |
+                          COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_XLIB);
 
       vtable.renderer_connect = _cogl_winsys_renderer_connect;
       vtable.renderer_disconnect = _cogl_winsys_renderer_disconnect;
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
index ce5d5da39..e5618da0a 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
@@ -640,6 +640,8 @@ _cogl_winsys_context_egl_get_egl_display (CoglContext *context)
 
 static CoglWinsysVtable _cogl_winsys_vtable =
   {
+    .criteria = COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_EGL,
+
     /* This winsys is only used as a base for the EGL-platform
        winsys's so it does not have an ID or a name */
 
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
index 4e2d9edc1..66252de2d 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
@@ -2056,6 +2056,9 @@ static CoglWinsysVtable _cogl_winsys_vtable =
   {
     .id = COGL_WINSYS_ID_GLX,
     .name = "GLX",
+    .criteria = (COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_X11 |
+                 COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_XLIB),
+
     .renderer_get_proc_address = _cogl_winsys_renderer_get_proc_address,
     .renderer_connect = _cogl_winsys_renderer_connect,
     .renderer_disconnect = _cogl_winsys_renderer_disconnect,
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
index 16317b7ba..7686d23bc 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
@@ -54,9 +54,23 @@ typedef enum
   COGL_WINSYS_RECTANGLE_STATE_ENABLE
 } CoglWinsysRectangleState;
 
+/* These criteria flags are hard-coded features of the winsys
+   regardless of the underlying driver or GPU. We might eventually
+   want to use these in a mechanism for the application to specify
+   criteria for the winsys instead of a specific winsys but for now
+   they are only used internally to assert that an EGL winsys is
+   selected */
+typedef enum
+{
+  COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_X11 = (1 << 0),
+  COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_XLIB = (1 << 1),
+  COGL_WINSYS_CRITERIA_USES_EGL = (1 << 2)
+} CoglWinsysCriteria;
+
 typedef struct _CoglWinsysVtable
 {
   CoglWinsysID id;
+  CoglWinsysCriteria criteria;
 
   const char *name;