diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/Api/Classes/GuiApi.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/Api/Classes/GuiApi.cs
index 2fbcc4bb62..41ab85b3c8 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/Api/Classes/GuiApi.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/Api/Classes/GuiApi.cs
@@ -65,6 +65,19 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.Common
 		{
 		}
 
+		public void WithSurface(DisplaySurfaceID surfaceID, Action<IGuiApi> drawingCallsFunc)
+		{
+			_usingSurfaceID = surfaceID;
+			try
+			{
+				drawingCallsFunc(this);
+			}
+			finally
+			{
+				_usingSurfaceID = null;
+			}
+		}
+
 		public void WithSurface(DisplaySurfaceID surfaceID, Action drawingCallsFunc)
 		{
 			_usingSurfaceID = surfaceID;
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/Api/Interfaces/IGuiApi.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/Api/Interfaces/IGuiApi.cs
index b9402d41c8..a2c3311037 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/Api/Interfaces/IGuiApi.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/Api/Interfaces/IGuiApi.cs
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.Common
 		[Obsolete("No longer supported, no-op.")]
 		void SetAttributes(ImageAttributes a);
 
+		void WithSurface(DisplaySurfaceID surfaceID, Action<IGuiApi> drawingCallsFunc);
+
+		[Obsolete("use the other overload e.g. `APIs.Gui.WithSurface(..., gui => { gui.DrawLine(...); });`")]
 		void WithSurface(DisplaySurfaceID surfaceID, Action drawingCallsFunc);
 
 		[Obsolete("No longer supported, no-op.")]