diff --git a/TESTING.md b/TESTING.md
--- a/TESTING.md
+++ b/TESTING.md
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
 * breeze window decoration
 
 # Preparing a run of the test suite
-Please load the kernel module "vgem". This is required to provide a virtual OpenGL device.
+In case your system does not support the EGL extension EGL_MESA_platform_surfaceless,
+please load the kernel module "vgem". This is required to provide a virtual OpenGL device.
 
     sudo modprobe vgem
 
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/virtual/egl_gbm_backend.cpp b/plugins/platforms/virtual/egl_gbm_backend.cpp
--- a/plugins/platforms/virtual/egl_gbm_backend.cpp
+++ b/plugins/platforms/virtual/egl_gbm_backend.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,13 @@
     // Use eglGetPlatformDisplayEXT() to get the display pointer
     // if the implementation supports it.
     if (display == EGL_NO_DISPLAY) {
+        // first try surfaceless
+        if (hasClientExtension(QByteArrayLiteral("EGL_MESA_platform_surfaceless"))) {
+            display = eglGetPlatformDisplayEXT(EGL_PLATFORM_SURFACELESS_MESA, EGL_DEFAULT_DISPLAY, nullptr);
+        }
+    }
+    if (display == EGL_NO_DISPLAY) {
+        qCDebug(KWIN_VIRTUAL) << "Failed to create surfaceless platform, trying with vgem device";
         const bool hasMesaGBM = hasClientExtension(QByteArrayLiteral("EGL_MESA_platform_gbm"));
         const bool hasKHRGBM = hasClientExtension(QByteArrayLiteral("EGL_KHR_platform_gbm"));
         const GLenum platform = hasMesaGBM ? EGL_PLATFORM_GBM_MESA : EGL_PLATFORM_GBM_KHR;