diff --git a/src/virglrenderer.c b/src/virglrenderer.c
index 955ea87..06f8124 100644
--- a/src/virglrenderer.c
+++ b/src/virglrenderer.c
@@ -89,7 +89,27 @@ void virgl_renderer_fill_caps(uint32_t set, uint32_t version,
 
 int virgl_renderer_context_create(uint32_t handle, uint32_t nlen, const char *name)
 {
-   return vrend_renderer_context_create(handle, nlen, name);
+   struct virgl_context *ctx;
+   int ret;
+
+   /* user context id must be greater than 0 */
+   if (handle == 0)
+      return EINVAL;
+
+   if (virgl_context_lookup(handle))
+      return 0;
+
+   ctx = vrend_renderer_context_create(handle, nlen, name);
+   if (!ctx)
+      return ENOMEM;
+
+   ret = virgl_context_add(ctx);
+   if (ret) {
+      ctx->destroy(ctx);
+      return ret;
+   }
+
+   return 0;
 }
 
 void virgl_renderer_context_destroy(uint32_t handle)
diff --git a/src/vrend_decode.c b/src/vrend_decode.c
index e8e1345..a2f1f4e 100644
--- a/src/vrend_decode.c
+++ b/src/vrend_decode.c
@@ -1387,59 +1387,37 @@ static int vrend_decode_copy_transfer3d(struct vrend_decode_ctx *ctx, int length
 static void vrend_decode_ctx_init_base(struct vrend_decode_ctx *dctx,
                                        uint32_t ctx_id);
 
-static struct vrend_decode_ctx *
-vrend_decode_ctx_lookup(uint32_t ctx_id)
-{
-   return ctx_id ?
-      (struct vrend_decode_ctx *)virgl_context_lookup(ctx_id) :
-      dec_ctx0;
-}
-
-void vrend_renderer_context_create_internal(uint32_t handle, uint32_t nlen,
-                                            const char *debug_name)
+struct virgl_context *vrend_renderer_context_create(uint32_t handle,
+                                                    uint32_t nlen,
+                                                    const char *debug_name)
 {
    struct vrend_decode_ctx *dctx;
 
-   dctx = vrend_decode_ctx_lookup(handle);
-   if (dctx)
-      return;
-
    dctx = malloc(sizeof(struct vrend_decode_ctx));
    if (!dctx)
-      return;
+      return NULL;
 
    vrend_decode_ctx_init_base(dctx, handle);
 
    dctx->grctx = vrend_create_context(handle, nlen, debug_name);
    if (!dctx->grctx) {
       free(dctx);
-      return;
+      return NULL;
    }
 
    dctx->ds = &dctx->ids;
 
-   if (handle) {
-      if (virgl_context_add(&dctx->base)) {
-         dctx->base.destroy(&dctx->base);
-      }
-   } else {
-      dec_ctx0 = dctx;
-   }
-}
-
-int vrend_renderer_context_create(uint32_t handle, uint32_t nlen, const char *debug_name)
-{
-   /* context 0 is always available with no guarantees */
    if (handle == 0)
-      return EINVAL;
+      dec_ctx0 = dctx;
 
-   vrend_renderer_context_create_internal(handle, nlen, debug_name);
-   return 0;
+   return &dctx->base;
 }
 
 struct vrend_context *vrend_lookup_renderer_ctx(uint32_t ctx_id)
 {
-   struct vrend_decode_ctx *dctx = vrend_decode_ctx_lookup(ctx_id);
+   struct vrend_decode_ctx *dctx = ctx_id ?
+      (struct vrend_decode_ctx *)virgl_context_lookup(ctx_id) :
+      dec_ctx0;
    return dctx ? dctx->grctx : NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vrend_renderer.c b/src/vrend_renderer.c
index cf63c1d..7d28822 100644
--- a/src/vrend_renderer.c
+++ b/src/vrend_renderer.c
@@ -5868,7 +5868,7 @@ int vrend_renderer_init(struct vrend_if_cbs *cbs, uint32_t flags)
    list_inithead(&vrend_state.waiting_query_list);
    list_inithead(&vrend_state.active_ctx_list);
    /* create 0 context */
-   vrend_renderer_context_create_internal(0, strlen("HOST"), "HOST");
+   vrend_renderer_context_create(0, strlen("HOST"), "HOST");
 
    vrend_state.eventfd = -1;
    if (flags & VREND_USE_THREAD_SYNC) {
@@ -10285,7 +10285,7 @@ void vrend_renderer_reset(void)
    vrend_object_fini_resource_table();
    vrend_decode_reset(true);
    vrend_object_init_resource_table();
-   vrend_renderer_context_create_internal(0, strlen("HOST"), "HOST");
+   vrend_renderer_context_create(0, strlen("HOST"), "HOST");
 }
 
 int vrend_renderer_get_poll_fd(void)
diff --git a/src/vrend_renderer.h b/src/vrend_renderer.h
index b8da54d..cba8c2b 100644
--- a/src/vrend_renderer.h
+++ b/src/vrend_renderer.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ struct virgl_gl_ctx_param {
    bool shared;
 };
 
+struct virgl_context;
 struct vrend_context;
 
 /* Number of mipmap levels for which to keep the backing iov offsets.
@@ -164,8 +165,9 @@ void vrend_set_framebuffer_state(struct vrend_context *ctx,
 
 struct vrend_context *vrend_create_context(int id, uint32_t nlen, const char *debug_name);
 bool vrend_destroy_context(struct vrend_context *ctx);
-int vrend_renderer_context_create(uint32_t handle, uint32_t nlen, const char *name);
-void vrend_renderer_context_create_internal(uint32_t handle, uint32_t nlen, const char *name);
+struct virgl_context *vrend_renderer_context_create(uint32_t handle,
+                                                    uint32_t nlen,
+                                                    const char *name);
 
 struct vrend_renderer_resource_create_args {
    uint32_t handle;