diff --git a/glfw/main_loop.h b/glfw/main_loop.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1353abdbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/glfw/main_loop.h
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2019 Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+ *
+ * Distributed under terms of the GPL3 license.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "internal.h"
+
+#ifndef GLFW_LOOP_BACKEND
+#define GLFW_LOOP_BACKEND x11
+#endif
+
+static GLFWbool keep_going = GLFW_FALSE, tick_callback_requested = GLFW_FALSE;
+
+void _glfwPlatformRequestTickCallback() {
+    tick_callback_requested = GLFW_TRUE;
+}
+
+void _glfwPlatformStopMainLoop(void) {
+    if (keep_going) {
+        keep_going = GLFW_FALSE;
+        _glfwPlatformPostEmptyEvent();
+    }
+}
+
+void _glfwPlatformRunMainLoop(GLFWtickcallback callback, void* data) {
+    keep_going = GLFW_TRUE;
+    tick_callback_requested = GLFW_FALSE;
+    while(keep_going) {
+        while (tick_callback_requested) {
+            tick_callback_requested = GLFW_FALSE;
+            callback(data);
+        }
+        _glfwPlatformWaitEvents();
+    }
+}
+
+unsigned long long _glfwPlatformAddTimer(double interval, bool repeats, GLFWuserdatafreefun callback, void *callback_data, GLFWuserdatafreefun free_callback) {
+    return addTimer(&_glfw.GLFW_LOOP_BACKEND.eventLoopData, "user timer", interval, 1, repeats, callback, callback_data, free_callback);
+}
+
+void _glfwPlatformRemoveTimer(unsigned long long timer_id) {
+    removeTimer(&_glfw.GLFW_LOOP_BACKEND.eventLoopData, timer_id);
+}
diff --git a/glfw/source-info.json b/glfw/source-info.json
index 1da7e1b69..497bb2229 100644
--- a/glfw/source-info.json
+++ b/glfw/source-info.json
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@
       "osmesa_context.h",
       "linux_joystick.h",
       "null_joystick.h",
-      "linux_notify.h"
+      "linux_notify.h",
+      "main_loop.h"
     ],
     "protocols": [
       "stable/xdg-shell/xdg-shell.xml",
@@ -131,7 +132,8 @@
       "osmesa_context.h",
       "linux_joystick.h",
       "null_joystick.h",
-      "linux_notify.h"
+      "linux_notify.h",
+      "main_loop.h"
     ],
     "sources": [
       "x11_init.c",
diff --git a/glfw/wl_init.c b/glfw/wl_init.c
index 1e19f10bd..cf412927c 100644
--- a/glfw/wl_init.c
+++ b/glfw/wl_init.c
@@ -854,3 +854,6 @@ const char* _glfwPlatformGetVersionString(void)
 #endif
         ;
 }
+
+#define GLFW_LOOP_BACKEND wl
+#include "main_loop.h"
diff --git a/glfw/x11_init.c b/glfw/x11_init.c
index 6bf91280c..87ba62787 100644
--- a/glfw/x11_init.c
+++ b/glfw/x11_init.c
@@ -770,35 +770,4 @@ const char* _glfwPlatformGetVersionString(void)
         ;
 }
 
-static GLFWbool keep_going = GLFW_FALSE, tick_callback_requested = GLFW_FALSE;
-
-void _glfwPlatformRequestTickCallback() {
-    tick_callback_requested = GLFW_TRUE;
-}
-
-void _glfwPlatformStopMainLoop(void) {
-    if (keep_going) {
-        keep_going = GLFW_FALSE;
-        _glfwPlatformPostEmptyEvent();
-    }
-}
-
-void _glfwPlatformRunMainLoop(GLFWtickcallback callback, void* data) {
-    keep_going = GLFW_TRUE;
-    tick_callback_requested = GLFW_FALSE;
-    while(keep_going) {
-        while (tick_callback_requested) {
-            tick_callback_requested = GLFW_FALSE;
-            callback(data);
-        }
-        _glfwPlatformWaitEvents();
-    }
-}
-
-unsigned long long _glfwPlatformAddTimer(double interval, bool repeats, GLFWuserdatafreefun callback, void *callback_data, GLFWuserdatafreefun free_callback) {
-    return addTimer(&_glfw.x11.eventLoopData, "user timer", interval, 1, repeats, callback, callback_data, free_callback);
-}
-
-void _glfwPlatformRemoveTimer(unsigned long long timer_id) {
-    removeTimer(&_glfw.x11.eventLoopData, timer_id);
-}
+#include "main_loop.h"