diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_egl_backend.cpp b/src/backends/drm/drm_egl_backend.cpp
index d8d55923b1..369009f8b6 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_egl_backend.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_egl_backend.cpp
@@ -181,21 +181,6 @@ DrmGpu *EglGbmBackend::gpu() const
     return m_backend->primaryGpu();
 }
 
-bool EglGbmBackend::supportsTimelines() const
-{
-    return m_backend->primaryGpu()->syncObjTimelinesSupported();
-}
-
-std::unique_ptr<SyncTimeline> EglGbmBackend::importTimeline(FileDescriptor &&syncObjFd)
-{
-    uint32_t handle = 0;
-    if (drmSyncobjFDToHandle(m_backend->primaryGpu()->fd(), syncObjFd.get(), &handle) != 0) {
-        qCWarning(KWIN_DRM) << "importing syncobj timeline failed!" << strerror(errno);
-        return nullptr;
-    }
-    return std::make_unique<SyncTimeline>(m_backend->primaryGpu()->fd(), handle);
-}
-
 } // namespace KWin
 
 #include "moc_drm_egl_backend.cpp"
diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_egl_backend.h b/src/backends/drm/drm_egl_backend.h
index 69afe521bb..dab2ccb921 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_egl_backend.h
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_egl_backend.h
@@ -61,9 +61,6 @@ public:
     EglDisplay *displayForGpu(DrmGpu *gpu);
     std::shared_ptr<EglContext> contextForGpu(DrmGpu *gpu);
 
-    bool supportsTimelines() const override;
-    std::unique_ptr<SyncTimeline> importTimeline(FileDescriptor &&syncObjFd) override;
-
 private:
     bool initializeEgl();
     bool initRenderingContext();
diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.cpp b/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.cpp
index a5f4fb0ced..2bd7251acb 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.cpp
@@ -75,9 +75,6 @@ DrmGpu::DrmGpu(DrmBackend *backend, int fd, std::unique_ptr<DrmDevice> &&device)
     m_addFB2ModifiersSupported = drmGetCap(fd, DRM_CAP_ADDFB2_MODIFIERS, &capability) == 0 && capability == 1;
     qCDebug(KWIN_DRM) << "drmModeAddFB2WithModifiers is" << (m_addFB2ModifiersSupported ? "supported" : "not supported") << "on GPU" << this;
 
-    m_supportsSyncTimelines = drmGetCap(fd, DRM_CAP_SYNCOBJ_TIMELINE, &capability) == 0 && capability == 1;
-    qCDebug(KWIN_DRM) << "sync obj timelines are" << (m_supportsSyncTimelines ? "supported" : "not supported") << "on GPU" << this;
-
     // find out what driver this kms device is using
     DrmUniquePtr<drmVersion> version(drmGetVersion(fd));
     m_isI915 = strstr(version->name, "i915");
@@ -678,11 +675,6 @@ bool DrmGpu::asyncPageflipSupported() const
     return m_asyncPageflipSupported;
 }
 
-bool DrmGpu::syncObjTimelinesSupported() const
-{
-    return m_supportsSyncTimelines;
-}
-
 bool DrmGpu::isI915() const
 {
     return m_isI915;
diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.h b/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.h
index fd2d1c67fa..323ac6bac8 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.h
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_gpu.h
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ public:
     bool atomicModeSetting() const;
     bool addFB2ModifiersSupported() const;
     bool asyncPageflipSupported() const;
-    bool syncObjTimelinesSupported() const;
     bool isI915() const;
     bool isNVidia() const;
     bool isAmdgpu() const;
@@ -145,7 +144,6 @@ private:
     bool m_isRemoved = false;
     bool m_isActive = true;
     bool m_forceModeset = false;
-    bool m_supportsSyncTimelines = false;
     clockid_t m_presentationClock;
     std::unique_ptr<EglDisplay> m_eglDisplay;
     DrmBackend *const m_platform;
diff --git a/src/core/drmdevice.cpp b/src/core/drmdevice.cpp
index 6bc48d8e08..81dce17174 100644
--- a/src/core/drmdevice.cpp
+++ b/src/core/drmdevice.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ DrmDevice::DrmDevice(const QString &path, dev_t id, FileDescriptor &&fd, gbm_dev
     , m_gbmDevice(gbmDevice)
     , m_allocator(std::make_unique<GbmGraphicsBufferAllocator>(gbmDevice))
 {
+    uint64_t value = 0;
+    m_supportsSyncObjTimelines = drmGetCap(m_fd.get(), DRM_CAP_SYNCOBJ_TIMELINE, &value) == 0 && value != 0;
 }
 
