diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native-private.h b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native-private.h
index 2a945f4b8..510fef8dc 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native-private.h
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native-private.h
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ MetaBarrierManagerNative *meta_backend_native_get_barrier_manager (MetaBackendNa
 META_EXPORT_TEST
 MetaDevicePool * meta_backend_native_get_device_pool (MetaBackendNative *native);
 
-MetaRenderDevice * meta_backend_native_take_render_device (MetaBackendNative *backend_native,
-                                                           const char        *device_path);
+
+MetaRenderDevice * meta_backend_native_take_render_device (MetaBackendNative  *backend_native,
+                                                           const char         *device_path,
+                                                           GError            **error);
 
 #endif /* META_BACKEND_NATIVE_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
index c86c72dc5..8a4dbd730 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
@@ -991,9 +991,21 @@ void meta_backend_native_resume (MetaBackendNative *native)
   clutter_seat_ensure_a11y_state (CLUTTER_SEAT (seat));
 }
 
+static MetaRenderDevice *
+meta_backend_native_create_render_device (MetaBackendNative  *backend_native,
+                                          const char         *device_path,
+                                          GError            **error)
+{
+  g_autoptr (MetaRenderDevice) render_device = NULL;
+
+  render_device = create_render_device (backend_native, device_path, error);
+  return g_steal_pointer (&render_device);
+}
+
 MetaRenderDevice *
-meta_backend_native_take_render_device (MetaBackendNative *backend_native,
-                                        const char        *device_path)
+meta_backend_native_take_render_device (MetaBackendNative  *backend_native,
+                                        const char         *device_path,
+                                        GError            **error)
 {
   MetaRenderDevice *render_device;
 
@@ -1001,7 +1013,12 @@ meta_backend_native_take_render_device (MetaBackendNative *backend_native,
                                    device_path,
                                    NULL,
                                    (gpointer *) &render_device))
-    return render_device;
+    {
+      return render_device;
+    }
   else
-    return NULL;
+    {
+      return meta_backend_native_create_render_device (backend_native,
+                                                       device_path, error);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c
index c7181106d..e27805d91 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c
@@ -1781,11 +1781,10 @@ meta_renderer_native_create_renderer_gpu_data (MetaRendererNative  *renderer_nat
 
   device_path = meta_gpu_kms_get_file_path (gpu_kms);
   render_device = meta_backend_native_take_render_device (backend_native,
-                                                          device_path);
+                                                          device_path,
+                                                          error);
   if (!render_device)
     {
-      g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
-                   "No render device found for %s", device_path);
       return NULL;
     }