diff --git a/qapi/ui.json b/qapi/ui.json
index bf9e157d5a..e0000248d3 100644
--- a/qapi/ui.json
+++ b/qapi/ui.json
@@ -1037,6 +1037,20 @@
   'data'    : { '*grab-on-hover' : 'bool',
                 '*zoom-to-fit'   : 'bool'  } }
 
+##
+# @DisplayEGLHeadless:
+#
+# EGL headless display options.
+#
+# @rendernode: Which DRM render node should be used. Default is the first
+#              available node on the host.
+#
+# Since: 3.1
+#
+##
+{ 'struct'  : 'DisplayEGLHeadless',
+  'data'    : { '*rendernode' : 'str' } }
+
  ##
  # @DisplayGLMode:
  #
@@ -1086,4 +1100,5 @@
                 '*window-close'  : 'bool',
                 '*gl'            : 'DisplayGLMode' },
   'discriminator' : 'type',
-  'data'    : { 'gtk'            : 'DisplayGTK' } }
+  'data'    : { 'gtk'            : 'DisplayGTK',
+                'egl-headless'   : 'DisplayEGLHeadless'} }
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index ee379b32e3..f7df472f43 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -1216,7 +1216,8 @@ DEF("display", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_display,
     "-display gtk[,grab_on_hover=on|off][,gl=on|off]|\n"
     "-display vnc=<display>[,<optargs>]\n"
     "-display curses\n"
-    "-display none"
+    "-display none\n"
+    "-display egl-headless[,rendernode=<file>]"
     "                select display type\n"
     "The default display is equivalent to\n"
 #if defined(CONFIG_GTK)
@@ -1258,6 +1259,9 @@ menus and other UI elements to configure and control the VM during
 runtime.
 @item vnc
 Start a VNC server on display <arg>
+@item egl-headless
+Offload all OpenGL operations to a local DRI device. For any graphical display,
+this display needs to be paired with either VNC or SPICE displays.
 @end table
 ETEXI
 
diff --git a/ui/egl-headless.c b/ui/egl-headless.c
index 42a41310b0..4cf3bbc0e4 100644
--- a/ui/egl-headless.c
+++ b/ui/egl-headless.c
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ static void egl_headless_init(DisplayState *ds, DisplayOptions *opts)
     egl_dpy *edpy;
     int idx;
 
-    if (egl_rendernode_init(NULL, mode) < 0) {
+    if (egl_rendernode_init(opts->u.egl_headless.rendernode, mode) < 0) {
         error_report("egl: render node init failed");
         exit(1);
     }