diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -177,6 +177,10 @@
 if (Libinput_FOUND AND UDEV_FOUND)
     set(HAVE_INPUT TRUE)
 endif()
+set(HAVE_UDEV FALSE)
+if (UDEV_FOUND)
+    set(HAVE_UDEV TRUE)
+endif()
 
 find_package(Libdrm)
 set_package_properties(Libdrm PROPERTIES TYPE OPTIONAL PURPOSE "Required for drm output on Wayland.")
diff --git a/config-kwin.h.cmake b/config-kwin.h.cmake
--- a/config-kwin.h.cmake
+++ b/config-kwin.h.cmake
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #cmakedefine01 HAVE_SYS_PROCCTL_H
 #cmakedefine01 HAVE_PROC_TRACE_CTL
 #cmakedefine01 HAVE_BREEZE_DECO
+#cmakedefine01 HAVE_UDEV
 #if HAVE_BREEZE_DECO
 #define BREEZE_KDECORATION_PLUGIN_ID "${BREEZE_KDECORATION_PLUGIN_ID}"
 #endif
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/virtual/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/platforms/virtual/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/plugins/platforms/virtual/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/platforms/virtual/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,9 +5,16 @@
     screens_virtual.cpp
 )
 
+include(ECMQtDeclareLoggingCategory)
+ecm_qt_declare_logging_category(VIRTUAL_SOURCES HEADER logging.h IDENTIFIER KWIN_VIRTUAL CATEGORY_NAME kwin_platform_virtual DEFAULT_SEVERITY Critical)
+
 add_library(KWinWaylandVirtualBackend MODULE ${VIRTUAL_SOURCES})
 target_link_libraries(KWinWaylandVirtualBackend kwin)
 
+if(HAVE_GBM)
+    target_link_libraries(KWinWaylandVirtualBackend gbm::gbm)
+endif()
+
 install(
     TARGETS
         KWinWaylandVirtualBackend
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/virtual/egl_gbm_backend.h b/plugins/platforms/virtual/egl_gbm_backend.h
--- a/plugins/platforms/virtual/egl_gbm_backend.h
+++ b/plugins/platforms/virtual/egl_gbm_backend.h
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@
 #define KWIN_EGL_GBM_BACKEND_H
 #include "abstract_egl_backend.h"
 #include "scene_opengl.h"
+#include <config-kwin.h>
+
+#if HAVE_GBM
+struct gbm_device;
+#endif
 
 namespace KWin
 {
@@ -51,10 +56,15 @@
     bool initializeEgl();
     bool initBufferConfigs();
     bool initRenderingContext();
+    void initGbmDevice();
     VirtualBackend *m_backend;
     GLTexture *m_backBuffer = nullptr;
     GLRenderTarget *m_fbo = nullptr;
     int m_frameCounter = 0;
+#if HAVE_GBM
+    gbm_device *m_device = nullptr;
+#endif
+    int m_drmFd = -1;
     friend class EglGbmTexture;
 };
 
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
@@ -23,10 +23,20 @@
 #include "virtual_backend.h"
 #include "options.h"
 #include "screens.h"
+#if HAVE_UDEV
+#include "udev.h"
+#endif
+#include <logging.h>
 // kwin libs
 #include <kwinglplatform.h>
 // Qt
 #include <QOpenGLContext>
+// system
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#if HAVE_GBM
+#include <gbm.h>
+#endif
 
