diff --git a/overlaywindow.h b/overlaywindow.h
--- a/overlaywindow.h
+++ b/overlaywindow.h
@@ -30,28 +30,22 @@
 namespace KWin {
 class KWIN_EXPORT OverlayWindow {
 public:
-    OverlayWindow();
-    ~OverlayWindow();
+    virtual ~OverlayWindow();
     /// Creates XComposite overlay window, call initOverlay() afterwards
-    bool create();
+    virtual bool create() = 0;
     /// Init overlay and the destination window in it
-    void setup(xcb_window_t window);
-    void show();
-    void hide(); // hides and resets overlay window
-    void setShape(const QRegion& reg);
-    void resize(const QSize &size);
+    virtual void setup(xcb_window_t window) = 0;
+    virtual void show() = 0;
+    virtual void hide() = 0; // hides and resets overlay window
+    virtual void setShape(const QRegion& reg) = 0;
+    virtual void resize(const QSize &size) = 0;
     /// Destroys XComposite overlay window
-    void destroy();
-    xcb_window_t window() const;
-    bool isVisible() const;
-    void setVisibility(bool visible);
-private:
-    void setNoneBackgroundPixmap(xcb_window_t window);
-    void setupInputShape(xcb_window_t window);
-    bool m_visible;
-    bool m_shown; // For showOverlay()
-    QRegion m_shape;
-    xcb_window_t m_window;
+    virtual void destroy() = 0;
+    virtual xcb_window_t window() const = 0;
+    virtual bool isVisible() const = 0;
+    virtual void setVisibility(bool visible) = 0;
+protected:
+    OverlayWindow();
 };
 } // namespace
 
diff --git a/overlaywindow.cpp b/overlaywindow.cpp
--- a/overlaywindow.cpp
+++ b/overlaywindow.cpp
@@ -20,164 +20,13 @@
 
 #include "overlaywindow.h"
 
-#include "kwinglobals.h"
-#include "screens.h"
-#include "utils.h"
-#include "xcbutils.h"
-
-#include "assert.h"
-
-#include <QVector>
-
-#include <xcb/composite.h>
-#include <xcb/shape.h>
-#if XCB_COMPOSITE_MAJOR_VERSION > 0 || XCB_COMPOSITE_MINOR_VERSION >= 3
-#define KWIN_HAVE_XCOMPOSITE_OVERLAY
-#endif
-
 namespace KWin {
 OverlayWindow::OverlayWindow()
-    : m_visible(true)
-    , m_shown(false)
-    , m_window(XCB_WINDOW_NONE)
 {
 }
 
