diff --git a/cogl/cogl-internal.h b/cogl/cogl-internal.h
index 0cc2f9bec..5c9a0979b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-internal.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-internal.h
@@ -90,13 +90,6 @@ typedef enum { /*< prefix=COGL_DRIVER_ERROR >*/
   COGL_DRIVER_ERROR_FAILED_TO_LOAD_LIBRARY
 } CoglDriverError;
 
-typedef enum
-{
-  COGL_DRIVER_GL,
-  COGL_DRIVER_GLES1,
-  COGL_DRIVER_GLES2
-} CoglDriver;
-
 typedef enum
 {
   COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_TEXTURE_2D_FROM_EGL_IMAGE = 1L<<0,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h b/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
index bdc505da6..11dc0bb07 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct _CoglRenderer
 {
   CoglObject _parent;
   gboolean connected;
+  CoglDriver driver_override;
   const CoglWinsysVtable *winsys_vtable;
   CoglWinsysID winsys_id_override;
   GList *constraints;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-renderer.c b/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
index 2af1f74b4..1c6a28b84 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
@@ -245,7 +245,9 @@ _cogl_renderer_choose_driver (CoglRenderer *renderer,
     driver_name = _cogl_config_driver;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_COGL_GL
-  if (driver_name == NULL || !g_ascii_strcasecmp (driver_name, "gl"))
+  if (renderer->driver_override == COGL_DRIVER_GL ||
+      (renderer->driver_override == COGL_DRIVER_ANY &&
+       (driver_name == NULL || !g_ascii_strcasecmp (driver_name, "gl"))))
     {
       renderer->driver = COGL_DRIVER_GL;
       libgl_name = COGL_GL_LIBNAME;
@@ -254,7 +256,9 @@ _cogl_renderer_choose_driver (CoglRenderer *renderer,
 #endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_COGL_GLES2
-  if (driver_name == NULL || !g_ascii_strcasecmp (driver_name, "gles2"))
+  if (renderer->driver_override == COGL_DRIVER_GLES2 ||
+      (renderer->driver_override == COGL_DRIVER_ANY &&
+       (driver_name == NULL || !g_ascii_strcasecmp (driver_name, "gles2"))))
     {
       renderer->driver = COGL_DRIVER_GLES2;
       libgl_name = COGL_GLES2_LIBNAME;
@@ -263,7 +267,9 @@ _cogl_renderer_choose_driver (CoglRenderer *renderer,
 #endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_COGL_GLES
-  if (driver_name == NULL || !g_ascii_strcasecmp (driver_name, "gles1"))
+  if (renderer->driver_override == COGL_DRIVER_GLES1 ||
+      (renderer->driver_override == COGL_DRIVER_ANY &&
+       (driver_name == NULL || !g_ascii_strcasecmp (driver_name, "gles1"))))
     {
       renderer->driver = COGL_DRIVER_GLES1;
       libgl_name = COGL_GLES1_LIBNAME;
@@ -505,3 +511,18 @@ cogl_renderer_remove_constraint (CoglRenderer *renderer,
                                          GUINT_TO_POINTER (constraint));
 }
 
+void
+cogl_renderer_set_driver (CoglRenderer *renderer,
+                          CoglDriver driver)
+{
+  _COGL_RETURN_IF_FAIL (!renderer->connected);
+  renderer->driver_override = driver;
+}
+
+CoglDriver
+cogl_renderer_get_driver (CoglRenderer *renderer)
+{
+  _COGL_RETURN_VAL_IF_FAIL (renderer->connected, 0);
+
+  return renderer->driver;
+}
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-renderer.h b/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
index 06b0f5c19..63323279c 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
@@ -319,6 +319,62 @@ void
 cogl_renderer_remove_constraint (CoglRenderer *renderer,
                                  CoglRendererConstraint constraint);
 
+/**
+ * CoglDriver:
+ * @COGL_DRIVER_ANY: Implies no preference for which driver is used
+ * @COGL_DRIVER_GL: An OpenGL driver.
+ * @COGL_DRIVER_GLES1: An OpenGL ES 1.1 driver.
+ * @COGL_DRIVER_GLES2: An OpenGL ES 2.0 driver.
+ *
+ * Identifiers for underlying hardware drivers that may be used by
+ * Cogl for rendering.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.10
+ * Stability: unstable
+ */
+typedef enum
+{
+  COGL_DRIVER_ANY,
+  COGL_DRIVER_GL,
+  COGL_DRIVER_GLES1,
+  COGL_DRIVER_GLES2
+} CoglDriver;
+
+/**
+ * cogl_renderer_set_driver:
+ * @renderer: An unconnected #CoglRenderer
+ *
+ * Requests that Cogl should try to use a specific underlying driver
+ * for rendering.
+ *
+ * If you select an unsupported driver then cogl_renderer_connect()
+ * will fail and report an error. Most applications should not
+ * explicitly select a driver and should rely on Cogl automatically
+ * choosing the driver.
+ *
+ * This may only be called on an un-connected #CoglRenderer.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.10
+ * Stability: unstable
+ */
+void
+cogl_renderer_set_driver (CoglRenderer *renderer,
+                          CoglDriver driver);
+
+/**
+ * cogl_renderer_get_driver:
+ * @renderer: A connected #CoglRenderer
+ *
+ * Queries what underlying driver is being used by Cogl.
+ *
+ * This may only be called on a connected #CoglRenderer.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.10
+ * Stability: unstable
+ */
+CoglDriver
+cogl_renderer_get_driver (CoglRenderer *renderer);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __COGL_RENDERER_H__ */
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-kms.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-kms.c
index 7864bd24c..1f42fe589 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-kms.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-kms.c
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ _cogl_winsys_egl_display_setup (CoglDisplay *display,
       surfaceless_feature = COGL_EGL_WINSYS_FEATURE_SURFACELESS_GLES2;
       surfaceless_feature_name = "gles2";
       break;
+    case COGL_DRIVER_ANY:
+      g_return_val_if_reached (FALSE);
     }
 
   if (!(egl_renderer->private_features & surfaceless_feature))