 namespace KWin
 {
@@ -48,6 +58,47 @@
     delete m_fbo;
     delete m_backBuffer;
     cleanup();
+#if HAVE_GBM
+    if (m_device) {
+        gbm_device_destroy(m_device);
+    }
+#endif
+    if (m_drmFd != -1) {
+        close(m_drmFd);
+    }
+}
+
+void EglGbmBackend::initGbmDevice()
+{
+#if HAVE_UDEV
+    if (m_drmFd != -1) {
+        // already initialized
+        return;
+    }
+    QScopedPointer<Udev> udev(new Udev);
+    UdevDevice::Ptr device = udev->renderNode();
+    if (!device) {
+        // if we don't have a render node, try to find a virtual (vgem) device
+        qCDebug(KWIN_VIRTUAL) << "No render node, looking for a vgem device";
+        device = udev->virtualGpu();
+    }
+    if (!device) {
+        qCDebug(KWIN_VIRTUAL) << "Neither a render node, nor a vgem device found";
+        return;
+    }
+    qCDebug(KWIN_VIRTUAL) << "Found a device: " << device->devNode();
+    m_drmFd = open(device->devNode(), O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC);
+    if (m_drmFd == -1) {
+        qCWarning(KWIN_VIRTUAL) << "Failed to open: " << device->devNode();
+        return;
+    }
+#if HAVE_GBM
+    m_device = gbm_create_device(m_drmFd);
+    if (!m_device) {
+        qCWarning(KWIN_VIRTUAL) << "Failed to open gbm device";
+    }
+#endif
+#endif
 }
 
 bool EglGbmBackend::initializeEgl()
@@ -64,7 +115,17 @@
             return false;
         }
 
-        display = eglGetPlatformDisplayEXT(EGL_PLATFORM_GBM_MESA, EGL_DEFAULT_DISPLAY, nullptr);
+#if HAVE_GBM
+        initGbmDevice();
+        if (m_device) {
+            display = eglGetPlatformDisplayEXT(EGL_PLATFORM_GBM_MESA, m_device, nullptr);
+        }
+#endif
+
+        if (display == EGL_NO_DISPLAY) {
+            qCWarning(KWIN_VIRTUAL) << "Failed to create EGLDisplay through GBM device, trying with default device";
+            display = eglGetPlatformDisplay(EGL_PLATFORM_GBM_MESA, EGL_DEFAULT_DISPLAY, nullptr);
+        }
     }
 
     if (display == EGL_NO_DISPLAY)
diff --git a/udev.h b/udev.h
--- a/udev.h
+++ b/udev.h
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@
         return m_udev != nullptr;
     }
     UdevDevice::Ptr primaryGpu();
+    UdevDevice::Ptr virtualGpu();
+    UdevDevice::Ptr renderNode();
     UdevDevice::Ptr deviceFromSyspath(const char *syspath);
     UdevMonitor *monitor();
     operator udev*() const {
diff --git a/udev.cpp b/udev.cpp
--- a/udev.cpp
+++ b/udev.cpp
@@ -148,6 +148,36 @@
     });
 }
 
+UdevDevice::Ptr Udev::virtualGpu()
+{
+    if (!m_udev) {
+        return UdevDevice::Ptr();
+    }
+    UdevEnumerate enumerate(this);
+    enumerate.addMatch(UdevEnumerate::Match::SubSystem, "drm");
+    enumerate.addMatch(UdevEnumerate::Match::SysName, "card[0-9]*");
+    enumerate.scan();
+    return enumerate.find([](const UdevDevice::Ptr &device) {
+        const QByteArray deviceName(udev_device_get_syspath(*device));
+        return deviceName.contains("virtual");
+    });
+}
+
+UdevDevice::Ptr Udev::renderNode()
+{
+    if (!m_udev) {
+        return UdevDevice::Ptr();
+    }
+    UdevEnumerate enumerate(this);
+    enumerate.addMatch(UdevEnumerate::Match::SubSystem, "drm");
+    enumerate.addMatch(UdevEnumerate::Match::SysName, "renderD[0-9]*");
+    enumerate.scan();
+    return enumerate.find([](const UdevDevice::Ptr &device) {
+        Q_UNUSED(device)
+        return true;
+    });
+}
+
 UdevDevice::Ptr Udev::deviceFromSyspath(const char *syspath)
 {
     return std::move(UdevDevice::Ptr(new UdevDevice(udev_device_new_from_syspath(m_udev, syspath))));