diff --git a/include/wlr/render/drm_syncobj.h b/include/wlr/render/drm_syncobj.h
index 8b3609ee..be3dce2d 100644
--- a/include/wlr/render/drm_syncobj.h
+++ b/include/wlr/render/drm_syncobj.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <wayland-server-core.h>
 
 /**
  * A synchronization timeline.
@@ -33,6 +34,17 @@ struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline {
 	size_t n_refs;
 };
 
+struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter {
+	struct {
+		struct wl_signal ready;
+	} events;
+
+	// private state
+
+	int ev_fd;
+	struct wl_event_source *event_source;
+};
+
 /**
  * Create a new synchronization timeline.
  */
@@ -50,6 +62,30 @@ struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline *wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_ref(struct wlr_drm_syn
  * Unreference a synchronization timeline.
  */
 void wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_unref(struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline *timeline);
+/**
+ * Check if a timeline point has been signalled or has materialized.
+ *
+ * Flags can be:
+ *
+ * - DRM_SYNCOBJ_WAIT_FLAGS_WAIT_FOR_SUBMIT to wait for the point to be
+ *   signalled
+ * - DRM_SYNCOBJ_WAIT_FLAGS_WAIT_AVAILABLE to only wait for a fence to
+ *   materialize
+ */
+bool wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_check(struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline *timeline,
+	uint64_t point, uint32_t flags, bool *result);
+/**
+ * Asynchronously wait for a timeline point.
+ *
+ * See wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_check() for a definition of flags.
+ */
+bool wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter_init(struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter *waiter,
+	struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline *timeline, uint64_t point, uint32_t flags,
+	struct wl_event_loop *loop);
+/**
+ * Cancel a timeline waiter.
+ */
+void wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter_finish(struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter *waiter);
 /**
  * Export a timeline point as a sync_file FD.
  *
diff --git a/render/drm_syncobj.c b/render/drm_syncobj.c
index f4b1c249..af3e79fc 100644
--- a/render/drm_syncobj.c
+++ b/render/drm_syncobj.c
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <xf86drm.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <wayland-server-core.h>
 #include <wlr/render/drm_syncobj.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 
+#include "config.h"
+
+#if HAVE_EVENTFD
+#include <sys/eventfd.h>
+#endif
+
 struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline *wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_create(int drm_fd) {
 	struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline *timeline = calloc(1, sizeof(*timeline));
 	if (timeline == NULL) {
@@ -114,3 +122,91 @@ out:
 	drmSyncobjDestroy(timeline->drm_fd, syncobj_handle);
 	return ok;
 }
+
+bool wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_check(struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline *timeline,
+		uint64_t point, uint32_t flags, bool *result) {
+	int etime;
+#if defined(__FreeBSD__)
+	etime = ETIMEDOUT;
+#else
+	etime = ETIME;
+#endif
+
+	uint32_t signaled_point;
+	int ret = drmSyncobjTimelineWait(timeline->drm_fd, &timeline->handle, &point, 1, 0, flags, &signaled_point);
+	if (ret != 0 && ret != -etime) {
+		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "drmSyncobjWait() failed");
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	*result = ret == 0;
+	return true;
+}
+
+static int handle_eventfd_ready(int ev_fd, uint32_t mask, void *data) {
+	struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter *waiter = data;
+
+	if (mask & (WL_EVENT_HANGUP | WL_EVENT_ERROR)) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to wait for render timeline: eventfd error");
+	}
+
+	if (mask & WL_EVENT_READABLE) {
+		uint64_t ev_fd_value;
+		if (read(ev_fd, &ev_fd_value, sizeof(ev_fd_value)) <= 0) {
+			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to wait for render timeline: read() failed");
+		}
+	}
+
+	wl_signal_emit_mutable(&waiter->events.ready, NULL);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+bool wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter_init(struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter *waiter,
+		struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline *timeline, uint64_t point, uint32_t flags,
+		struct wl_event_loop *loop) {
+	int ev_fd;
+#if HAVE_EVENTFD
+	ev_fd = eventfd(0, EFD_CLOEXEC);
+	if (ev_fd < 0) {
+		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "eventfd() failed");
+	}
+#else
+	ev_fd = -1;
+	wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "eventfd() is unavailable");
+#endif
+	if (ev_fd < 0) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	struct drm_syncobj_eventfd syncobj_eventfd = {
+		.handle = timeline->handle,
+		.flags = flags,
+		.point = point,
+		.fd = ev_fd,
+	};
+	if (drmIoctl(timeline->drm_fd, DRM_IOCTL_SYNCOBJ_EVENTFD, &syncobj_eventfd) != 0) {
+		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "DRM_IOCTL_SYNCOBJ_EVENTFD failed");
+		close(ev_fd);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	struct wl_event_source *source = wl_event_loop_add_fd(loop, ev_fd, WL_EVENT_READABLE, handle_eventfd_ready, waiter);
+	if (source == NULL) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to add FD to event loop");
+		close(ev_fd);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	*waiter = (struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter){
+		.ev_fd = ev_fd,
+		.event_source = source,
+	};
+	wl_signal_init(&waiter->events.ready);
+	return true;
+}
+
+void wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter_finish(struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter *waiter) {
+	wl_list_remove(&waiter->events.ready.listener_list);
+	wl_event_source_remove(waiter->event_source);
+	close(waiter->ev_fd);
+}
diff --git a/render/meson.build b/render/meson.build
index 6cae5751..8c71ff07 100644
--- a/render/meson.build
+++ b/render/meson.build
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ else
 	wlr_files += files('dmabuf_fallback.c')
 endif
 
+internal_config.set10('HAVE_EVENTFD', cc.has_header('sys/eventfd.h'))
+
 if 'gles2' in renderers or 'auto' in renderers
 	egl = dependency('egl', required: 'gles2' in renderers)
 	gbm = dependency('gbm', required: 'gles2' in renderers)