diff --git a/src/compositor-drm.c b/src/compositor-drm.c
index 48202ba7..0ab1dadb 100644
--- a/src/compositor-drm.c
+++ b/src/compositor-drm.c
@@ -1754,6 +1754,16 @@ udev_drm_event(int fd, uint32_t mask, void *data)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+static void
+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)
+		weston_log("failed to drop master: %m\n");
+	tty_reset(d->tty);
+}
+
 static void
 drm_destroy(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 {
@@ -1951,6 +1961,7 @@ drm_compositor_create(struct wl_display *display,
 	}
 
 	ec->base.destroy = drm_destroy;
+	ec->base.restore = drm_restore;
 
 	ec->base.focus = 1;
 
diff --git a/src/compositor-wayland.c b/src/compositor-wayland.c
index ee3def1e..8e86611a 100644
--- a/src/compositor-wayland.c
+++ b/src/compositor-wayland.c
@@ -823,6 +823,11 @@ wayland_input_create(struct wayland_compositor *c)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static void
+wayland_restore(struct weston_compositor *ec)
+{
+}
+
 static void
 wayland_destroy(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 {
@@ -871,6 +876,7 @@ wayland_compositor_create(struct wl_display *display,
 		goto err_display;
 
 	c->base.destroy = wayland_destroy;
+	c->base.restore = wayland_restore;
 
 	if (weston_compositor_init_gl(&c->base) < 0)
 		goto err_display;
diff --git a/src/compositor-x11.c b/src/compositor-x11.c
index f2f0cb11..e27555d6 100644
--- a/src/compositor-x11.c
+++ b/src/compositor-x11.c
@@ -1028,6 +1028,11 @@ x11_compositor_get_resources(struct x11_compositor *c)
 	xcb_free_pixmap(c->conn, pixmap);
 }
 
+static void
+x11_restore(struct weston_compositor *ec)
+{
+}
+
 static void
 x11_destroy(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 {
@@ -1087,6 +1092,7 @@ x11_compositor_create(struct wl_display *display,
 		goto err_xdisplay;
 
 	c->base.destroy = x11_destroy;
+	c->base.restore = x11_restore;
 
 	if (weston_compositor_init_gl(&c->base) < 0)
 		goto err_egl;
diff --git a/src/compositor.c b/src/compositor.c
index 62ae79b1..bd2a0d2c 100644
--- a/src/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 #include "git-version.h"
 
 static struct wl_list child_process_list;
-static jmp_buf segv_jmp_buf;
+static struct weston_compositor *segv_compositor;
 
 static int
 sigchld_handler(int signal_number, void *data)
@@ -3309,6 +3309,14 @@ on_segv_signal(int s, siginfo_t *siginfo, void *context)
 	int i, count;
 	Dl_info info;
 
+	/* This SIGSEGV handler will do a best-effort backtrace, and
+	 * then call the backend restore function, which will switch
+	 * back to the vt we launched from or ungrab X etc and then
+	 * raise SIGTRAP.  If we run weston under gdb from X or a
+	 * different vt, and tell gdb "handle SIGSEGV nostop", this
+	 * will allow weston to switch back to gdb on crash and then
+	 * gdb will catch the crash with SIGTRAP. */
+
 	weston_log("caught segv\n");
 
 	count = backtrace(buffer, ARRAY_LENGTH(buffer));
@@ -3320,7 +3328,9 @@ on_segv_signal(int s, siginfo_t *siginfo, void *context)
 			info.dli_fname);
 	}
 
-	longjmp(segv_jmp_buf, 1);
+	segv_compositor->restore(segv_compositor);
+
+	raise(SIGTRAP);
 }
 
 
@@ -3513,11 +3523,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	signals[3] = wl_event_loop_add_signal(loop, SIGCHLD, sigchld_handler,
 					      NULL);
 
-	segv_action.sa_flags = SA_SIGINFO | SA_RESETHAND;
-	segv_action.sa_sigaction = on_segv_signal;
-	sigemptyset(&segv_action.sa_mask);
-	sigaction(SIGSEGV, &segv_action, NULL);
-
 	if (!backend) {
 		if (getenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY"))
 			backend = "wayland-backend.so";
@@ -3542,6 +3547,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
+	segv_action.sa_flags = SA_SIGINFO | SA_RESETHAND;
+	segv_action.sa_sigaction = on_segv_signal;
+	sigemptyset(&segv_action.sa_mask);
+	sigaction(SIGSEGV, &segv_action, NULL);
+	segv_compositor = ec;
+
 	for (i = 1; argv[i]; i++)
 		weston_log("fatal: unhandled option: %s\n", argv[i]);
 	if (argv[1]) {
@@ -3589,12 +3600,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	weston_compositor_dpms_on(ec);
 	weston_compositor_wake(ec);
-	if (setjmp(segv_jmp_buf) == 0)
-		wl_display_run(display);
-	else
-		ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
 
-out:
+	wl_display_run(display);
+
+ out:
 	/* prevent further rendering while shutting down */
 	ec->state = WESTON_COMPOSITOR_SLEEPING;
 
diff --git a/src/compositor.h b/src/compositor.h
index 22c0174c..7112796b 100644
--- a/src/compositor.h
+++ b/src/compositor.h
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ struct weston_compositor {
 	int has_bind_display;
 
 	void (*destroy)(struct weston_compositor *ec);
+	void (*restore)(struct weston_compositor *ec);
 	int (*authenticate)(struct weston_compositor *c, uint32_t id);
 
 	void (*ping_handler)(struct weston_surface *surface, uint32_t serial);
@@ -702,6 +703,9 @@ tty_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 void
 tty_destroy(struct tty *tty);
 
+void
+tty_reset(struct tty *tty);
+
 int
 tty_activate_vt(struct tty *tty, int vt);
 
diff --git a/src/tty.c b/src/tty.c
index a8b2aed2..d8df2b59 100644
--- a/src/tty.c
+++ b/src/tty.c
@@ -257,14 +257,10 @@ err:
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-void
-tty_destroy(struct tty *tty)
+void tty_reset(struct tty *tty)
 {
 	struct vt_mode mode = { 0 };
 
-	if (tty->input_source)
-		wl_event_source_remove(tty->input_source);
-
 	if (ioctl(tty->fd, KDSKBMODE, tty->kb_mode))
 		weston_log("failed to restore keyboard mode: %m\n");
 
@@ -282,9 +278,18 @@ tty_destroy(struct tty *tty)
 		ioctl(tty->fd, VT_ACTIVATE, tty->starting_vt);
 		ioctl(tty->fd, VT_WAITACTIVE, tty->starting_vt);
 	}
+}
+
+void
+tty_destroy(struct tty *tty)
+{
+	if (tty->input_source)
+		wl_event_source_remove(tty->input_source);
 
 	wl_event_source_remove(tty->vt_source);
 
+	tty_reset(tty);
+
 	close(tty->fd);
 
 	free(tty);