diff --git a/backend/backend.c b/backend/backend.c
index a391b272..93f764f6 100644
--- a/backend/backend.c
+++ b/backend/backend.c
@@ -62,8 +62,7 @@ static struct wlr_backend *attempt_wl_backend(struct wl_display *display) {
 	return backend;
 }
 
-struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend_autocreate(struct wl_display *display,
-		struct wlr_session *session) {
+struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend_autocreate(struct wl_display *display) {
 	struct wlr_backend *backend;
 	if (getenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY") || getenv("_WAYLAND_DISPLAY")) {
 		backend = attempt_wl_backend(display);
@@ -71,43 +70,61 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend_autocreate(struct wl_display *display,
 			return backend;
 		}
 	}
+
+	if (getenv("DISPLAY")) {
+		// TODO: X11 backend
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	// Attempt DRM+libinput
-	struct wlr_udev *udev;
-	if (!(udev = wlr_udev_create(display))) {
+
+	struct wlr_session *session = wlr_session_start(display);
+	if (!session) {
+		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to start a DRM session");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	struct wlr_udev *udev = wlr_udev_create(display);
+	if (!udev) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to start udev");
-		goto error;
+		goto error_session;
 	}
+
 	int gpu = wlr_udev_find_gpu(udev, session);
 	if (gpu == -1) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to open DRM device");
 		goto error_udev;
 	}
-	backend = wlr_multi_backend_create();
+
+	backend = wlr_multi_backend_create(session, udev);
 	if (!backend) {
 		goto error_gpu;
 	}
-	struct wlr_backend *libinput =
-		wlr_libinput_backend_create(display, session, udev);
+
+	struct wlr_backend *libinput = wlr_libinput_backend_create(display, session, udev);
 	if (!libinput) {
 		goto error_multi;
 	}
-	struct wlr_backend *drm =
-		wlr_drm_backend_create(display, session, udev, gpu);
+
+	struct wlr_backend *drm = wlr_drm_backend_create(display, session, udev, gpu);
 	if (!drm) {
 		goto error_libinput;
 	}
+
 	wlr_multi_backend_add(backend, libinput);
 	wlr_multi_backend_add(backend, drm);
 	return backend;
+
 error_libinput:
 	wlr_backend_destroy(libinput);
 error_multi:
 	wlr_backend_destroy(backend);
 error_gpu:
-	close(gpu);
+	wlr_session_close_file(session, gpu);
 error_udev:
 	wlr_udev_destroy(udev);
-error:
+error_session:
+	wlr_session_finish(session);
 	return NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/multi/backend.c b/backend/multi/backend.c
index d33d137c..2e8f117c 100644
--- a/backend/multi/backend.c
+++ b/backend/multi/backend.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <wlr/backend/interface.h>
+#include <wlr/backend/udev.h>
+#include <wlr/session.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include "backend/multi.h"
 
@@ -31,6 +33,8 @@ static void multi_backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend_state *state) {
 		free(sub);
 	}
 	list_free(state->backends);
+	wlr_session_finish(state->session);
+	wlr_udev_destroy(state->udev);
 	free(state);
 }
 
@@ -39,21 +43,26 @@ struct wlr_backend_impl backend_impl = {
 	.destroy = multi_backend_destroy
 };
 
-struct wlr_backend *wlr_multi_backend_create() {
+struct wlr_backend *wlr_multi_backend_create(struct wlr_session *session,
+		struct wlr_udev *udev) {
 	struct wlr_backend_state *state =
 		calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_backend_state));
 	if (!state) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Backend allocation failed");
 		return NULL;
 	}
+
 	state->backends = list_create();
 	if (!state->backends) {
 		free(state);
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Backend allocation failed");
 		return NULL;
 	}
+
 	struct wlr_backend *backend = wlr_backend_create(&backend_impl, state);
 	state->backend = backend;
+	state->session = session;
+	state->udev = udev;
 	return backend;
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/shared.c b/examples/shared.c
index 6d225a85..823d8e0c 100644
--- a/examples/shared.c
+++ b/examples/shared.c
@@ -440,12 +440,6 @@ static void output_remove_notify(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 void compositor_init(struct compositor_state *state) {
 	state->display = wl_display_create();
 	state->event_loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(state->display);
-	state->session = wlr_session_start(state->display);
-	if (!state->session
-			|| !state->display
-			|| !state->event_loop) {
-		exit(1);
-	}
 
 	wl_list_init(&state->keyboards);
 	wl_list_init(&state->pointers);
@@ -463,10 +457,8 @@ void compositor_init(struct compositor_state *state) {
 	wl_list_init(&state->output_remove.link);
 	state->output_remove.notify = output_remove_notify;
 