 DrmDevice::~DrmDevice()
@@ -57,6 +59,11 @@ int DrmDevice::fileDescriptor() const
     return m_fd.get();
 }
 
+bool DrmDevice::supportsSyncObjTimelines() const
+{
+    return m_supportsSyncObjTimelines;
+}
+
 std::unique_ptr<DrmDevice> DrmDevice::open(const QString &path)
 {
     return openWithAuthentication(path, -1);
diff --git a/src/core/drmdevice.h b/src/core/drmdevice.h
index f56bbe4a01..252796449e 100644
--- a/src/core/drmdevice.h
+++ b/src/core/drmdevice.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public:
     gbm_device *gbmDevice() const;
     GraphicsBufferAllocator *allocator() const;
     int fileDescriptor() const;
+    bool supportsSyncObjTimelines() const;
 
     static std::unique_ptr<DrmDevice> open(const QString &path);
     static std::unique_ptr<DrmDevice> openWithAuthentication(const QString &path, int authenticatedFd);
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ private:
     const FileDescriptor m_fd;
     gbm_device *const m_gbmDevice;
     const std::unique_ptr<GraphicsBufferAllocator> m_allocator;
+    bool m_supportsSyncObjTimelines;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/core/renderbackend.cpp b/src/core/renderbackend.cpp
index f4c53ce391..c8c8dac755 100644
--- a/src/core/renderbackend.cpp
+++ b/src/core/renderbackend.cpp
@@ -168,16 +168,6 @@ std::unique_ptr<SurfaceTexture> RenderBackend::createSurfaceTextureWayland(Surfa
     return nullptr;
 }
 
-bool RenderBackend::supportsTimelines() const
-{
-    return false;
-}
-
-std::unique_ptr<SyncTimeline> RenderBackend::importTimeline(FileDescriptor &&syncObjFd)
-{
-    return nullptr;
-}
-
 } // namespace KWin
 
 #include "moc_renderbackend.cpp"
diff --git a/src/core/renderbackend.h b/src/core/renderbackend.h
index 4bd17d5cc2..313c0b668c 100644
--- a/src/core/renderbackend.h
+++ b/src/core/renderbackend.h
@@ -130,9 +130,6 @@ public:
 
     virtual std::unique_ptr<SurfaceTexture> createSurfaceTextureX11(SurfacePixmapX11 *pixmap);
     virtual std::unique_ptr<SurfaceTexture> createSurfaceTextureWayland(SurfacePixmap *pixmap);
-
-    virtual bool supportsTimelines() const;
-    virtual std::unique_ptr<SyncTimeline> importTimeline(FileDescriptor &&syncObjFd);
 };
 
 } // namespace KWin
diff --git a/src/wayland/linux_drm_syncobj_v1.cpp b/src/wayland/linux_drm_syncobj_v1.cpp
index 589ccd78c3..b77b0b84d6 100644
--- a/src/wayland/linux_drm_syncobj_v1.cpp
+++ b/src/wayland/linux_drm_syncobj_v1.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
     SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 */
 #include "linux_drm_syncobj_v1.h"
+#include "core/drmdevice.h"
 #include "core/syncobjtimeline.h"
 #include "display.h"
 #include "linux_drm_syncobj_v1_p.h"
@@ -22,9 +23,10 @@ namespace KWin
 
 static constexpr uint32_t s_version = 1;
 
-LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface::LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface(Display *display, QObject *parent)
+LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface::LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface(Display *display, QObject *parent, DrmDevice *drmDevice)
     : QObject(parent)
     , QtWaylandServer::wp_linux_drm_syncobj_manager_v1(*display, s_version)
+    , m_drmDevice(drmDevice)
 {
 }
 
