diff --git a/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c b/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
index 818591a..d7ebe9d 100644
--- a/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
+++ b/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
@@ -1921,6 +1921,13 @@ wl_handle_x11_events(int fd, uint32_t mask, void *data)
     return 0;
 }
 
+/* Public accessor for the XWayland Display* — used by screen.c to create
+ * an RContext for texture rendering without exposing wl_state globally. */
+Display *wl_get_x_display(void)
+{
+    return wl_state.x_display;
+}
+
 static void *
 wl_display_open(const char *name)
 {
diff --git a/src/screen.c b/src/screen.c
index deab403..cf51f93 100644
--- a/src/screen.c
+++ b/src/screen.c
@@ -163,17 +163,43 @@ WScreen *wScreenInit(int screen_number)
 	 * set, Path 1), fall through to the full X11 init so WINGs, RContext,
 	 * GCs, and menus work correctly on the XWayland display. */
 	if (wm_backend->is_wayland && !dpy) {
-		WWorkspace *wspace = wmalloc(sizeof(WWorkspace));
-		wspace->name = wstrdup("Workspace 1");
-		wspace->clip = NULL;
-		wspace->map  = NULL;
-		scr->workspaces = wmalloc(sizeof(WWorkspace *));
-		scr->workspaces[0] = wspace;
-		scr->workspace_count = 1;
-		/* Phase 62: run backend screen internals (sets no_focus_win,
-		 * auto_focus, clears keyboard focus) before leaving the Wayland
-		 * fast path — screen_create_internals is normally called at
-		 * line 248 which the goto would skip. */
+		extern Display *wl_get_x_display(void);
+		Display *xdpy = wl_get_x_display();
+
+		if (!xdpy) {
+			/* No XWayland — truly headless. Minimal workspace only. */
+			WWorkspace *wspace = wmalloc(sizeof(WWorkspace));
+			wspace->name = wstrdup("Workspace 1");
+			wspace->clip = NULL;
+			wspace->map  = NULL;
+			scr->workspaces = wmalloc(sizeof(WWorkspace *));
+			scr->workspaces[0] = wspace;
+			scr->workspace_count = 1;
+			wm_backend->screen_create_internals(scr);
+			goto screen_done;
+		}
+
+		/* XWayland available — create RContext on it for texture rendering. */
+		rattr.flags = RC_RenderMode | RC_ColorsPerChannel | RC_StandardColormap;
+		rattr.render_mode = RBestMatchRendering;
+		rattr.colors_per_channel = 4;
+		rattr.standard_colormap_mode = RUseStdColormap;
+
+		scr->rcontext = RCreateContext(xdpy, DefaultScreen(xdpy), &rattr);
+		if (!scr->rcontext) {
+			rattr.flags &= ~RC_StandardColormap;
+			scr->rcontext = RCreateContext(xdpy, DefaultScreen(xdpy), &rattr);
+		}
+
+		if (scr->rcontext) {
+			scr->w_win      = scr->rcontext->drawable;
+			scr->w_visual   = scr->rcontext->visual;
+			scr->w_depth    = scr->rcontext->depth;
+			scr->w_colormap = scr->rcontext->cmap;
+
+			scr->wmscreen = WMCreateScreenWithRContext(xdpy, DefaultScreen(xdpy), scr->rcontext);
+		}
+
 		wm_backend->screen_create_internals(scr);
 		goto screen_done;
 	}
diff --git a/src/startup.c b/src/startup.c
index d2851ce..bbdd447 100644
--- a/src/startup.c
+++ b/src/startup.c
@@ -554,7 +554,6 @@ void StartUp(Bool defaultScreenOnly)
 		InitializeSwitchMenu();
 
 	/* initialize/restore state for the screens */
-	if (dpy) {
 	for (j = 0; j < w_global.screen_count; j++) {
 		int lastDesktop;
 
@@ -613,7 +612,6 @@ void StartUp(Bool defaultScreenOnly)
 		else
 			wSessionRestoreLastWorkspace(wScreen[j]);
 	}
-	} /* end if (dpy) */
 
 	if (w_global.screen_count == 0) {
 		wfatal(_("could not manage any screen"));