diff --git a/include/swaylock.h b/include/swaylock.h
index e49c716c..a6492911 100644
--- a/include/swaylock.h
+++ b/include/swaylock.h
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 #include "pool-buffer.h"
 #include "seat.h"
 #include "wlr-layer-shell-unstable-v1-client-protocol.h"
+#include "viewporter-client-protocol.h"
+#include "single-pixel-buffer-v1-client-protocol.h"
 
 enum auth_state {
 	AUTH_STATE_IDLE,
@@ -78,6 +80,9 @@ struct swaylock_state {
 	struct wl_display *display;
 	struct wl_compositor *compositor;
 	struct wl_subcompositor *subcompositor;
+	struct wp_viewporter *viewporter;
+	struct wl_buffer *background_buffer;
+	struct wp_single_pixel_buffer_manager_v1 *single_pixel_buffer_manager;
 	struct zwlr_layer_shell_v1 *layer_shell;
 	struct zwlr_input_inhibit_manager_v1 *input_inhibit_manager;
 	struct wl_shm *shm;
@@ -100,12 +105,13 @@ struct swaylock_surface {
 	uint32_t output_global_name;
 	struct wl_surface *surface;
 	struct wl_surface *child; // surface made into subsurface
+	struct wp_viewport *viewport;
 	struct wl_subsurface *subsurface;
 	struct zwlr_layer_surface_v1 *layer_surface;
 	struct ext_session_lock_surface_v1 *ext_session_lock_surface_v1;
 	struct pool_buffer buffers[2];
 	struct pool_buffer indicator_buffers[2];
-	struct pool_buffer *current_buffer;
+	struct wl_buffer *backgound_buffer;
 	bool frame_pending, dirty;
 	uint32_t width, height;
 	uint32_t indicator_width, indicator_height;
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index b37cd8fe..bebb9543 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static void destroy_surface(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 	destroy_buffer(&surface->buffers[1]);
 	destroy_buffer(&surface->indicator_buffers[0]);
 	destroy_buffer(&surface->indicator_buffers[1]);
+	wp_viewport_destroy(surface->viewport);
 	wl_output_destroy(surface->output);
 	free(surface);
 }
@@ -173,6 +174,11 @@ static void create_surface(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 		wl_region_destroy(region);
 	}
 
+	if (state->viewporter) {
+		surface->viewport = wp_viewporter_get_viewport(
+			state->viewporter, surface->surface);
+	}
+
 	if (!state->ext_session_lock_v1) {
 		wl_surface_commit(surface->surface);
 	}
@@ -373,6 +379,13 @@ static void handle_global(void *data, struct wl_registry *registry,
 	} else if (strcmp(interface, ext_session_lock_manager_v1_interface.name) == 0) {
 		state->ext_session_lock_manager_v1 = wl_registry_bind(registry, name,
 				&ext_session_lock_manager_v1_interface, 1);
+	} else if (strcmp(interface, wp_viewporter_interface.name) == 0) {
+		state->viewporter = wl_registry_bind(registry, name,
+			&wp_viewporter_interface, 1);
+	} else if (strcmp(interface,
+			wp_single_pixel_buffer_manager_v1_interface.name) == 0) {
+		state->single_pixel_buffer_manager = wl_registry_bind(registry, name,
+			&wp_single_pixel_buffer_manager_v1_interface, 1);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1226,8 +1239,18 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	wl_registry_add_listener(registry, &registry_listener, &state);
 	wl_display_roundtrip(state.display);
 
-	if (!state.compositor || !state.shm) {
-		swaylock_log(LOG_ERROR, "Missing wl_compositor or wl_shm");
+	if (!state.compositor) {
+		swaylock_log(LOG_ERROR, "Missing wl_compositor");
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	if (!state.subcompositor) {
+		swaylock_log(LOG_ERROR, "Missing wl_subcompositor");
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	if (!state.shm) {
+		swaylock_log(LOG_ERROR, "Missing wl_shm");
 		return 1;
 	}
 
@@ -1255,6 +1278,20 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		return 1;
 	}
 
+	if (state.single_pixel_buffer_manager && state.viewporter) {
+		uint8_t r8 = (state.args.colors.background >> 24) & 0xFF;
+		uint8_t g8 = (state.args.colors.background >> 16) & 0xFF;
+		uint8_t b8 = (state.args.colors.background >> 8) & 0xFF;
+		uint8_t a8 = (state.args.colors.background >> 0) & 0xFF;
+		uint32_t f = 0xFFFFFFFF / 0xFF; // division result is an integer
+		uint32_t r32 = r8 * f;
+		uint32_t g32 = g8 * f;
+		uint32_t b32 = b8 * f;
+		uint32_t a32 = a8 * f;
+		state.background_buffer = wp_single_pixel_buffer_manager_v1_create_u32_rgba_buffer(
+			state.single_pixel_buffer_manager, r32, g32, b32, a32);
+	}
+
 	struct swaylock_surface *surface;
 	wl_list_for_each(surface, &state.surfaces, link) {
 		create_surface(surface);
@@ -1288,6 +1325,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		wl_display_flush(state.display);
 	}
 
