diff --git a/drm/DrmDisplayPipeline.cpp b/drm/DrmDisplayPipeline.cpp
index 8a93f9e..dd40f13 100644
--- a/drm/DrmDisplayPipeline.cpp
+++ b/drm/DrmDisplayPipeline.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "DrmDevice.h"
 #include "DrmEncoder.h"
 #include "DrmPlane.h"
+#include "backend/Backend.h"
 #include "utils/log.h"
 #include "utils/properties.h"
 
diff --git a/drm/DrmDisplayPipeline.h b/drm/DrmDisplayPipeline.h
index adc003f..346906f 100644
--- a/drm/DrmDisplayPipeline.h
+++ b/drm/DrmDisplayPipeline.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 namespace android::drm_hwcomposer {
 
+class Backend;
 class DrmConnector;
 class DrmDevice;
 class DrmPlane;
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ struct DrmDisplayPipeline {
   std::shared_ptr<BindingOwner<DrmPlane>> primary_plane;
 
   std::shared_ptr<DrmAtomicStateManager> atomic_state_manager;
+  std::unique_ptr<Backend> backend;
 };
 
 }  // namespace android::drm_hwcomposer
diff --git a/drm/DrmHwc.cpp b/drm/DrmHwc.cpp
index 2724986..2491cde 100644
--- a/drm/DrmHwc.cpp
+++ b/drm/DrmHwc.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <utility>
 
-#include "backend/Backend.h"
+#include "backend/BackendManager.h"
 #include "stats/CompositionStats.h"
 #include "utils/log.h"
 #include "utils/properties.h"
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ bool DrmHwc::BindDisplay(std::shared_ptr<DrmDisplayPipeline> pipeline) {
         pipeline->connector->Get()->GetName().c_str(), (int)disp_handle,
         disp_handle == kPrimaryDisplay ? " (Primary)" : "");
 
+  pipeline->backend = BackendManager::GetInstance().CreateBackendForConnector(
+      pipeline->connector->Get());
   displays_[disp_handle]->SetPipeline(pipeline);
   display_handles_[pipeline] = disp_handle;
 
@@ -183,6 +185,9 @@ std::optional<DisplayHandle> DrmHwc::CreateVirtualDisplay(uint32_t width,
                                            /* is_virtual */ true, this);
 
   disp->SetVirtualDisplayResolution(width, height);
+  virtual_pipeline->backend = BackendManager::GetInstance()
+                                  .CreateBackendForConnector(
+                                      virtual_pipeline->connector->Get());
   disp->SetPipeline(virtual_pipeline);
   displays_[new_display_handle] = std::move(disp);
   return new_display_handle;
diff --git a/hwc/HwcDisplay.cpp b/hwc/HwcDisplay.cpp
index 53e372f..29bc94b 100644
--- a/hwc/HwcDisplay.cpp
+++ b/hwc/HwcDisplay.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 #include <utils/Trace.h>
 
 #include "backend/Backend.h"
-#include "backend/BackendManager.h"
 #include "compositor/DisplayInfo.h"
 #include "drm/DrmConnector.h"
 #include "drm/DrmDisplayPipeline.h"
@@ -343,7 +342,7 @@ auto HwcDisplay::ValidateStagedComposition() -> std::vector<ChangedLayer> {
     flatcon_->NewFrame();
   }
 
-  validated_composition_.emplace(backend_->ValidateDisplay(this));
+  validated_composition_.emplace(pipeline_->backend->ValidateDisplay(this));
 
   // Iterate through the layers to find which layers actually changed.
   std::vector<ChangedLayer> changed_layers;
@@ -638,7 +637,6 @@ void HwcDisplay::Deinit() {
     GetPipe().atomic_state_manager->ExecuteAtomicCommit(a_args);
 
     validated_composition_.reset();
-    backend_.reset();
     flatcon_.reset();
   }
 
@@ -660,12 +658,6 @@ bool HwcDisplay::Init() {
   }
 
   if (!IsInHeadlessMode()) {
-    backend_ = BackendManager::GetInstance().CreateBackendForConnector(
-        pipeline_->connector->Get());
-    if (!backend_) {
-      ALOGE("Failed to set backend for d=%d\n", int(handle_));
-      return false;
-    }
     auto flatcbk = (struct FlatConCallbacks){
         .trigger = [this]() { hwc_->SendRefreshEventToClient(handle_); }};
     flatcon_ = std::make_unique<FlatteningController>(flatcbk,
@@ -1306,10 +1298,6 @@ void HwcDisplay::SetHdrOutputMetadata(ui::Hdr type) {
   m->white_point.y = ToU16ColorValue(whitePoint.y);
 }
 
-const Backend *HwcDisplay::backend() const {
-  return backend_.get();
-}
-
 bool HwcDisplay::NeedsClientLayerUpdate() const {
   return std::any_of(layers_.begin(), layers_.end(), [](const auto &pair) {
     const auto &layer = pair.second;
diff --git a/hwc/HwcDisplay.h b/hwc/HwcDisplay.h
index 430a931..e0c8e37 100644
--- a/hwc/HwcDisplay.h
+++ b/hwc/HwcDisplay.h
@@ -185,8 +185,6 @@ class HwcDisplay {
     return &it->second;
   }
 
-  const Backend *backend() const;
-
   auto layers() -> std::map<ILayerId, HwcLayer> & {
     return layers_;
   }