diff --git a/WINGs/Makefile.am b/WINGs/Makefile.am
index 1d850de..0e6e0e2 100644
--- a/WINGs/Makefile.am
+++ b/WINGs/Makefile.am
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ else
 # symbols normally exported from *_x11.c files, so applications that
 # link libWINGs but never call them resolve cleanly in pure-Wayland
 # builds.
-libWINGs_la_SOURCES += wappresource_wl.c wcolorpanel_wl.c wstubs_no_x11.c
+libWINGs_la_SOURCES += wappresource_wl.c wballoon_wl.c wcolorpanel_wl.c wstubs_no_x11.c
 endif
 
 if USE_WAYLAND_CLIENT
diff --git a/WINGs/wballoon_wl.c b/WINGs/wballoon_wl.c
index 1c32776..29f71b6 100644
--- a/WINGs/wballoon_wl.c
+++ b/WINGs/wballoon_wl.c
@@ -1,100 +1,37 @@
 /*
  * wballoon_wl.c -- Wayland backend for tooltip balloon windows.
  *
- * Tooltip balloon rendering is delegated to the backend's scene graph.
- * This module manages balloon state (text, font, colors, timing) and
- * triggers redraws through the event system.  The actual pixel rendering
- * happens in the backend's frame painting path.
+ * Balloon rendering is delegated to the backend's scene graph and
+ * frame painting path.  This module provides the WINGs API stubs
+ * needed by the core WM when running on Wayland.
  */
 
 #include "WINGsP.h"
-#include <string.h>
 
 
-/*
- * W_BalloonShowText -- called by the core WM to display a balloon.
- * In Wayland mode the backend draws balloon text onto its own surfaces;
- * this is a no-op here since the backend reads balloon state directly
- * from the WMScreen and W_View structures.
- */
+struct W_Balloon *
+W_CreateBalloon(WMScreen *scr)
+{
+    (void)scr;
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 void
 W_BalloonShowText(void *bPtr, int x, int y, int w, int h, const char *text)
 {
     (void)bPtr; (void)x; (void)y; (void)w; (void)h; (void)text;
 }
 
-void
-WMSetBalloonTextAlignment(WMScreen *scr, WMAlignment alignment)
-{
-    scr->balloonTextAlignment = alignment;
-}
-
-void
-WMSetBalloonTextForView(const char *text, WMView *view)
-{
-    if (!view)
-        return;
-    /* Store the balloon text — the backend reads it during frame paint */
-    if (view->balloonText)
-        wfree(view->balloonText);
-    view->balloonText = text ? wstrdup(text) : NULL;
-}
-
-void
-WMSetBalloonFont(WMScreen *scr, WMFont *font)
-{
-    scr->balloon_font = font;
-}
-
-void
-WMSetBalloonTextColor(WMScreen *scr, WMColor *color)
-{
-    scr->balloonTextColor = color;
-}
-
-void
-WMSetBalloonDelay(WMScreen *scr, int delay)
-{
-    scr->balloonDelay = delay;
-}
-
-void
-WMSetBalloonEnabled(WMScreen *scr, Bool flag)
-{
-    scr->balloonEnabled = flag;
-}
-
 void
 W_BalloonHandleLeaveView(WMView *view)
 {
-    if (!view || !view->balloonTimer)
-        return;
-    WTimerDestroy(view->balloonTimer);
-    view->balloonTimer = NULL;
+    (void)view;
 }
 
 void
 W_BalloonHandleEnterView(WMView *view)
 {
-    if (!view || !view->screen->balloonEnabled || !view->balloonText || !view->balloonText[0])
-        return;
-    /* In Wayland mode, the backend handles balloon show/hide timing */
-}
-
-void
-WMSetBalloonBackColor(WMScreen *scr, WMColor *color)
-{
-    scr->balloonBackColor = color;
-}
-
-Bool
-WMGetBalloonTextExtents(WMScreen *scr, const char *text, int *width, int *height)
-{
-    if (!scr || !text || !scr->balloon_font)
-        return False;
-    *width = WMWidthOfString(scr->balloon_font, text, strlen(text)) + 10;
-    *height = WMFontHeight(scr->balloon_font) + 6;
-    return True;
+    (void)view;
 }
 
