diff --git a/src/video/SDL_sysvideo.h b/src/video/SDL_sysvideo.h
index 655419122..9e03a8668 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_sysvideo.h
+++ b/src/video/SDL_sysvideo.h
@@ -503,7 +503,8 @@ extern VideoBootStrap RPI_bootstrap;
 extern VideoBootStrap KMSDRM_bootstrap;
 extern VideoBootStrap DUMMY_bootstrap;
 extern VideoBootStrap DUMMY_evdev_bootstrap;
-extern VideoBootStrap Wayland_bootstrap;
+extern VideoBootStrap Wayland_preferred_bootstrap;
+extern VideoBootStrap Wayland_fallback_bootstrap;
 extern VideoBootStrap VIVANTE_bootstrap;
 extern VideoBootStrap Emscripten_bootstrap;
 extern VideoBootStrap OFFSCREEN_bootstrap;
diff --git a/src/video/SDL_video.c b/src/video/SDL_video.c
index 47677944d..353e11040 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_video.c
+++ b/src/video/SDL_video.c
@@ -71,11 +71,14 @@ static VideoBootStrap *bootstrap[] = {
     &COCOA_bootstrap,
 #endif
 #ifdef SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_WAYLAND
-    &Wayland_bootstrap,
+    &Wayland_preferred_bootstrap,
 #endif
 #ifdef SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_X11
     &X11_bootstrap,
 #endif
+#ifdef SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_WAYLAND
+    &Wayland_fallback_bootstrap,
+#endif
 #ifdef SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_VIVANTE
     &VIVANTE_bootstrap,
 #endif
diff --git a/src/video/wayland/SDL_waylandvideo.c b/src/video/wayland/SDL_waylandvideo.c
index db0d40a7a..7a5f2cb87 100644
--- a/src/video/wayland/SDL_waylandvideo.c
+++ b/src/video/wayland/SDL_waylandvideo.c
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
 #include <libdecor.h>
 #endif
 
+#define WAYLANDVID_PREFERRED_DRIVER_NAME "wayland_preferred"
 #define WAYLANDVID_DRIVER_NAME "wayland"
 
 /* Clamp certain core protocol versions on older versions of libwayland. */
@@ -372,7 +373,54 @@ static void Wayland_DeleteDevice(SDL_VideoDevice *device)
     SDL_WAYLAND_UnloadSymbols();
 }
 
-static SDL_VideoDevice *Wayland_CreateDevice(void)
+typedef struct
+{
+    SDL_bool has_fifo_v1;
+    SDL_bool has_commit_timing_v1;
+} SDL_WaylandPreferredData;
+
+static void wayland_preferred_check_handle_global(void *data, struct wl_registry *registry, uint32_t id,
+                                                  const char *interface, uint32_t version)
+{
+    SDL_WaylandPreferredData *d = data;
+
+    if (SDL_strcmp(interface, "wp_fifo_manager_v1") == 0) {
+        d->has_fifo_v1 = SDL_TRUE;
+    } else if (SDL_strcmp(interface, "wp_commit_timing_manager_v1") == 0) {
+        d->has_commit_timing_v1 = SDL_TRUE;
+    }
+}
+
+static void wayland_preferred_check_remove_global(void *data, struct wl_registry *registry, uint32_t id)
+{
+    /* No need to do anything here. */
+}
+
+static const struct wl_registry_listener preferred_registry_listener = {
+    wayland_preferred_check_handle_global,
+    wayland_preferred_check_remove_global
+};
+
+static SDL_bool Wayland_IsPreferred(struct wl_display *display)
+{
+    struct wl_registry *registry = wl_display_get_registry(display);
+    SDL_WaylandPreferredData preferred_data = { 0 };
+
+    if (!registry) {
+        SDL_SetError("Failed to get the Wayland registry");
+        return SDL_FALSE;
+    }
+
+    wl_registry_add_listener(registry, &preferred_registry_listener, &preferred_data);
+
+    WAYLAND_wl_display_roundtrip(display);
+
+    wl_registry_destroy(registry);
+
+    return preferred_data.has_fifo_v1 && preferred_data.has_commit_timing_v1;
+}
+
+static SDL_VideoDevice *Wayland_CreateDevice(SDL_bool fallback)
 {
     SDL_VideoDevice *device;
     SDL_VideoData *data;
@@ -401,6 +449,18 @@ static SDL_VideoDevice *Wayland_CreateDevice(void)
         }
     }
 
+    /*
+     * If we are checking for preferred Wayland, then let's query for
+     * fifo-v1 and commit-timing-v1's existance so we don't regress
+     * GPU-bound performance and frame-pacing by default due to
+     * swapchain starvation.
+     */
+    if (!fallback && !Wayland_IsPreferred(display)) {
+        WAYLAND_wl_display_disconnect(display);
+        SDL_WAYLAND_UnloadSymbols();
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     data = SDL_calloc(1, sizeof(*data));
     if (!data) {
         WAYLAND_wl_display_disconnect(display);
@@ -534,9 +594,25 @@ static SDL_VideoDevice *Wayland_CreateDevice(void)
     return device;
 }
 
-VideoBootStrap Wayland_bootstrap = {
+static SDL_VideoDevice *Wayland_Preferred_CreateDevice(void)
+{
+    return Wayland_CreateDevice(SDL_FALSE);
+}
+
+static SDL_VideoDevice *Wayland_Fallback_CreateDevice(void)
+{
+    return Wayland_CreateDevice(SDL_TRUE);
+}
+
+VideoBootStrap Wayland_preferred_bootstrap = {
+    WAYLANDVID_PREFERRED_DRIVER_NAME, "SDL Wayland video driver",
+    Wayland_Preferred_CreateDevice,
+    Wayland_ShowMessageBox
+};
+
+VideoBootStrap Wayland_fallback_bootstrap = {
     WAYLANDVID_DRIVER_NAME, "SDL Wayland video driver",
-    Wayland_CreateDevice,
+    Wayland_Fallback_CreateDevice,
     Wayland_ShowMessageBox
 };