diff --git a/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h b/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
index 9300f9fb9..fa07b3208 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ struct _CoglRenderer
   CoglObject _parent;
   gboolean connected;
   const CoglWinsysVtable *winsys_vtable;
+  CoglWinsysID winsys_id_override;
 #ifdef COGL_HAS_XLIB_SUPPORT
   Display *foreign_xdpy;
 #endif
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-renderer.c b/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
index 06679d415..d89065d50 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
@@ -172,7 +172,6 @@ gboolean
 cogl_renderer_connect (CoglRenderer *renderer, GError **error)
 {
   int i;
-  char *renderer_name = getenv ("COGL_RENDERER");
   GString *error_message;
 
   if (renderer->connected)
@@ -184,8 +183,17 @@ cogl_renderer_connect (CoglRenderer *renderer, GError **error)
       const CoglWinsysVtable *winsys = _cogl_winsys_vtable_getters[i]();
       GError *tmp_error = NULL;
 
-      if (renderer_name && strcmp (winsys->name, renderer_name) != 0)
-        continue;
+      if (renderer->winsys_id_override != COGL_WINSYS_ID_ANY)
+        {
+          if (renderer->winsys_id_override != winsys->id)
+            continue;
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          char *user_choice = getenv ("COGL_RENDERER");
+          if (user_choice && strcmp (winsys->name, user_choice) != 0)
+            continue;
+        }
 
       /* At least temporarily we will associate this winsys with
        * the renderer in-case ->renderer_connect calls API that
@@ -282,3 +290,20 @@ cogl_renderer_remove_native_filter (CoglRenderer *renderer,
         }
     }
 }
+
+void
+cogl_renderer_set_winsys_id (CoglRenderer *renderer,
+                             CoglWinsysID winsys_id)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (!renderer->connected);
+
+  renderer->winsys_id_override = winsys_id;
+}
+
+CoglWinsysID
+cogl_renderer_get_winsys_id (CoglRenderer *renderer)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (renderer->connected, 0);
+
+  return renderer->winsys_vtable->id;
+}
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-renderer.h b/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
index 38b7fe908..2c6d9d0ef 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
@@ -67,6 +67,61 @@ cogl_renderer_new (void);
 
 /* optional configuration APIs */
 
+/**
+ * CoglWinsysID:
+ * @COGL_WINSYS_ID_ANY: Implies no preference for which backend is used
+ * @COGL_WINSYS_ID_STUB: Use the no-op stub backend
+ * @COGL_WINSYS_ID_GLX: Use the GLX window system binding API
+ * @COGL_WINSYS_ID_EGL: Use the Khronos EGL window system binding API
+ * @COGL_WINSYS_ID_WGL: Use the Microsoft Windows WGL binding API
+ *
+ * Identifies specific window system backends that Cogl supports.
+ *
+ * These can be used to query what backend Cogl is using or to try and
+ * explicitly select a backend to use.
+ */
+typedef enum
+{
+  COGL_WINSYS_ID_ANY,
+  COGL_WINSYS_ID_STUB,
+  COGL_WINSYS_ID_GLX,
+  COGL_WINSYS_ID_EGL,
+  COGL_WINSYS_ID_WGL
+} CoglWinsysID;
+
+/**
+ * cogl_renderer_set_winsys_id:
+ * @renderer: A #CoglRenderer
+ * @winsys_id: An ID of the winsys you explicitly want to use.
+ *
+ * This allows you to explicitly select a winsys backend to use instead
+ * of letting Cogl automatically select a backend.
+ *
+ * if you select an unsupported backend then cogl_renderer_connect()
+ * will fail and report an error.
+ *
+ * This may only be called on an un-connected #CoglRenderer.
+ */
+#define cogl_renderer_set_winsys_id cogl_renderer_set_winsys_id_EXP
+void
+cogl_renderer_set_winsys_id (CoglRenderer *renderer,
+                             CoglWinsysID winsys_id);
+
+/**
+ * cogl_renderer_get_winsys_id:
+ * @renderer: A #CoglRenderer
+ *
+ * Queries which window system backend Cogl has chosen to use.
+ *
+ * This may only be called on a connected #CoglRenderer.
+ *
+ * Returns: The #CoglWinsysID corresponding to the chosen window
+ *          system backend.
+ */
+#define cogl_renderer_get_winsys_id cogl_renderer_get_winsys_id_EXP
+CoglWinsysID
+cogl_renderer_get_winsys_id (CoglRenderer *renderer);
+
 #define cogl_renderer_handle_native_event cogl_renderer_handle_native_event_EXP
 /*
  * cogl_renderer_handle_native_event:
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
index 1ae78e31c..69da52990 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
@@ -1646,6 +1646,7 @@ _cogl_winsys_texture_pixmap_x11_get_texture (CoglTexturePixmapX11 *tex_pixmap)
 
 static CoglWinsysVtable _cogl_winsys_vtable =
   {
+    .id = COGL_WINSYS_ID_EGL,
     .name = "EGL",
     .get_proc_address = _cogl_winsys_get_proc_address,
     .renderer_connect = _cogl_winsys_renderer_connect,
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
index f5baa79d8..77e7ebe43 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
@@ -1895,6 +1895,7 @@ _cogl_winsys_texture_pixmap_x11_get_texture (CoglTexturePixmapX11 *tex_pixmap)
 
 static CoglWinsysVtable _cogl_winsys_vtable =
   {
+    .id = COGL_WINSYS_ID_GLX,
     .name = "GLX",
     .get_proc_address = _cogl_winsys_get_proc_address,
     .renderer_connect = _cogl_winsys_renderer_connect,
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
index a8aaf90c6..5822479d6 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #ifndef __COGL_WINSYS_PRIVATE_H
 #define __COGL_WINSYS_PRIVATE_H
 
+#include "cogl-renderer.h"
+
 #include "cogl-framebuffer-private.h"
 #ifdef COGL_HAS_XLIB_SUPPORT
 #include "cogl-texture-pixmap-x11-private.h"
@@ -54,6 +56,8 @@ typedef enum
 
 typedef struct _CoglWinsysVtable
 {
+  CoglWinsysID id;
+
   const char *name;
 
   /* Required functions */
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-stub.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-stub.c
index ef22e13bb..5db9918e8 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-stub.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-stub.c
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ _cogl_winsys_onscreen_set_visibility (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
 
 static CoglWinsysVtable _cogl_winsys_vtable =
   {
+    .id = COGL_WINSYS_ID_STUB,
     .name = "STUB",
     .get_proc_address = _cogl_winsys_get_proc_address,
     .renderer_connect = _cogl_winsys_renderer_connect,
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-wgl.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-wgl.c
index 9eb9e8769..a20cd02d6 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-wgl.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-wgl.c
@@ -827,6 +827,7 @@ _cogl_winsys_wgl_get_vtable (void)
     {
       memset (&vtable, 0, sizeof (vtable));
 
+      vtable.id = COGL_WINSYS_ID_EGL;
       vtable.name = "WGL";
       vtable.get_proc_address = _cogl_winsys_get_proc_address;
       vtable.renderer_connect = _cogl_winsys_renderer_connect;