diff --git a/include/sway/server.h b/include/sway/server.h
index 109097d7..7ac2af26 100644
--- a/include/sway/server.h
+++ b/include/sway/server.h
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ struct sway_server {
 	const char *socket;
 
 	struct wlr_backend *backend;
-	struct wlr_backend *noop_backend;
 	// secondary headless backend used for creating virtual outputs on-the-fly
 	struct wlr_backend *headless_backend;
 	struct wlr_renderer *renderer;
diff --git a/include/sway/tree/root.h b/include/sway/tree/root.h
index e8f4d573..5d4a2f2d 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/root.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/root.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ struct sway_root {
 	list_t *scratchpad; // struct sway_container
 
 	// For when there's no connected outputs
-	struct sway_output *noop_output;
+	struct sway_output *fallback_output;
 
 	struct sway_container *fullscreen_global;
 
diff --git a/sway/commands/output.c b/sway/commands/output.c
index 42230bd7..125df5a7 100644
--- a/sway/commands/output.c
+++ b/sway/commands/output.c
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_output(int argc, char **argv) {
 		return error;
 	}
 
-	// The NOOP-1 output is a dummy output used when there's no outputs
+	// The HEADLESS-1 output is a dummy output used when there's no outputs
 	// connected. It should never be configured.
-	if (strcasecmp(argv[0], root->noop_output->wlr_output->name) == 0) {
+	if (strcasecmp(argv[0], root->fallback_output->wlr_output->name) == 0) {
 		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE,
 				"Refusing to configure the no op output");
 	}
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_output(int argc, char **argv) {
 		if (!sway_output) {
 			return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "Unknown output");
 		}
-		if (sway_output == root->noop_output) {
+		if (sway_output == root->fallback_output) {
 			return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE,
 					"Refusing to configure the no op output");
 		}
diff --git a/sway/config/output.c b/sway/config/output.c
index 63c81382..fa509252 100644
--- a/sway/config/output.c
+++ b/sway/config/output.c
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ static const uint32_t *bit_depth_preferences[] = {
 
 static void queue_output_config(struct output_config *oc,
 		struct sway_output *output) {
-	if (output == root->noop_output) {
+	if (output == root->fallback_output) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ static void queue_output_config(struct output_config *oc,
 }
 
 bool apply_output_config(struct output_config *oc, struct sway_output *output) {
-	if (output == root->noop_output) {
+	if (output == root->fallback_output) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ bool apply_output_config(struct output_config *oc, struct sway_output *output) {
 }
 
 bool test_output_config(struct output_config *oc, struct sway_output *output) {
-	if (output == root->noop_output) {
+	if (output == root->fallback_output) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/sway/desktop/layer_shell.c b/sway/desktop/layer_shell.c
index 7f5a337b..db78b59f 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/layer_shell.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/layer_shell.c
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ void handle_layer_shell_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 				output = ws->output;
 			}
 		}
-		if (!output || output == root->noop_output) {
+		if (!output || output == root->fallback_output) {
 			if (!root->outputs->length) {
 				sway_log(SWAY_ERROR,
 						"no output to auto-assign layer surface '%s' to",
diff --git a/sway/desktop/output.c b/sway/desktop/output.c
index cd9fd3a6..ed6bc064 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/output.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/output.c
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ static void update_output_manager_config(struct sway_server *server) {
 
 	struct sway_output *output;
 	wl_list_for_each(output, &root->all_outputs, link) {
-		if (output == root->noop_output) {
+		if (output == root->fallback_output) {
 			continue;
 		}
 		struct wlr_output_configuration_head_v1 *config_head =
@@ -838,6 +838,10 @@ static void handle_present(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 void handle_new_output(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct sway_server *server = wl_container_of(listener, server, new_output);
 	struct wlr_output *wlr_output = data;
+	if (wlr_output == root->fallback_output->wlr_output) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "New output %p: %s (non-desktop: %d)",
 			wlr_output, wlr_output->name, wlr_output->non_desktop);
 
