diff --git a/include/render/gles2.h b/include/render/gles2.h
index 57e162c0..0e71d764 100644
--- a/include/render/gles2.h
+++ b/include/render/gles2.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <wlr/egl.h>
 #include <wlr/backend.h>
 #include <wlr/render.h>
+#include <wlr/render/interface.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 
 extern PFNGLEGLIMAGETARGETTEXTURE2DOESPROC glEGLImageTargetTexture2DOES;
@@ -21,8 +22,9 @@ struct pixel_format {
 	GLuint *shader;
 };
 
-struct wlr_renderer_state {
-	struct wlr_renderer *renderer;
+struct wlr_gles2_renderer {
+	struct wlr_renderer wlr_renderer;
+
 	struct wlr_egl *egl;
 };
 
diff --git a/include/wlr/render/interface.h b/include/wlr/render/interface.h
index b6072bff..59ece8b1 100644
--- a/include/wlr/render/interface.h
+++ b/include/wlr/render/interface.h
@@ -6,31 +6,29 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_output.h>
 
 struct wlr_renderer_impl;
-struct wlr_renderer_state;
 
 struct wlr_renderer {
 	struct wlr_renderer_impl *impl;
-	struct wlr_renderer_state *state;
 };
 
 struct wlr_renderer_impl {
-	void (*begin)(struct wlr_renderer_state *state, struct wlr_output *output);
-	void (*end)(struct wlr_renderer_state *state);
-	struct wlr_texture *(*texture_init)(struct wlr_renderer_state *state);
-	bool (*render_with_matrix)(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+	void (*begin)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer, struct wlr_output *output);
+	void (*end)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
+	struct wlr_texture *(*texture_init)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
+	bool (*render_with_matrix)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer,
 		struct wlr_texture *texture, const float (*matrix)[16]);
-	void (*render_quad)(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+	void (*render_quad)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer,
 		const float (*color)[4], const float (*matrix)[16]);
-	void (*render_ellipse)(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+	void (*render_ellipse)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer,
 		const float (*color)[4], const float (*matrix)[16]);
 	const enum wl_shm_format *(*formats)(
-		struct wlr_renderer_state *state, size_t *len);
-	bool (*buffer_is_drm)(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+		struct wlr_renderer *renderer, size_t *len);
+	bool (*buffer_is_drm)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer,
 		struct wl_resource *buffer);
-	void (*destroy)(struct wlr_renderer_state *state);
+	void (*destroy)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
 };
 
-struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer_init(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+void wlr_renderer_init(struct wlr_renderer *renderer,
 		struct wlr_renderer_impl *impl);
 
 struct wlr_texture_impl {
diff --git a/render/gles2/renderer.c b/render/gles2/renderer.c
index c1bf4815..17452e9a 100644
--- a/render/gles2/renderer.c
+++ b/render/gles2/renderer.c
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ static void init_globals() {
 	init_default_shaders();
 }
 
-static void wlr_gles2_begin(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+static void wlr_gles2_begin(struct wlr_renderer *_renderer,
 		struct wlr_output *output) {
 	// TODO: let users customize the clear color?
 	GL_CALL(glClearColor(0.25f, 0.25f, 0.25f, 1));
@@ -138,12 +138,15 @@ static void wlr_gles2_begin(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
 	// for users to sling matricies themselves
 }
 
-static void wlr_gles2_end(struct wlr_renderer_state *state) {
+static void wlr_gles2_end(struct wlr_renderer *renderer) {
 	// no-op
 }
 
-static struct wlr_texture *wlr_gles2_texture_init(struct wlr_renderer_state *state) {
-	return gles2_texture_init(state->egl);
+static struct wlr_texture *wlr_gles2_texture_init(
+		struct wlr_renderer *_renderer) {
+	struct wlr_gles2_renderer *renderer =
+		(struct wlr_gles2_renderer *)_renderer;
+	return gles2_texture_init(renderer->egl);
 }
 
 static void draw_quad() {
@@ -172,7 +175,7 @@ static void draw_quad() {
 	GL_CALL(glDisableVertexAttribArray(1));
 }
 
-static bool wlr_gles2_render_texture(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+static bool wlr_gles2_render_texture(struct wlr_renderer *_renderer,
 		struct wlr_texture *texture, const float (*matrix)[16]) {
 	if(!texture || !texture->valid) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "attempt to render invalid texture");
@@ -187,7 +190,7 @@ static bool wlr_gles2_render_texture(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
 	return true;
 }
 
-static void wlr_gles2_render_quad(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+static void wlr_gles2_render_quad(struct wlr_renderer *renderer,
 		const float (*color)[4], const float (*matrix)[16]) {
 	GL_CALL(glUseProgram(shaders.quad));
 	GL_CALL(glUniformMatrix4fv(0, 1, GL_TRUE, *matrix));
@@ -195,7 +198,7 @@ static void wlr_gles2_render_quad(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
 	draw_quad();
 }
 
