diff --git a/src/compositor-drm.c b/src/compositor-drm.c
index 6c791aba..9ebb61ce 100644
--- a/src/compositor-drm.c
+++ b/src/compositor-drm.c
@@ -1215,7 +1215,7 @@ init_drm(struct drm_compositor *ec, struct udev_device *device)
 	}
 
 	filename = udev_device_get_devnode(device);
-	fd = weston_launcher_open(&ec->base, filename, O_RDWR);
+	fd = weston_launcher_open(ec->base.launcher, filename, O_RDWR);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		/* Probably permissions error */
 		weston_log("couldn't open %s, skipping\n",
@@ -2241,7 +2241,7 @@ drm_restore(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 {
 	struct drm_compositor *d = (struct drm_compositor *) ec;
 
-	if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(&d->base, d->drm.fd, 0) < 0)
+	if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(d->base.launcher, d->drm.fd, 0) < 0)
 		weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
 	tty_reset(d->tty);
 }
@@ -2265,7 +2265,7 @@ drm_destroy(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 	if (d->gbm)
 		gbm_device_destroy(d->gbm);
 
-	if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(&d->base, d->drm.fd, 0) < 0)
+	if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(d->base.launcher, d->drm.fd, 0) < 0)
 		weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
 	tty_destroy(d->tty);
 
@@ -2317,7 +2317,8 @@ vt_func(struct weston_compositor *compositor, int event)
 	case TTY_ENTER_VT:
 		weston_log("entering VT\n");
 		compositor->focus = 1;
-		if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(&ec->base, ec->drm.fd, 1)) {
+		if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(ec->base.launcher,
+						   ec->drm.fd, 1)) {
 			weston_log("failed to set master: %m\n");
 			wl_display_terminate(compositor->wl_display);
 		}
@@ -2356,7 +2357,8 @@ vt_func(struct weston_compositor *compositor, int event)
 					output->crtc_id, 0, 0,
 					0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0);
 
-		if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(&ec->base, ec->drm.fd, 0) < 0)
+		if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(ec->base.launcher,
+						   ec->drm.fd, 0) < 0)
 			weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
 
 		break;
@@ -2571,9 +2573,8 @@ drm_compositor_create(struct wl_display *display,
 	}
 
 	/* Check if we run drm-backend using weston-launch */
-	ec->base.launcher_sock =
-		weston_environment_get_fd("WESTON_LAUNCHER_SOCK");
-	if (ec->base.launcher_sock == -1 && geteuid() != 0) {
+	ec->base.launcher = weston_launcher_connect(&ec->base);
+	if (ec->base.launcher == NULL && geteuid() != 0) {
 		weston_log("fatal: drm backend should be run "
 			   "using weston-launch binary or as root\n");
 		goto err_compositor;
@@ -2691,7 +2692,8 @@ err_sprite:
 err_udev_dev:
 	udev_device_unref(drm_device);
 err_tty:
-	if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(&ec->base, ec->drm.fd, 0) < 0)
+	if (weston_launcher_drm_set_master(ec->base.launcher,
+					   ec->drm.fd, 0) < 0)
 		weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
 	tty_destroy(ec->tty);
 err_udev:
diff --git a/src/compositor-fbdev.c b/src/compositor-fbdev.c
index 6f5e62e3..495c3a3b 100644
--- a/src/compositor-fbdev.c
+++ b/src/compositor-fbdev.c
@@ -887,9 +887,8 @@ fbdev_compositor_create(struct wl_display *display, int *argc, char *argv[],
 		goto out_free;
 
 	/* Check if we run fbdev-backend using weston-launch */
-	compositor->base.launcher_sock =
-		weston_environment_get_fd("WESTON_LAUNCHER_SOCK");
-	if (compositor->base.launcher_sock == -1 && geteuid() != 0) {
+	compositor->base.launcher = weston_launcher_connect(&compositor->base);
+	if (compositor->base.launcher == NULL && geteuid() != 0) {
 		weston_log("fatal: fbdev backend should be run "
 			   "using weston-launch binary or as root\n");
 		goto out_compositor;
diff --git a/src/compositor.h b/src/compositor.h
index a523c834..0feca411 100644
--- a/src/compositor.h
+++ b/src/compositor.h
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ struct weston_compositor {
 
 	void (*ping_handler)(struct weston_surface *surface, uint32_t serial);
 
-	int launcher_sock;
+	struct weston_launcher *launcher;
 
 	uint32_t output_id_pool;
 
diff --git a/src/launcher-util.c b/src/launcher-util.c
index 6f6ee116..8c3b496f 100644
--- a/src/launcher-util.c
+++ b/src/launcher-util.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright © 2012 Benjamin Franzke
+ * Copyright © 2013 Intel Corporation
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and
  * its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/uio.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include <xf86drm.h>
 