 OverlayWindow::~OverlayWindow()
 {
 }
 
-bool OverlayWindow::create()
-{
-    assert(m_window == XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
-    if (!Xcb::Extensions::self()->isCompositeOverlayAvailable())
-        return false;
-    if (!Xcb::Extensions::self()->isShapeInputAvailable())  // needed in setupOverlay()
-        return false;
-#ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XCOMPOSITE_OVERLAY
-    Xcb::OverlayWindow overlay(rootWindow());
-    if (overlay.isNull()) {
-        return false;
-    }
-    m_window = overlay->overlay_win;
-    if (m_window == XCB_WINDOW_NONE)
-        return false;
-    resize(screens()->size());
-    return true;
-#else
-    return false;
-#endif
-}
-
-void OverlayWindow::setup(xcb_window_t window)
-{
-    assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
-    assert(Xcb::Extensions::self()->isShapeInputAvailable());
-    setNoneBackgroundPixmap(m_window);
-    m_shape = QRegion();
-    const QSize &s = screens()->size();
-    setShape(QRect(0, 0, s.width(), s.height()));
-    if (window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE) {
-        setNoneBackgroundPixmap(window);
-        setupInputShape(window);
-    }
-    const uint32_t eventMask = XCB_EVENT_MASK_VISIBILITY_CHANGE;
-    xcb_change_window_attributes(connection(), m_window, XCB_CW_EVENT_MASK, &eventMask);
-}
-
-void OverlayWindow::setupInputShape(xcb_window_t window)
-{
-    xcb_shape_rectangles(connection(), XCB_SHAPE_SO_SET, XCB_SHAPE_SK_INPUT, XCB_CLIP_ORDERING_UNSORTED, window, 0, 0, 0, NULL);
-}
-
-void OverlayWindow::setNoneBackgroundPixmap(xcb_window_t window)
-{
-    const uint32_t mask = XCB_BACK_PIXMAP_NONE;
-    xcb_change_window_attributes(connection(), window, XCB_CW_BACK_PIXMAP, &mask);
-}
-
-void OverlayWindow::show()
-{
-    assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
-    if (m_shown)
-        return;
-    xcb_map_subwindows(connection(), m_window);
-    xcb_map_window(connection(), m_window);
-    m_shown = true;
-}
-
-void OverlayWindow::hide()
-{
-    assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
-    xcb_unmap_window(connection(), m_window);
-    m_shown = false;
-    const QSize &s = screens()->size();
-    setShape(QRect(0, 0, s.width(), s.height()));
-}
-
-void OverlayWindow::setShape(const QRegion& reg)
-{
-    // Avoid setting the same shape again, it causes flicker (apparently it is not a no-op
-    // and triggers something).
-    if (reg == m_shape)
-        return;
-    QVector< QRect > rects = reg.rects();
-    xcb_rectangle_t *xrects = new xcb_rectangle_t[rects.count()];
-    for (int i = 0;
-            i < rects.count();
-            ++i) {
-        xrects[ i ].x = rects[ i ].x();
-        xrects[ i ].y = rects[ i ].y();
-        xrects[ i ].width = rects[ i ].width();
-        xrects[ i ].height = rects[ i ].height();
-    }
-    xcb_shape_rectangles(connection(), XCB_SHAPE_SO_SET, XCB_SHAPE_SK_BOUNDING, XCB_CLIP_ORDERING_UNSORTED,
-                         m_window, 0, 0, rects.count(), xrects);
-    delete[] xrects;
-    setupInputShape(m_window);
-    m_shape = reg;
-}
-
-void OverlayWindow::resize(const QSize &size)
-{
-    assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
-    const uint32_t geometry[2] = {
-        static_cast<uint32_t>(size.width()),
-        static_cast<uint32_t>(size.height())
-    };
-    xcb_configure_window(connection(), m_window, XCB_CONFIG_WINDOW_WIDTH | XCB_CONFIG_WINDOW_HEIGHT, geometry);
-    setShape(QRegion(0, 0, size.width(), size.height()));
-}
-
-bool OverlayWindow::isVisible() const
-{
-    return m_visible;
-}
-
-void OverlayWindow::setVisibility(bool visible)
-{
-    m_visible = visible;
-}
-
-void OverlayWindow::destroy()
-{
-    if (m_window == XCB_WINDOW_NONE)
-        return;
-    // reset the overlay shape
-    const QSize &s = screens()->size();
-    xcb_rectangle_t rec = { 0, 0, static_cast<uint16_t>(s.width()), static_cast<uint16_t>(s.height()) };
-    xcb_shape_rectangles(connection(), XCB_SHAPE_SO_SET, XCB_SHAPE_SK_BOUNDING, XCB_CLIP_ORDERING_UNSORTED, m_window, 0, 0, 1, &rec);
-    xcb_shape_rectangles(connection(), XCB_SHAPE_SO_SET, XCB_SHAPE_SK_INPUT, XCB_CLIP_ORDERING_UNSORTED, m_window, 0, 0, 1, &rec);
-#ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XCOMPOSITE_OVERLAY
-    xcb_composite_release_overlay_window(connection(), m_window);
-#endif
-    m_window = XCB_WINDOW_NONE;
-    m_shown = false;
-}
-
-xcb_window_t OverlayWindow::window() const
-{
-    return m_window;
-}
-
 } // namespace KWin
diff --git a/platform.h b/platform.h
--- a/platform.h
+++ b/platform.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 {
 
 class Edge;
+class OverlayWindow;
 class OpenGLBackend;
 class QPainterBackend;
 class Screens;
@@ -301,6 +302,12 @@
         m_initialOutputScale = scale;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates the OverlayWindow required for X11 based compositors.
+     * Default implementation returns @c nullptr.
+     **/
+    virtual OverlayWindow *createOverlayWindow();
+
 public Q_SLOTS:
     void pointerMotion(const QPointF &position, quint32 time);
     void pointerButtonPressed(quint32 button, quint32 time);
diff --git a/platform.cpp b/platform.cpp
--- a/platform.cpp
+++ b/platform.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "composite.h"
 #include "cursor.h"
 #include "input.h"
+#include "overlaywindow.h"
 #include "pointer_input.h"
 #include "scene_opengl.h"
 #include "screenedge.h"
@@ -460,4 +461,9 @@
     Q_UNUSED(action)
 }
 
