diff --git a/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_dri.c b/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_dri.c
index 4e6b2b5278d..1979e8d8920 100644
--- a/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_dri.c
+++ b/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_dri.c
@@ -895,8 +895,14 @@ gbm_dri_bo_create(struct gbm_device *gbm,
       dri_use |= __DRI_IMAGE_USE_LINEAR;
    if (usage & GBM_BO_USE_PROTECTED)
       dri_use |= __DRI_IMAGE_USE_PROTECTED;
-   if (usage & GBM_BO_USE_FRONT_RENDERING)
+   if (usage & GBM_BO_USE_FRONT_RENDERING) {
+      assert (!(usage & GBM_BO_EXPLICIT_FLUSH));
       dri_use |= __DRI_IMAGE_USE_FRONT_RENDERING;
+   }
+   if (usage & GBM_BO_EXPLICIT_FLUSH) {
+      assert (!(usage & GBM_BO_USE_FRONT_RENDERING));
+      dri_use |= __DRI_IMAGE_USE_BACKBUFFER;
+   }
 
    /* Gallium drivers requires shared in order to get the handle/stride */
    dri_use |= __DRI_IMAGE_USE_SHARE;
@@ -1100,7 +1106,7 @@ gbm_dri_surface_create(struct gbm_device *gbm,
    surf->base.v0.width = width;
    surf->base.v0.height = height;
    surf->base.v0.format = core->v0.format_canonicalize(format);
-   surf->base.v0.flags = flags;
+   surf->base.v0.flags = flags | GBM_BO_EXPLICIT_FLUSH;
    if (!modifiers) {
       assert(!count);
       return &surf->base;
diff --git a/src/gbm/main/gbm.h b/src/gbm/main/gbm.h
index 9c680f65b95..be529cd272d 100644
--- a/src/gbm/main/gbm.h
+++ b/src/gbm/main/gbm.h
@@ -330,7 +330,11 @@ enum gbm_bo_flags {
     */
    GBM_BO_FIXED_COMPRESSION_12BPC = (13 << 7),
 
-   /* next available value is (1 << 11) */
+   /**
+    * This buffer will be used with an API with well defined transition points
+    * between context internal usage and external visibility.
+    */
+   GBM_BO_EXPLICIT_FLUSH = (1 << 11),
 };
 
 #define GBM_BO_FIXED_COMPRESSION_MASK (((1 << 11) - 1) & ~((1 << 7) - 1))