+	wl_buffer_destroy(state.background_buffer);
 	free(state.args.font);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index c00bc7f7..b2303c56 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ if is_freebsd
 endif
 
 wayland_client = dependency('wayland-client', version: '>=1.20.0')
-wayland_protos = dependency('wayland-protocols', version: '>=1.25', fallback: 'wayland-protocols')
+wayland_protos = dependency('wayland-protocols', version: '>=1.26', fallback: 'wayland-protocols')
 # use native version of wayland-scanner when cross-compiling
 # meson does this too: https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/blob/c649a2b8c59c9f49affca9bd89c126bfa0f54449/mesonbuild/modules/unstable_wayland.py#L48-L53
 wayland_scanner = dependency('wayland-scanner', version: '>=1.15.0', native: true)
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ client_protos_headers = []
 client_protocols = [
 	wl_protocol_dir / 'stable/xdg-shell/xdg-shell.xml',
 	wl_protocol_dir / 'staging/ext-session-lock/ext-session-lock-v1.xml',
+	wl_protocol_dir / 'stable/viewporter/viewporter.xml',
+	wl_protocol_dir / 'staging/single-pixel-buffer/single-pixel-buffer-v1.xml',
 	'wlr-layer-shell-unstable-v1.xml',
 	'wlr-input-inhibitor-unstable-v1.xml',
 ]
diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index 6f6f99ae..6144ab77 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -41,13 +41,33 @@ void render_frame_background(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 		return; // not yet configured
 	}
 
-	surface->current_buffer = get_next_buffer(state->shm,
+	if (surface->viewport && state->background_buffer &&
+			(!surface->image || state->args.mode == BACKGROUND_MODE_SOLID_COLOR)) {
+		// no need to carry around shm buffers if we are going to use the single
+		// pixel buffer
+		destroy_buffer(&surface->buffers[0]);
+		destroy_buffer(&surface->buffers[1]);
+
+		wl_surface_set_buffer_scale(surface->surface, 1);
+		wl_surface_attach(surface->surface, state->background_buffer, 0, 0);
+		wl_surface_damage_buffer(surface->surface, 0, 0, INT32_MAX, INT32_MAX);
+		wp_viewport_set_destination(surface->viewport, surface->width, surface->height);
+
+		wl_surface_commit(surface->surface);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (surface->viewport) {
+		wp_viewport_set_destination(surface->viewport, -1, -1);
+	}
+
+	struct pool_buffer *buffer = get_next_buffer(state->shm,
 			surface->buffers, buffer_width, buffer_height);
-	if (surface->current_buffer == NULL) {
+	if (buffer == NULL) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	cairo_t *cairo = surface->current_buffer->cairo;
+	cairo_t *cairo = buffer->cairo;
 	cairo_set_antialias(cairo, CAIRO_ANTIALIAS_BEST);
 
 	cairo_save(cairo);
@@ -63,7 +83,7 @@ void render_frame_background(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 	cairo_identity_matrix(cairo);
 
 	wl_surface_set_buffer_scale(surface->surface, surface->scale);
-	wl_surface_attach(surface->surface, surface->current_buffer->buffer, 0, 0);
+	wl_surface_attach(surface->surface, buffer->buffer, 0, 0);
 	wl_surface_damage_buffer(surface->surface, 0, 0, INT32_MAX, INT32_MAX);
 	wl_surface_commit(surface->surface);
 }
@@ -102,9 +122,9 @@ void render_frame(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 
 	wl_subsurface_set_position(surface->subsurface, subsurf_xpos, subsurf_ypos);
 
-	surface->current_buffer = get_next_buffer(state->shm,
+	struct pool_buffer *buffer = get_next_buffer(state->shm,
 			surface->indicator_buffers, buffer_width, buffer_height);
-	if (surface->current_buffer == NULL) {
+	if (buffer == NULL) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -112,7 +132,7 @@ void render_frame(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 	wl_surface_attach(surface->child, NULL, 0, 0);
 	wl_surface_commit(surface->child);
 
-	cairo_t *cairo = surface->current_buffer->cairo;
+	cairo_t *cairo = buffer->cairo;
 	cairo_set_antialias(cairo, CAIRO_ANTIALIAS_BEST);
 	cairo_font_options_t *fo = cairo_font_options_create();
 	cairo_font_options_set_hint_style(fo, CAIRO_HINT_STYLE_FULL);
@@ -317,7 +337,7 @@ void render_frame(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 	new_width += surface->scale - (new_width % surface->scale);
 
 	if (buffer_width != new_width || buffer_height != new_height) {
-		destroy_buffer(surface->current_buffer);
+		destroy_buffer(buffer);
 		surface->indicator_width = new_width;
 		surface->indicator_height = new_height;
 		render_frame(surface);
@@ -325,7 +345,7 @@ void render_frame(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 	}
 
 	wl_surface_set_buffer_scale(surface->child, surface->scale);
-	wl_surface_attach(surface->child, surface->current_buffer->buffer, 0, 0);
+	wl_surface_attach(surface->child, buffer->buffer, 0, 0);
 	wl_surface_damage_buffer(surface->child, 0, 0, INT32_MAX, INT32_MAX);
 	wl_surface_commit(surface->child);