diff --git a/compositor/main.c b/compositor/main.c
index 2c15d16a..34f27d46 100644
--- a/compositor/main.c
+++ b/compositor/main.c
@@ -2514,6 +2514,7 @@ load_drm_backend(struct weston_compositor *c,
 	struct weston_drm_backend_config config = {{ 0, }};
 	struct weston_config_section *section;
 	struct wet_compositor *wet = to_wet_compositor(c);
+	bool without_input = false;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	wet->drm_use_current_mode = false;
@@ -2528,7 +2529,7 @@ load_drm_backend(struct weston_compositor *c,
 		{ WESTON_OPTION_STRING, "drm-device", 0, &config.specific_device },
 		{ WESTON_OPTION_BOOLEAN, "current-mode", 0, &wet->drm_use_current_mode },
 		{ WESTON_OPTION_BOOLEAN, "use-pixman", 0, &config.use_pixman },
-		{ WESTON_OPTION_BOOLEAN, "continue-without-input", 0, &config.continue_without_input },
+		{ WESTON_OPTION_BOOLEAN, "continue-without-input", false, &without_input }
 	};
 
 	parse_options(options, ARRAY_LENGTH(options), argc, argv);
@@ -2541,6 +2542,8 @@ load_drm_backend(struct weston_compositor *c,
 	                               &config.pageflip_timeout, 0);
 	weston_config_section_get_bool(section, "pixman-shadow",
 				       &config.use_pixman_shadow, true);
+	if (without_input)
+		c->require_input = !without_input;
 
 	config.base.struct_version = WESTON_DRM_BACKEND_CONFIG_VERSION;
 	config.base.struct_size = sizeof(struct weston_drm_backend_config);
diff --git a/include/libweston/backend-drm.h b/include/libweston/backend-drm.h
index 350eeb0d..af2da4aa 100644
--- a/include/libweston/backend-drm.h
+++ b/include/libweston/backend-drm.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-#define WESTON_DRM_BACKEND_CONFIG_VERSION 3
+#define WESTON_DRM_BACKEND_CONFIG_VERSION 4
 
 struct libinput_device;
 
@@ -223,9 +223,6 @@ struct weston_drm_backend_config {
 
 	/** Use shadow buffer if using Pixman-renderer. */
 	bool use_pixman_shadow;
-
-	/** Allow compositor to start without input devices. */
-	bool continue_without_input;
 };
 
 #ifdef  __cplusplus
diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c b/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
index 88329b80..8594594d 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
@@ -3025,7 +3025,6 @@ drm_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 						   NULL, NULL, NULL);
 
 	compositor->backend = &b->base;
-	compositor->require_input = !config->continue_without_input;
 
 	if (parse_gbm_format(config->gbm_format, DRM_FORMAT_XRGB8888, &b->gbm_format) < 0)
 		goto err_compositor;