 void
@@ -102,3 +39,52 @@ W_BalloonCleanup(WMScreen *scr)
 {
     (void)scr;
 }
+
+void
+WMSetBalloonTextAlignment(WMScreen *scr, WMAlignment alignment)
+{
+    (void)scr;
+    (void)alignment;
+}
+
+void
+WMSetBalloonTextForView(const char *text, WMView *view)
+{
+    (void)text;
+    (void)view;
+}
+
+void
+WMSetBalloonFont(WMScreen *scr, WMFont *font)
+{
+    (void)scr;
+    (void)font;
+}
+
+void
+WMSetBalloonTextColor(WMScreen *scr, WMColor *color)
+{
+    (void)scr;
+    (void)color;
+}
+
+void
+WMSetBalloonBackColor(WMScreen *scr, WMColor *color)
+{
+    (void)scr;
+    (void)color;
+}
+
+void
+WMSetBalloonDelay(WMScreen *scr, int delay)
+{
+    (void)scr;
+    (void)delay;
+}
+
+void
+WMSetBalloonEnabled(WMScreen *scr, Bool flag)
+{
+    (void)scr;
+    (void)flag;
+}
diff --git a/WINGs/wstubs_no_x11.c b/WINGs/wstubs_no_x11.c
index 2edab2f..6350cf4 100644
--- a/WINGs/wstubs_no_x11.c
+++ b/WINGs/wstubs_no_x11.c
@@ -126,22 +126,15 @@ void W_SetPreeditPositon(W_View *view, int x, int y)
 /* Balloons (wballoon_x11.c)                                           */
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 
-void WMSetBalloonTextAlignment(WMScreen *scr, WMAlignment alignment)
-{ (void)scr; (void)alignment; }
-void WMSetBalloonTextForView(const char *text, WMView *view)
-{ (void)text; (void)view; }
-void WMSetBalloonFont(WMScreen *scr, WMFont *font)
-{ (void)scr; (void)font; }
-void WMSetBalloonTextColor(WMScreen *scr, WMColor *color)
-{ (void)scr; (void)color; }
-void WMSetBalloonDelay(WMScreen *scr, int delay)
-{ (void)scr; (void)delay; }
-void WMSetBalloonEnabled(WMScreen *scr, Bool flag)
-{ (void)scr; (void)flag; }
-void W_BalloonHandleLeaveView(WMView *view) { (void)view; }
-void W_BalloonHandleEnterView(WMView *view) { (void)view; }
-void W_BalloonShowText(void *bPtr, int x, int y, int w, int h, const char *text)
-{ (void)bPtr; (void)x; (void)y; (void)w; (void)h; (void)text; }
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 /* Application resources (wappresource_x11.c)                          */
@@ -187,3 +180,12 @@ WMScreen *WMCreateSimpleApplicationScreen(Display *display)
                "WMCreateSimpleApplicationScreen unavailable"));
     return NULL;
 }
+
+const char *WMSelectionOwnerDidChangeNotification = "WMSelectionOwnerDidChangeNotification";
+
+#include "WINGsP.h"
+GC WMColorGC(WMColor *color)
+{
+    (void)color;
+    return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index b00f85f..b978799 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ wmaker_SOURCES = 	\
 	xutil.h \
 	backend/backend.h \
 	backend/backend_types.h \
+	backend/wm_backend.c
+
+if USE_X11_BACKEND
+wmaker_SOURCES += \
 	backend/x11/x11_compat.h \
 	backend/x11/x11_backend.h \
 	backend/x11/x11_backend.c \
@@ -118,7 +122,10 @@ wmaker_SOURCES = 	\
 	backend/x11/wmspec.h \
 	backend/x11/wmspec.c \
 	backend/x11/xdnd.h \
-	backend/x11/xdnd.c \
+	backend/x11/xdnd.c
+endif
+
+wmaker_SOURCES += \
 	geom.h \
 	geom.c \
 	wconfig.h \
diff --git a/src/backend/wayland/wl_window.c b/src/backend/wayland/wl_window.c
index bf1eea6..689dfdd 100644
--- a/src/backend/wayland/wl_window.c
+++ b/src/backend/wayland/wl_window.c
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ struct wl_frame_buf *frame_buf_find(WNativeWindow id);
 extern void *W_RegisterBacking(unsigned long id, void *img);
 extern void W_UnregisterBacking(unsigned long id);
 struct wl_toplevel_view *wl_find_view_by_id(WNativeWindow id);
+#ifdef USE_X11_BACKEND
 pixman_image_t *get_window_image_from_x11(Display *x_display, WNativeWindow win);
+#else
+pixman_image_t *get_window_image_from_x11(Display *x_display, WNativeWindow win) { (void)x_display; (void)win; return NULL; }
+#endif
 
 
 Bool
diff --git a/src/backend/wm_backend.c b/src/backend/wm_backend.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b40f5ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/wm_backend.c
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif
+#include "backend/backend.h"
+
+/* wm_backend is defined here so it exists even without the X11 backend.
+ * startup.c sets it to the appropriate backend before any vtable calls. */
+#ifndef USE_X11_BACKEND
+const WMBackend *wm_backend = NULL;
+#endif
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index cecc91d..8c2285b 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -782,7 +782,11 @@ static int real_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		wm_backend = &wl_backend;
 	else
 #endif
+#ifdef USE_X11_BACKEND
 		wm_backend = &x11_backend;
+#else
+		wm_backend = &wl_backend;
+#endif
 
 	/* open display */
 	dpy = (Display *)wm_backend->display_open(DisplayName);
diff --git a/wrlib/wraster.h.in b/wrlib/wraster.h.in
index a3f6639..15d2898 100644
--- a/wrlib/wraster.h.in
+++ b/wrlib/wraster.h.in
@@ -57,9 +57,7 @@
  * The `@!USE_X11_WRASTER@`-prefixed lines below are kept by
  * script/replace-ac-keywords.sh ONLY when USE_X11_WRASTER is NOT
  * defined in config.h. */
-@!USE_X11_WRASTER@#ifndef WRASTER_NO_XLIB
-@!USE_X11_WRASTER@#define WRASTER_NO_XLIB
-@!USE_X11_WRASTER@#endif
+
 
 /* X11 types are used throughout the wraster public API for the X11
  * conversion path (RConvertImage, RPutXImage, RCreateContext, etc.).
diff --git a/wrlib/wstubs_no_x11.c b/wrlib/wstubs_no_x11.c
index 8680cb2..549ceba 100644
--- a/wrlib/wstubs_no_x11.c
+++ b/wrlib/wstubs_no_x11.c
@@ -155,3 +155,4 @@ RImage *RLoadXPM(RContext *context, const char *file)
     RErrorCode = RERR_BADFORMAT;
     return NULL;
 }
+void r_destroy_conversion_tables(void) { }