-static void wlr_gles2_render_ellipse(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+static void wlr_gles2_render_ellipse(struct wlr_renderer *renderer,
 		const float (*color)[4], const float (*matrix)[16]) {
 	GL_CALL(glUseProgram(shaders.ellipse));
 	GL_CALL(glUniformMatrix4fv(0, 1, GL_TRUE, *matrix));
@@ -204,7 +207,7 @@ static void wlr_gles2_render_ellipse(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
 }
 
 static const enum wl_shm_format *wlr_gles2_formats(
-		struct wlr_renderer_state *state, size_t *len) {
+		struct wlr_renderer *renderer, size_t *len) {
 	static enum wl_shm_format formats[] = {
 		WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888,
 		WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB8888,
@@ -215,14 +218,17 @@ static const enum wl_shm_format *wlr_gles2_formats(
 	return formats;
 }
 
-static bool wlr_gles2_buffer_is_drm(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+static bool wlr_gles2_buffer_is_drm(struct wlr_renderer *_renderer,
 		struct wl_resource *buffer) {
+	struct wlr_gles2_renderer *renderer =
+		(struct wlr_gles2_renderer *)_renderer;
 	EGLint format;
-	return wlr_egl_query_buffer(state->egl, buffer, EGL_TEXTURE_FORMAT, &format);
+	return wlr_egl_query_buffer(renderer->egl, buffer,
+			EGL_TEXTURE_FORMAT, &format);
 }
 
-static void wlr_gles2_destroy(struct wlr_renderer_state *state) {
-	free(state);
+static void wlr_gles2_destroy(struct wlr_renderer *renderer) {
+	free(renderer);
 }
 
 static struct wlr_renderer_impl wlr_renderer_impl = {
@@ -240,9 +246,9 @@ static struct wlr_renderer_impl wlr_renderer_impl = {
 struct wlr_renderer *wlr_gles2_renderer_init(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 	init_globals();
 	struct wlr_egl *egl = wlr_backend_get_egl(backend);
-	struct wlr_renderer_state *state = calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_renderer_state));
-	struct wlr_renderer *renderer = wlr_renderer_init(state, &wlr_renderer_impl);
-	state->renderer = renderer;
-	state->egl = egl;
-	return renderer;
+	struct wlr_gles2_renderer *renderer =
+		calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_gles2_renderer));
+	wlr_renderer_init(&renderer->wlr_renderer, &wlr_renderer_impl);
+	renderer->egl = egl;
+	return &renderer->wlr_renderer;
 }
diff --git a/render/wlr_renderer.c b/render/wlr_renderer.c
index 640d737e..1afba6e3 100644
--- a/render/wlr_renderer.c
+++ b/render/wlr_renderer.c
@@ -2,52 +2,50 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <wlr/render/interface.h>
 
-struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer_init(struct wlr_renderer_state *state,
+void wlr_renderer_init(struct wlr_renderer *renderer,
 		struct wlr_renderer_impl *impl) {
-	struct wlr_renderer *r = calloc(sizeof(struct wlr_renderer), 1);
-	r->state = state;
-	r->impl = impl;
-	return r;
+	renderer->impl = impl;
 }
 
 void wlr_renderer_destroy(struct wlr_renderer *r) {
-	r->impl->destroy(r->state);
-	free(r);
+	if (r->impl->destroy) {
+		r->impl->destroy(r);
+	}
 }
 
 void wlr_renderer_begin(struct wlr_renderer *r, struct wlr_output *o) {
-	r->impl->begin(r->state, o);
+	r->impl->begin(r, o);
 }
 
 void wlr_renderer_end(struct wlr_renderer *r) {
-	r->impl->end(r->state);
+	r->impl->end(r);
 }
 
 struct wlr_texture *wlr_render_texture_init(struct wlr_renderer *r) {
-	return r->impl->texture_init(r->state);
+	return r->impl->texture_init(r);
 }
 
 bool wlr_render_with_matrix(struct wlr_renderer *r,
 		struct wlr_texture *texture, const float (*matrix)[16]) {
-	return r->impl->render_with_matrix(r->state, texture, matrix);
+	return r->impl->render_with_matrix(r, texture, matrix);
 }
 
 void wlr_render_colored_quad(struct wlr_renderer *r,
 		const float (*color)[4], const float (*matrix)[16]) {
-	r->impl->render_quad(r->state, color, matrix);
+	r->impl->render_quad(r, color, matrix);
 }
 
 void wlr_render_colored_ellipse(struct wlr_renderer *r,
 		const float (*color)[4], const float (*matrix)[16]) {
-	r->impl->render_ellipse(r->state, color, matrix);
+	r->impl->render_ellipse(r, color, matrix);
 }
 
 const enum wl_shm_format *wlr_renderer_get_formats(
 		struct wlr_renderer *r, size_t *len) {
-	return r->impl->formats(r->state, len);
+	return r->impl->formats(r, len);
 }
 
 bool wlr_renderer_buffer_is_drm(struct wlr_renderer *r,
 		struct wl_resource *buffer) {
-	return r->impl->buffer_is_drm(r->state, buffer);
+	return r->impl->buffer_is_drm(r, buffer);
 }