diff --git a/libweston/compositor-headless.c b/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
similarity index 100%
rename from libweston/compositor-headless.c
rename to libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
diff --git a/libweston/backend-headless/meson.build b/libweston/backend-headless/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..19b57605
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libweston/backend-headless/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+if not get_option('backend-headless')
+	subdir_done()
+endif
+
+config_h.set('BUILD_HEADLESS_COMPOSITOR', '1')
+
+srcs_headless = [
+	'headless.c',
+	presentation_time_server_protocol_h,
+]
+plugin_headless = shared_library(
+	'headless-backend',
+	srcs_headless,
+	include_directories: include_directories('../..', '../../shared'),
+	dependencies: dep_libweston,
+	name_prefix: '',
+	install: true,
+	install_dir: dir_module_libweston,
+)
+env_modmap += 'headless-backend.so=@0@;'.format(plugin_headless.full_path())
+install_headers(backend_headless_h, subdir: dir_include_libweston_install)
diff --git a/libweston/meson.build b/libweston/meson.build
index 3474f273..6d658ac7 100644
--- a/libweston/meson.build
+++ b/libweston/meson.build
@@ -185,27 +185,6 @@ dep_libinput_backend = declare_dependency(
 	include_directories: include_directories('.')
 )
 
-if get_option('backend-headless')
-	config_h.set('BUILD_HEADLESS_COMPOSITOR', '1')
-
-	srcs_headless = [
-		'compositor-headless.c',
-		presentation_time_server_protocol_h,
-	]
-	plugin_headless = shared_library(
-		'headless-backend',
-		srcs_headless,
-		include_directories: include_directories('..', '../shared'),
-		dependencies: dep_libweston,
-		name_prefix: '',
-		install: true,
-		install_dir: dir_module_libweston,
-	)
-	env_modmap += 'headless-backend.so=@0@;'.format(plugin_headless.full_path())
-	install_headers(backend_headless_h, subdir: dir_include_libweston_install)
-endif
-
-
 if get_option('backend-rdp')
 	config_h.set('BUILD_RDP_COMPOSITOR', '1')
 
@@ -397,3 +376,4 @@ endif
 
 subdir('renderer-gl')
 subdir('backend-drm')
+subdir('backend-headless')