@@ -41,11 +43,15 @@
 
 union cmsg_data { unsigned char b[4]; int fd; };
 
+struct weston_launcher {
+	struct weston_compositor *compositor;
+	int fd;
+};
+
 int
-weston_launcher_open(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
+weston_launcher_open(struct weston_launcher *launcher,
 		     const char *path, int flags)
 {
-	int sock = compositor->launcher_sock;
 	int n, ret = -1;
 	struct msghdr msg;
 	struct cmsghdr *cmsg;
@@ -55,7 +61,7 @@ weston_launcher_open(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	ssize_t len;
 	struct weston_launcher_open *message;
 
-	if (sock == -1)
+	if (launcher == NULL)
 		return open(path, flags | O_CLOEXEC);
 
 	n = sizeof(*message) + strlen(path) + 1;
@@ -68,7 +74,7 @@ weston_launcher_open(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	strcpy(message->path, path);
 
 	do {
-		len = send(sock, message, n, 0);
+		len = send(launcher->fd, message, n, 0);
 	} while (len < 0 && errno == EINTR);
 	free(message);
 
@@ -81,7 +87,7 @@ weston_launcher_open(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	msg.msg_controllen = sizeof control;
 	
 	do {
-		len = recvmsg(sock, &msg, MSG_CMSG_CLOEXEC);
+		len = recvmsg(launcher->fd, &msg, MSG_CMSG_CLOEXEC);
 	} while (len < 0 && errno == EINTR);
 
 	if (len != sizeof ret ||
@@ -106,7 +112,7 @@ weston_launcher_open(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 }
 
 int
-weston_launcher_drm_set_master(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
+weston_launcher_drm_set_master(struct weston_launcher *launcher,
 			       int drm_fd, char master)
 {
 	struct msghdr msg;
@@ -118,7 +124,7 @@ weston_launcher_drm_set_master(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	struct weston_launcher_set_master message;
 	union cmsg_data *data;
 
-	if (compositor->launcher_sock == -1) {
+	if (launcher == NULL) {
 		if (master)
 			return drmSetMaster(drm_fd);
 		else
@@ -146,13 +152,13 @@ weston_launcher_drm_set_master(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	message.set_master = master;
 
 	do {
-		len = sendmsg(compositor->launcher_sock, &msg, 0);
+		len = sendmsg(launcher->fd, &msg, 0);
 	} while (len < 0 && errno == EINTR);
 	if (len < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	do {
-		len = recv(compositor->launcher_sock, &ret, sizeof ret, 0);
+		len = recv(launcher->fd, &ret, sizeof ret, 0);
 	} while (len < 0 && errno == EINTR);
 	if (len < 0)
 		return -1;
@@ -160,3 +166,29 @@ weston_launcher_drm_set_master(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+struct weston_launcher *
+weston_launcher_connect(struct weston_compositor *compositor)
+{
+	struct weston_launcher *launcher;
+	int fd;
+
+	fd = weston_environment_get_fd("WESTON_LAUNCHER_SOCK");
+	if (fd == -1)
+		return NULL;
+
+	launcher = malloc(sizeof *launcher);
+	if (launcher == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	launcher->compositor = compositor;
+	launcher->fd = fd;
+
+	return launcher;
+}
+
+void
+weston_launcher_destroy(struct weston_launcher *launcher)
+{
+	close(launcher->fd);
+	free(launcher);
+}
diff --git a/src/launcher-util.h b/src/launcher-util.h
index c79b47c9..a3a70411 100644
--- a/src/launcher-util.h
+++ b/src/launcher-util.h
@@ -27,11 +27,19 @@
 
 #include "compositor.h"
 
+struct weston_launcher;
+
+struct weston_launcher *
+weston_launcher_connect(struct weston_compositor *compositor);
+
+void
+weston_launcher_destroy(struct weston_launcher *launcher);
+
 int
-weston_launcher_open(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
+weston_launcher_open(struct weston_launcher *launcher,
 		     const char *path, int flags);
 int
-weston_launcher_drm_set_master(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
+weston_launcher_drm_set_master(struct weston_launcher *launcher,
 			       int drm_fd, char master);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/udev-seat.c b/src/udev-seat.c
index 4c051c9b..4ef7ff33 100644
--- a/src/udev-seat.c
+++ b/src/udev-seat.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ device_added(struct udev_device *udev_device, struct udev_input *input)
 	/* Use non-blocking mode so that we can loop on read on
 	 * evdev_device_data() until all events on the fd are
 	 * read.  mtdev_get() also expects this. */
-	fd = weston_launcher_open(c, devnode, O_RDWR | O_NONBLOCK);
+	fd = weston_launcher_open(c->launcher, devnode, O_RDWR | O_NONBLOCK);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		weston_log("opening input device '%s' failed.\n", devnode);
 		return 0;