@@ -42,23 +44,17 @@ void LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface::wp_linux_drm_syncobj_manager_v1_get_surface(Res
 void LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface::wp_linux_drm_syncobj_manager_v1_import_timeline(Resource *resource, uint32_t id, int32_t rawFd)
 {
     FileDescriptor fd(rawFd);
-    // TODO add a GPU abstraction, instead of using the render backend
-    if (!m_renderBackend || isGlobalRemoved()) {
+    if (isGlobalRemoved()) {
         // to not crash the client, create an inert timeline
         new LinuxDrmSyncObjTimelineV1(resource->client(), id, nullptr);
         return;
     }
-    auto timeline = m_renderBackend->importTimeline(std::move(fd));
-    if (!timeline) {
+    uint32_t handle = 0;
+    if (drmSyncobjFDToHandle(m_drmDevice->fileDescriptor(), fd.get(), &handle) != 0) {
         wl_resource_post_error(resource->handle, WP_LINUX_DRM_SYNCOBJ_MANAGER_V1_ERROR_INVALID_TIMELINE, "Importing timeline failed");
         return;
     }
-    new LinuxDrmSyncObjTimelineV1(resource->client(), id, std::move(timeline));
-}
-
-void LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface::setRenderBackend(RenderBackend *backend)
-{
-    m_renderBackend = backend;
+    new LinuxDrmSyncObjTimelineV1(resource->client(), id, std::make_unique<SyncTimeline>(m_drmDevice->fileDescriptor(), handle));
 }
 
 void LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface::wp_linux_drm_syncobj_manager_v1_destroy(Resource *resource)
diff --git a/src/wayland/linux_drm_syncobj_v1.h b/src/wayland/linux_drm_syncobj_v1.h
index ff6ddbe034..2a81eb05f1 100644
--- a/src/wayland/linux_drm_syncobj_v1.h
+++ b/src/wayland/linux_drm_syncobj_v1.h
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ class Display;
 class SurfaceInterface;
 class RenderBackend;
 class SyncTimeline;
+class DrmDevice;
 
 class KWIN_EXPORT LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface : public QObject, private QtWaylandServer::wp_linux_drm_syncobj_manager_v1
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    explicit LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface(Display *display, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+    explicit LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface(Display *display, QObject *parent, DrmDevice *drmDevice);
 
-    void setRenderBackend(RenderBackend *backend);
     void remove();
 
 private:
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ private:
     void wp_linux_drm_syncobj_manager_v1_destroy(Resource *resource) override;
     void wp_linux_drm_syncobj_manager_v1_destroy_global() override;
 
-    QPointer<RenderBackend> m_renderBackend;
+    DrmDevice *const m_drmDevice;
 };
 
 class LinuxDrmSyncObjSurfaceV1 : private QtWaylandServer::wp_linux_drm_syncobj_surface_v1
diff --git a/src/wayland_server.cpp b/src/wayland_server.cpp
index eefdde86ff..e8c1c29c9a 100644
--- a/src/wayland_server.cpp
+++ b/src/wayland_server.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "config-kwin.h"
 
 #include "backends/drm/drm_backend.h"
+#include "core/drmdevice.h"
 #include "core/output.h"
 #include "core/outputbackend.h"
 #include "idle_inhibition.h"
@@ -840,7 +841,7 @@ LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface *WaylandServer::linuxSyncObj() const
 
 void WaylandServer::setRenderBackend(RenderBackend *backend)
 {
-    if (backend->supportsTimelines()) {
+    if (backend->drmDevice()->supportsSyncObjTimelines()) {
         // ensure the DRM_IOCTL_SYNCOBJ_EVENTFD ioctl is supported
         const auto linuxVersion = linuxKernelVersion();
         if (linuxVersion.majorVersion() < 6 && linuxVersion.minorVersion() < 6) {
@@ -851,15 +852,12 @@ void WaylandServer::setRenderBackend(RenderBackend *backend)
             return;
         }
         if (!m_linuxDrmSyncObj) {
-            m_linuxDrmSyncObj = new LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface(m_display, m_display);
+            m_linuxDrmSyncObj = new LinuxDrmSyncObjV1Interface(m_display, m_display, backend->drmDevice());
         }
     } else if (m_linuxDrmSyncObj) {
         m_linuxDrmSyncObj->remove();
         m_linuxDrmSyncObj = nullptr;
     }
-    if (m_linuxDrmSyncObj) {
-        m_linuxDrmSyncObj->setRenderBackend(backend);
-    }
 }
 
 #if KWIN_BUILD_SCREENLOCKER