diff --git a/docs/env_vars.md b/docs/env_vars.md
index 06e47ac59..59c8f078f 100644
--- a/docs/env_vars.md
+++ b/docs/env_vars.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ wlroots reads these environment variables
   hardware-accelerated renderers.
 * *WLR_RENDER_NO_EXPLICIT_SYNC*: set to 1 to disable explicit synchronization
   support in renderers.
+* *WLR_RENDERER_FORCE_SOFTWARE*: set to 1 to force software rendering for GLES2
+  and Vulkan
 * *WLR_EGL_NO_MODIFIERS*: set to 1 to disable format modifiers in EGL, this can
   be used to understand and work around driver bugs.
 
diff --git a/render/wlr_renderer.c b/render/wlr_renderer.c
index bb7bbbeb9..a4cea9384 100644
--- a/render/wlr_renderer.c
+++ b/render/wlr_renderer.c
@@ -143,6 +143,12 @@ static bool open_preferred_drm_fd(struct wlr_backend *backend, int *drm_fd_ptr,
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	if (env_parse_bool("WLR_RENDERER_FORCE_SOFTWARE")) {
+		*drm_fd_ptr = -1;
+		*own_drm_fd = false;
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	// Allow the user to override the render node
 	const char *render_name = getenv("WLR_RENDER_DRM_DEVICE");
 	if (render_name != NULL) {