diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target.h b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target.h
index 9eb791a70..96eefa5e7 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target.h
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target.h
@@ -105,9 +105,18 @@ struct comp_target
 	 */
 	bool (*init_post_vulkan)(struct comp_target *ct, uint32_t preferred_width, uint32_t preferred_height);
 
+	/*!
+	 * Is this target ready for image creation?
+	 *
+	 * Call before calling @ref create_images
+	 */
+	bool (*check_ready)(struct comp_target *ct);
+
 	/*!
 	 * Create or recreate the image(s) of the target, for swapchain based
 	 * targets this will (re)create the swapchain.
+	 *
+	 * @pre @ref check_ready returns true
 	 */
 	void (*create_images)(struct comp_target *ct,
 	                      uint32_t preferred_width,
@@ -218,6 +227,20 @@ comp_target_init_post_vulkan(struct comp_target *ct, uint32_t preferred_width, u
 	return ct->init_post_vulkan(ct, preferred_width, preferred_height);
 }
 
+/*!
+ * @copydoc comp_target::check_ready
+ *
+ * @public @memberof comp_target
+ * @ingroup comp_main
+ */
+static inline bool
+comp_target_check_ready(struct comp_target *ct)
+{
+	COMP_TRACE_MARKER();
+
+	return ct->check_ready(ct);
+}
+
 /*!
  * @copydoc comp_target::create_images
  *
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target_swapchain.c b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target_swapchain.c
index 253c00cb0..9e1dca5c0 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target_swapchain.c
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target_swapchain.c
@@ -299,6 +299,13 @@ comp_target_swapchain_present(struct comp_target *ct,
 	return vk->vkQueuePresentKHR(queue, &presentInfo);
 }
 
+static bool
+comp_target_swapchain_check_ready(struct comp_target *ct)
+{
+	struct comp_target_swapchain *cts = (struct comp_target_swapchain *)ct;
+	return cts->surface.handle != VK_NULL_HANDLE;
+}
+
 static bool
 _find_surface_format(struct comp_target_swapchain *cts, VkSurfaceKHR surface, VkSurfaceFormatKHR *format)
 {
@@ -646,6 +653,7 @@ comp_target_swapchain_init_and_set_fnptrs(struct comp_target_swapchain *cts,
                                           enum comp_target_display_timing_usage timing_usage)
 {
 	cts->timing_usage = timing_usage;
+	cts->base.check_ready = comp_target_swapchain_check_ready;
 	cts->base.create_images = comp_target_swapchain_create_images;
 	cts->base.acquire = comp_target_swapchain_acquire_next_image;
 	cts->base.present = comp_target_swapchain_present;
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target_swapchain.h b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target_swapchain.h
index 8e07b7fc4..a30cf24e4 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target_swapchain.h
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_target_swapchain.h
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ struct comp_target_swapchain
  * Initializes these function pointers, all other methods of @ref comp_target are the responsibility of the caller (the
  * "subclass"):
  *
+ * - comp_target::check_ready
  * - comp_target::create_images
  * - comp_target::acquire
  * - comp_target::present