diff --git a/gdk/gdkdisplay.c b/gdk/gdkdisplay.c
index a601bd4c37..1bfc2d2a8a 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkdisplay.c
+++ b/gdk/gdkdisplay.c
@@ -1866,12 +1866,12 @@ gdk_display_add_dmabuf_downloader (GdkDisplay                *display,
  * using the relevant EGL extensions, and download it into a memory
  * texture, possibly doing format conversion with shaders (in GSK).
  */
-static void
-init_dmabuf_formats (GdkDisplay *display)
+void
+gdk_display_init_dmabuf (GdkDisplay *self)
 {
   GdkDmabufFormatsBuilder *builder;
 
-  if (display->dmabuf_formats != NULL)
+  if (self->dmabuf_formats != NULL)
     return;
 
   builder = gdk_dmabuf_formats_builder_new ();
@@ -1879,13 +1879,13 @@ init_dmabuf_formats (GdkDisplay *display)
 #ifdef HAVE_LINUX_DMA_BUF_H
   if (!GDK_DEBUG_CHECK (DMABUF_DISABLE))
     {
-      gdk_display_prepare_gl (display, NULL);
+      gdk_display_prepare_gl (self, NULL);
 
-      gdk_display_add_dmabuf_downloader (display, gdk_dmabuf_get_direct_downloader (), builder);
+      gdk_display_add_dmabuf_downloader (self, gdk_dmabuf_get_direct_downloader (), builder);
     }
 #endif
 
-  display->dmabuf_formats = gdk_dmabuf_formats_builder_free_to_formats (builder);
+  self->dmabuf_formats = gdk_dmabuf_formats_builder_free_to_formats (builder);
 } 
 
 /**
@@ -1904,7 +1904,7 @@ init_dmabuf_formats (GdkDisplay *display)
 GdkDmabufFormats *
 gdk_display_get_dmabuf_formats (GdkDisplay *display)
 {
-  init_dmabuf_formats (display);
+  gdk_display_init_dmabuf (display);
 
   return display->dmabuf_formats;
 }
diff --git a/gdk/gdkdisplayprivate.h b/gdk/gdkdisplayprivate.h
index d581c58425..e1e871a3fb 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkdisplayprivate.h
+++ b/gdk/gdkdisplayprivate.h
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ gulong              _gdk_display_get_next_serial      (GdkDisplay       *display
 void                _gdk_display_pause_events         (GdkDisplay       *display);
 void                _gdk_display_unpause_events       (GdkDisplay       *display);
 
+void                gdk_display_init_dmabuf           (GdkDisplay       *self);
+
 GdkVulkanContext *  gdk_display_create_vulkan_context (GdkDisplay       *self,
                                                        GError          **error);
 
diff --git a/gdk/gdkdmabuftexture.c b/gdk/gdkdmabuftexture.c
index 82fae1cc01..74db20c36a 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkdmabuftexture.c
+++ b/gdk/gdkdmabuftexture.c
@@ -140,6 +140,8 @@ gdk_dmabuf_texture_new_from_builder (GdkDmabufTextureBuilder *builder,
   display = gdk_dmabuf_texture_builder_get_display (builder);
   dmabuf = gdk_dmabuf_texture_builder_get_dmabuf (builder);
 
+  gdk_display_init_dmabuf (display);
+
   for (i = 0; display->dmabuf_downloaders[i] != NULL; i++)
     {
       if (local_error && g_error_matches (local_error, GDK_DMABUF_ERROR, GDK_DMABUF_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT))
diff --git a/gdk/gdkdmabuftexturebuilder.c b/gdk/gdkdmabuftexturebuilder.c
index 421adc7741..1a143f5d49 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkdmabuftexturebuilder.c
+++ b/gdk/gdkdmabuftexturebuilder.c
@@ -365,6 +365,8 @@ static void
 gdk_dmabuf_texture_builder_init (GdkDmabufTextureBuilder *self)
 {
   self->premultiplied = TRUE;
+  self->display = gdk_display_get_default ();
+
   for (int i = 0; i < GDK_DMABUF_MAX_PLANES; i++)
     self->dmabuf.planes[i].fd = -1;
 }
@@ -391,7 +393,7 @@ gdk_dmabuf_texture_builder_new (void)
  * Returns the display that this texture builder is
  * associated with.
  *
- * Returns: (transfer none) (nullable): the display
+ * Returns: (transfer none): the display
  *
  * Since: 4.14
  */
@@ -421,6 +423,7 @@ gdk_dmabuf_texture_builder_set_display (GdkDmabufTextureBuilder *self,
                                         GdkDisplay              *display)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (GDK_IS_DMABUF_TEXTURE_BUILDER (self));
+  g_return_if_fail (GDK_IS_DISPLAY (display));
 
   if (g_set_object (&self->display, display))
     g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (self), properties[PROP_DISPLAY]);
diff --git a/testsuite/gtk/defaultvalue.c b/testsuite/gtk/defaultvalue.c
index 16634e47e0..a40620e23f 100644
--- a/testsuite/gtk/defaultvalue.c
+++ b/testsuite/gtk/defaultvalue.c
@@ -182,6 +182,10 @@ test_type (gconstpointer data)
 	  strcmp (pspec->name, "storable-formats") == 0)
 	check = FALSE;
 
+      if (g_type_is_a (type, GDK_TYPE_DMABUF_TEXTURE_BUILDER) &&
+	  strcmp (pspec->name, "display") == 0)
+	check = FALSE;
+
       /* set in the constructor */
       if (g_type_is_a (type, GSK_TYPE_GL_SHADER) &&
 	  strcmp (pspec->name, "source") == 0)