+OverlayWindow *Platform::createOverlayWindow()
+{
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/x11/common/eglonxbackend.cpp b/plugins/platforms/x11/common/eglonxbackend.cpp
--- a/plugins/platforms/x11/common/eglonxbackend.cpp
+++ b/plugins/platforms/x11/common/eglonxbackend.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
 EglOnXBackend::EglOnXBackend(Display *display)
     : AbstractEglBackend()
-    , m_overlayWindow(new OverlayWindow())
+    , m_overlayWindow(kwinApp()->platform()->createOverlayWindow())
     , surfaceHasSubPost(0)
     , m_bufferAge(0)
     , m_usesOverlayWindow(true)
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     x11_platform.cpp
     screens_xrandr.cpp
     windowselector.cpp
+    overlaywindow_x11.cpp
 )
 
 if(X11_Xinput_FOUND)
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/glxbackend.cpp b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/glxbackend.cpp
--- a/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/glxbackend.cpp
+++ b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/glxbackend.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "options.h"
 #include "overlaywindow.h"
 #include "composite.h"
+#include "platform.h"
 #include "screens.h"
 #include "xcbutils.h"
 // kwin libs
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@
 
 GlxBackend::GlxBackend(Display *display)
     : OpenGLBackend()
-    , m_overlayWindow(new OverlayWindow())
+    , m_overlayWindow(kwinApp()->platform()->createOverlayWindow())
     , window(None)
     , fbconfig(NULL)
     , glxWindow(None)
diff --git a/overlaywindow.h b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/overlaywindow_x11.h
copy from overlaywindow.h
copy to plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/overlaywindow_x11.h
--- a/overlaywindow.h
+++ b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/overlaywindow_x11.h
@@ -18,33 +18,29 @@
 along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 *********************************************************************/
 
-#ifndef KWIN_OVERLAYWINDOW_H
-#define KWIN_OVERLAYWINDOW_H
+#ifndef KWIN_OVERLAYWINDOW_X11_H
+#define KWIN_OVERLAYWINDOW_X11_H
 
-#include <QRegion>
-// xcb
-#include <xcb/xcb.h>
-
-#include <kwin_export.h>
+#include "../../../../overlaywindow.h"
 
 namespace KWin {
-class KWIN_EXPORT OverlayWindow {
+class KWIN_EXPORT OverlayWindowX11 : public OverlayWindow {
 public:
-    OverlayWindow();
-    ~OverlayWindow();
+    OverlayWindowX11();
+    ~OverlayWindowX11();
     /// Creates XComposite overlay window, call initOverlay() afterwards
-    bool create();
+    bool create() override;
     /// Init overlay and the destination window in it
-    void setup(xcb_window_t window);
-    void show();
-    void hide(); // hides and resets overlay window
-    void setShape(const QRegion& reg);
-    void resize(const QSize &size);
+    void setup(xcb_window_t window) override;
+    void show() override;
+    void hide() override; // hides and resets overlay window
+    void setShape(const QRegion& reg) override;
+    void resize(const QSize &size) override;
     /// Destroys XComposite overlay window
-    void destroy();
-    xcb_window_t window() const;
-    bool isVisible() const;
-    void setVisibility(bool visible);
+    void destroy() override;
+    xcb_window_t window() const override;
+    bool isVisible() const override;
+    void setVisibility(bool visible) override;
 private:
     void setNoneBackgroundPixmap(xcb_window_t window);
     void setupInputShape(xcb_window_t window);
diff --git a/overlaywindow.cpp b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/overlaywindow_x11.cpp
copy from overlaywindow.cpp
copy to plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/overlaywindow_x11.cpp
--- a/overlaywindow.cpp
+++ b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/overlaywindow_x11.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 *********************************************************************/
 
-#include "overlaywindow.h"
+#include "overlaywindow_x11.h"
 
 #include "kwinglobals.h"
 #include "screens.h"
@@ -36,18 +36,19 @@
 #endif
 
 namespace KWin {
-OverlayWindow::OverlayWindow()
-    : m_visible(true)
+OverlayWindowX11::OverlayWindowX11()
+    : OverlayWindow()
+    , m_visible(true)
     , m_shown(false)
     , m_window(XCB_WINDOW_NONE)
 {
 }
 
