diff --git a/direct-composition/src/main_windows.rs b/direct-composition/src/main_windows.rs
index c085cd96f7..e9f2dc48f1 100644
--- a/direct-composition/src/main_windows.rs
+++ b/direct-composition/src/main_windows.rs
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ impl Rectangle {
                 gl: composition.gleam.clone(),
                 phantom_data: PhantomData,
             },
+            Box::new(back::Instance {}),
             notifier.clone(),
             webrender::RendererOptions {
                 clear_color: Some(api::ColorF::new(0., 0., 0., 0.)),
diff --git a/examples/common/boilerplate.rs b/examples/common/boilerplate.rs
index 8caec3e235..03ea5c9961 100644
--- a/examples/common/boilerplate.rs
+++ b/examples/common/boilerplate.rs
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ pub fn main_wrapper<E: Example>(
         .with_dimensions(winit::dpi::LogicalSize::new(E::WIDTH as f64, E::HEIGHT as f64));
 
     #[cfg(feature = "gl")]
-    let (gl, mut init, window) = {
+    let (gl, mut init, instance, window) = {
         let context_builder = glutin::ContextBuilder::new()
             .with_gl(glutin::GlRequest::GlThenGles {
                 opengl_version: (3, 2),
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ pub fn main_wrapper<E: Example>(
             gl: gl.clone(),
             phantom_data: PhantomData,
         };
-        (gl, init, window)
+        (gl, init, back::Instance{}, window)
     };
 
     #[cfg(feature = "gfx-hal")]
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ pub fn main_wrapper<E: Example>(
         DeviceUintSize::new(size.width as u32, size.height as u32)
     };
     let notifier = Box::new(Notifier::new(events_loop.create_proxy()));
-    let (mut renderer, sender) = webrender::Renderer::new(init, notifier, opts, None).unwrap();
+    let (mut renderer, sender) = webrender::Renderer::new(init, Box::new(instance), notifier, opts, None).unwrap();
 
     let api = sender.create_api();
     let document_id = api.add_document(framebuffer_size, 0);
diff --git a/examples/multiwindow.rs b/examples/multiwindow.rs
index bdb4e0dff0..75dbc2dc73 100644
--- a/examples/multiwindow.rs
+++ b/examples/multiwindow.rs
@@ -85,8 +85,6 @@ struct Window {
     epoch: Epoch,
     api: RenderApi,
     font_instance_key: FontInstanceKey,
-    #[cfg(feature = "gfx-hal")]
-    instance: back::Instance,
 }
 
 #[cfg(any(feature = "gfx-hal", feature = "gl"))]
@@ -99,7 +97,7 @@ impl Window {
             .with_dimensions(LogicalSize::new(800., 600.));
 
         #[cfg(feature = "gl")]
-        let (init, window) = {
+        let (init, instance, window) = {
             let context_builder = glutin::ContextBuilder::new()
                 .with_gl(glutin::GlRequest::GlThenGles {
                     opengl_version: (3, 2),
@@ -126,7 +124,7 @@ impl Window {
                 gl,
                 phantom_data: PhantomData,
             };
-            (init, window)
+            (init, back::Instance{}, window)
         };
 
         #[cfg(feature = "gfx-hal")]
@@ -165,7 +163,7 @@ impl Window {
                 clear_color: Some(clear_color),
                 ..webrender::RendererOptions::default()
             };
-            webrender::Renderer::new(init, notifier, opts, None).unwrap()
+            webrender::Renderer::new(init, Box::new(instance), notifier, opts, None).unwrap()
         };
         let api = sender.create_api();
         let document_id = api.add_document(framebuffer_size, 0);
@@ -193,8 +191,6 @@ impl Window {
             document_id,
             api,
             font_instance_key,
-            #[cfg(feature = "gfx-hal")]
-            instance,
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/webrender/src/renderer.rs b/webrender/src/renderer.rs
index 8023211a66..e77850488a 100644
--- a/webrender/src/renderer.rs
+++ b/webrender/src/renderer.rs
@@ -1217,6 +1217,7 @@ pub struct Renderer<B: hal::Backend> {
     result_rx: Receiver<ResultMsg>,
     debug_server: DebugServer,
     pub device: Device<B>,
+    _instance: Box<hal::Instance<Backend=B>>,
     pending_texture_updates: Vec<TextureUpdateList>,
     pending_gpu_cache_updates: Vec<GpuCacheUpdateList>,
     pending_shader_updates: Vec<PathBuf>,
@@ -1348,6 +1349,7 @@ impl<B: hal::Backend> Renderer<B>
     /// [rendereroptions]: struct.RendererOptions.html
     pub fn new(
         init: DeviceInit<B>,
+        _instance: Box<hal::Instance<Backend=B>>,
         notifier: Box<RenderNotifier>,
         mut options: RendererOptions,
         shaders: Option<&mut WrShaders<B>>
@@ -1689,6 +1691,7 @@ impl<B: hal::Backend> Renderer<B>
         let mut renderer = Renderer {
             result_rx,
             debug_server,
+            _instance,
             device,
             active_documents: Vec::new(),
             pending_texture_updates: Vec::new(),
diff --git a/wrench/src/main.rs b/wrench/src/main.rs
index fc1e331b51..68b3f64e8c 100644
--- a/wrench/src/main.rs
+++ b/wrench/src/main.rs
@@ -556,6 +556,9 @@ fn main() {
     #[cfg(feature = "gfx")]
     let instance = back::Instance::create("gfx-rs instance", 1);
 
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "gfx"))]
+    let instance = back::Instance{};
+
     #[cfg(feature = "gfx")]
     let init = webrender::DeviceInit {
         adapter: instance.enumerate_adapters().remove(0),
@@ -588,6 +591,7 @@ fn main() {
         chase_primitive,
         notifier,
         init,
+        instance,
     );
 
     if let Some(window_title) = wrench.take_title() {
diff --git a/wrench/src/wrench.rs b/wrench/src/wrench.rs
index d5692785b6..bb0e1e4c0b 100644
--- a/wrench/src/wrench.rs
+++ b/wrench/src/wrench.rs
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ impl Wrench {
         chase_primitive: webrender::ChasePrimitive,
         notifier: Option<Box<RenderNotifier>>,
         init: webrender::DeviceInit<back::Backend>,
+        instance: back::Instance,
     ) -> Self {
         println!("Shader override path: {:?}", shader_override_path);
 
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ impl Wrench {
             Box::new(Notifier(data))
         });
 
-        let (renderer, sender) = webrender::Renderer::new(init, notifier, opts, None).unwrap();
+        let (renderer, sender) = webrender::Renderer::new(init, Box::new(instance), notifier, opts, None).unwrap();
         let api = sender.create_api();
         let document_id = api.add_document(size, 0);