-	struct wlr_backend *wlr = wlr_backend_autocreate(
-			state->display, state->session);
+	struct wlr_backend *wlr = wlr_backend_autocreate(state->display);
 	if (!wlr) {
-		wlr_session_finish(state->session);
 		exit(1);
 	}
 	wl_signal_add(&wlr->events.input_add, &state->input_add);
@@ -481,7 +473,6 @@ void compositor_init(struct compositor_state *state) {
 	if (!socket) {
 		wlr_log_errno(L_ERROR, "Unable to open wayland socket");
 		wlr_backend_destroy(wlr);
-		wlr_session_finish(state->session);
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
@@ -490,7 +481,6 @@ void compositor_init(struct compositor_state *state) {
 	if (!wlr_backend_init(state->backend)) {
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to initialize backend");
 		wlr_backend_destroy(wlr);
-		wlr_session_finish(state->session);
 		exit(1);
 	}
 }
@@ -498,6 +488,5 @@ void compositor_init(struct compositor_state *state) {
 void compositor_run(struct compositor_state *state) {
 	wl_display_run(state->display);
 	wlr_backend_destroy(state->backend);
-	wlr_session_finish(state->session);
 	wl_display_destroy(state->display);
 }
diff --git a/include/backend/multi.h b/include/backend/multi.h
index efaf61b9..617d4c98 100644
--- a/include/backend/multi.h
+++ b/include/backend/multi.h
@@ -3,10 +3,14 @@
 
 #include <wlr/backend/interface.h>
 #include <wlr/backend/multi.h>
+#include <wlr/backend/udev.h>
 #include <wlr/util/list.h>
+#include <wlr/session.h>
 
 struct wlr_backend_state {
 	struct wlr_backend *backend;
+	struct wlr_session *session;
+	struct wlr_udev *udev;
 	list_t *backends;
 };
 
diff --git a/include/wlr/backend.h b/include/wlr/backend.h
index db85c169..74cb34a9 100644
--- a/include/wlr/backend.h
+++ b/include/wlr/backend.h
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ struct wlr_backend {
 	} events;
 };
 
-struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend_autocreate(struct wl_display *display,
-		struct wlr_session *session);
+struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend_autocreate(struct wl_display *display);
 bool wlr_backend_init(struct wlr_backend *backend);
 void wlr_backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *backend);
 
diff --git a/include/wlr/backend/multi.h b/include/wlr/backend/multi.h
index a07ca770..00b34722 100644
--- a/include/wlr/backend/multi.h
+++ b/include/wlr/backend/multi.h
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 #define _WLR_BACKEND_MULTI_H
 
 #include <wlr/backend.h>
+#include <wlr/backend/udev.h>
+#include <wlr/session.h>
 
-struct wlr_backend *wlr_multi_backend_create();
+struct wlr_backend *wlr_multi_backend_create(struct wlr_session *session,
+		struct wlr_udev *udev);
 void wlr_multi_backend_add(struct wlr_backend *multi,
 		struct wlr_backend *backend);
 
diff --git a/session/session.c b/session/session.c
index 6f6aa2ea..3f4c7910 100644
--- a/session/session.c
+++ b/session/session.c
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ struct wlr_session *wlr_session_start(struct wl_display *disp) {
 }
 
 void wlr_session_finish(struct wlr_session *session) {
+	if (!session) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	session->impl->finish(session);
 };
 
@@ -42,5 +46,9 @@ void wlr_session_close_file(struct wlr_session *session, int fd) {
 }
 
 bool wlr_session_change_vt(struct wlr_session *session, unsigned vt) {
+	if (!session) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	return session->impl->change_vt(session, vt);
 }