-OverlayWindow::~OverlayWindow()
+OverlayWindowX11::~OverlayWindowX11()
 {
 }
 
-bool OverlayWindow::create()
+bool OverlayWindowX11::create()
 {
     assert(m_window == XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
     if (!Xcb::Extensions::self()->isCompositeOverlayAvailable())
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@
 #endif
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::setup(xcb_window_t window)
+void OverlayWindowX11::setup(xcb_window_t window)
 {
     assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
     assert(Xcb::Extensions::self()->isShapeInputAvailable());
@@ -85,18 +86,18 @@
     xcb_change_window_attributes(connection(), m_window, XCB_CW_EVENT_MASK, &eventMask);
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::setupInputShape(xcb_window_t window)
+void OverlayWindowX11::setupInputShape(xcb_window_t window)
 {
     xcb_shape_rectangles(connection(), XCB_SHAPE_SO_SET, XCB_SHAPE_SK_INPUT, XCB_CLIP_ORDERING_UNSORTED, window, 0, 0, 0, NULL);
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::setNoneBackgroundPixmap(xcb_window_t window)
+void OverlayWindowX11::setNoneBackgroundPixmap(xcb_window_t window)
 {
     const uint32_t mask = XCB_BACK_PIXMAP_NONE;
     xcb_change_window_attributes(connection(), window, XCB_CW_BACK_PIXMAP, &mask);
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::show()
+void OverlayWindowX11::show()
 {
     assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
     if (m_shown)
@@ -106,16 +107,16 @@
     m_shown = true;
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::hide()
+void OverlayWindowX11::hide()
 {
     assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
     xcb_unmap_window(connection(), m_window);
     m_shown = false;
     const QSize &s = screens()->size();
     setShape(QRect(0, 0, s.width(), s.height()));
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::setShape(const QRegion& reg)
+void OverlayWindowX11::setShape(const QRegion& reg)
 {
     // Avoid setting the same shape again, it causes flicker (apparently it is not a no-op
     // and triggers something).
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@
     m_shape = reg;
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::resize(const QSize &size)
+void OverlayWindowX11::resize(const QSize &size)
 {
     assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
     const uint32_t geometry[2] = {
@@ -149,17 +150,17 @@
     setShape(QRegion(0, 0, size.width(), size.height()));
 }
 
-bool OverlayWindow::isVisible() const
+bool OverlayWindowX11::isVisible() const
 {
     return m_visible;
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::setVisibility(bool visible)
+void OverlayWindowX11::setVisibility(bool visible)
 {
     m_visible = visible;
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::destroy()
+void OverlayWindowX11::destroy()
 {
     if (m_window == XCB_WINDOW_NONE)
         return;
@@ -175,9 +176,10 @@
     m_shown = false;
 }
 
-xcb_window_t OverlayWindow::window() const
+xcb_window_t OverlayWindowX11::window() const
 {
     return m_window;
 }
 
 } // namespace KWin
+
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/x11_platform.h b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/x11_platform.h
--- a/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/x11_platform.h
+++ b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/x11_platform.h
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@
 
     void setupActionForGlobalAccel(QAction *action) override;
 
+    OverlayWindow *createOverlayWindow() override;
+
 protected:
     void doHideCursor() override;
     void doShowCursor() override;
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/x11_platform.cpp b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/x11_platform.cpp
--- a/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/x11_platform.cpp
+++ b/plugins/platforms/x11/standalone/x11_platform.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "logging.h"
 #include "screens_xrandr.h"
 #include "options.h"
+#include "overlaywindow_x11.h"
 
 #include <KConfigGroup>
 #include <KLocalizedString>
@@ -309,4 +310,9 @@
     });
 }
 
+OverlayWindow *X11StandalonePlatform::createOverlayWindow()
+{
+    return new OverlayWindowX11();
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/scene_xrender.cpp b/scene_xrender.cpp
--- a/scene_xrender.cpp
+++ b/scene_xrender.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "effects.h"
 #include "main.h"
 #include "overlaywindow.h"
+#include "platform.h"
 #include "xcbutils.h"
 #include "kwinxrenderutils.h"
 #include "decorations/decoratedclient.h"
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@
 //****************************************
 X11XRenderBackend::X11XRenderBackend()
     : XRenderBackend()
-    , m_overlayWindow(new OverlayWindow())
+    , m_overlayWindow(kwinApp()->platform()->createOverlayWindow())
     , m_front(XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE)
     , m_format(0)
 {