diff --git a/sway/ipc-server.c b/sway/ipc-server.c
index aad9a7b5..1bf5a05f 100644
--- a/sway/ipc-server.c
+++ b/sway/ipc-server.c
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ void ipc_client_handle_command(struct ipc_client *client, uint32_t payload_lengt
 		}
 		struct sway_output *output;
 		wl_list_for_each(output, &root->all_outputs, link) {
-			if (!output->enabled && output != root->noop_output) {
+			if (!output->enabled && output != root->fallback_output) {
 				json_object_array_add(outputs,
 						ipc_json_describe_disabled_output(output));
 			}
diff --git a/sway/server.c b/sway/server.c
index 246f9c4f..ff269c79 100644
--- a/sway/server.c
+++ b/sway/server.c
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 #include <wlr/backend.h>
 #include <wlr/backend/headless.h>
 #include <wlr/backend/multi.h>
-#include <wlr/backend/noop.h>
 #include <wlr/backend/session.h>
 #include <wlr/config.h>
 #include <wlr/render/wlr_renderer.h>
@@ -217,11 +216,6 @@ bool server_init(struct sway_server *server) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	server->noop_backend = wlr_noop_backend_create(server->wl_display);
-
-	struct wlr_output *wlr_output = wlr_noop_add_output(server->noop_backend);
-	root->noop_output = output_create(wlr_output);
-
 	server->headless_backend = wlr_headless_backend_create(server->wl_display);
 	if (!server->headless_backend) {
 		sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Failed to create secondary headless backend");
@@ -231,6 +225,10 @@ bool server_init(struct sway_server *server) {
 		wlr_multi_backend_add(server->backend, server->headless_backend);
 	}
 
+	struct wlr_output *wlr_output =
+			wlr_headless_add_output(server->headless_backend, 800, 600);
+	root->fallback_output = output_create(wlr_output);
+
 	// This may have been set already via -Dtxn-timeout
 	if (!server->txn_timeout_ms) {
 		server->txn_timeout_ms = 200;
@@ -287,6 +285,7 @@ bool server_start(struct sway_server *server) {
 		wlr_backend_destroy(server->backend);
 		return false;
 	}
+
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/sway/tree/output.c b/sway/tree/output.c
index c095dce0..242e6fac 100644
--- a/sway/tree/output.c
+++ b/sway/tree/output.c
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ static void restore_workspaces(struct sway_output *output) {
 	}
 
 	// Saved workspaces
-	while (root->noop_output->workspaces->length) {
-		struct sway_workspace *ws = root->noop_output->workspaces->items[0];
+	while (root->fallback_output->workspaces->length) {
+		struct sway_workspace *ws = root->fallback_output->workspaces->items[0];
 		workspace_detach(ws);
 		output_add_workspace(output, ws);
 
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ static void output_evacuate(struct sway_output *output) {
 			new_output = fallback_output;
 		}
 		if (!new_output) {
-			new_output = root->noop_output;
+			new_output = root->fallback_output;
 		}
 
 		struct sway_workspace *new_output_ws =
diff --git a/sway/tree/root.c b/sway/tree/root.c
index dd4d8e33..73f3993c 100644
--- a/sway/tree/root.c
+++ b/sway/tree/root.c
@@ -374,8 +374,8 @@ void root_for_each_container(void (*f)(struct sway_container *con, void *data),
 	}
 
 	// Saved workspaces
-	for (int i = 0; i < root->noop_output->workspaces->length; ++i) {
-		struct sway_workspace *ws = root->noop_output->workspaces->items[i];
+	for (int i = 0; i < root->fallback_output->workspaces->length; ++i) {
+		struct sway_workspace *ws = root->fallback_output->workspaces->items[i];
 		workspace_for_each_container(ws, f, data);
 	}
 }
@@ -427,8 +427,8 @@ struct sway_container *root_find_container(
 	}
 
 	// Saved workspaces
-	for (int i = 0; i < root->noop_output->workspaces->length; ++i) {
-		struct sway_workspace *ws = root->noop_output->workspaces->items[i];
+	for (int i = 0; i < root->fallback_output->workspaces->length; ++i) {
+		struct sway_workspace *ws = root->fallback_output->workspaces->items[i];
 		if ((result = workspace_find_container(ws, test, data))) {
 			return result;
 		}
diff --git a/sway/tree/workspace.c b/sway/tree/workspace.c
index e3ff1513..c84320bd 100644
--- a/sway/tree/workspace.c
+++ b/sway/tree/workspace.c
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ struct sway_output *workspace_get_initial_output(const char *name) {
 	} else if (focus && focus->type == N_CONTAINER) {
 		return focus->sway_container->pending.workspace->output;
 	}
-	// Fallback to the first output or noop output for headless
-	return root->outputs->length ? root->outputs->items[0] : root->noop_output;
+	// Fallback to the first output or the headless output
+	return root->outputs->length ? root->outputs->items[0] : root->fallback_output;
 }
 
 struct sway_workspace *workspace_create(struct sway_output *output,