diff --git a/doc/compositor.md b/doc/compositor.md
index 5cf2312..2a3fcc1 100644
--- a/doc/compositor.md
+++ b/doc/compositor.md
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ used to tell libliftoff that composition will happen on this special layer.
 If all regular layers can be put into a plane, the composition layer won't be
 used. Otherwise, the compositor needs to perform the composition prior to
 performing a page-flip. Each layer that didn't make it into a hardware plane
-(ie. `liftoff_layer_get_plane` returns NULL) needs to be composited.
+(ie. `liftoff_layer_needs_composition` returns true) needs to be composited.
 
 ## Disabling layers
 
diff --git a/example/compositor.c b/example/compositor.c
index d3fbb84..97d34e6 100644
--- a/example/compositor.c
+++ b/example/compositor.c
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	/* Composite layers that didn't make it into a plane */
 	for (i = 1; i < layers_len; i++) {
-		if (liftoff_layer_get_plane(layers[i]) == NULL) {
+		if (liftoff_layer_needs_composition(layers[i])) {
 			composite(drm_fd, &composition_fb, &fbs[i],
 				  i * 100, i * 100);
 		}
diff --git a/include/libliftoff.h b/include/libliftoff.h
index 697056a..15e745e 100644
--- a/include/libliftoff.h
+++ b/include/libliftoff.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define LIFTOFF_H
 
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <xf86drmMode.h>
@@ -56,8 +57,8 @@ uint32_t liftoff_plane_get_id(struct liftoff_plane *plane);
 /**
  * Build a layer to plane mapping and append the plane configuration to `req`.
  *
- * Callers are expected to commit `req` afterwards and can read the layer to
- * plane mapping with `liftoff_layer_get_plane`.
+ * Callers are expected to commit `req` afterwards and can figure out which
+ * layers need composition via `liftoff_layer_needs_composition`.
  *
  * `flags` is the atomic commit flags the caller intends to use.
  *
@@ -88,6 +89,14 @@ void liftoff_output_destroy(struct liftoff_output *output);
  */
 void liftoff_output_set_composition_layer(struct liftoff_output *output,
 					  struct liftoff_layer *layer);
+/**
+ * Check whether this output needs composition.
+ *
+ * An output doesn't need composition if all visible layers could be mapped to a
+ * plane. In other words, if an output needs composition, at least one layer
+ * will return true when `liftoff_layer_needs_composition` is called.
+ */
+bool liftoff_output_needs_composition(struct liftoff_output *output);
 
 /**
  * Create a new layer on an output.
@@ -124,6 +133,13 @@ int liftoff_layer_set_property(struct liftoff_layer *layer, const char *name,
  * needs to be displayed (e.g. the buffer cannot be imported in KMS).
  */
 void liftoff_layer_set_fb_composited(struct liftoff_layer *layer);
+/**
+ * Check whether this layer needs composition.
+ *
+ * A layer needs composition if it's visible and if it couldn't be mapped to a
+ * plane.
+ */
+bool liftoff_layer_needs_composition(struct liftoff_layer *layer);
 /**
  * Retrieve the plane mapped to this layer.
  *
diff --git a/layer.c b/layer.c
index 210ca42..c3ef0cf 100644
--- a/layer.c
+++ b/layer.c
@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ struct liftoff_plane *liftoff_layer_get_plane(struct liftoff_layer *layer)
 	return layer->plane;
 }
 
+bool liftoff_layer_needs_composition(struct liftoff_layer *layer)
+{
+	if (!layer_is_visible(layer)) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	return layer->plane == NULL;
+}
+
 void layer_get_rect(struct liftoff_layer *layer, struct liftoff_rect *rect)
 {
 	struct liftoff_layer_property *x_prop, *y_prop, *w_prop, *h_prop;
diff --git a/output.c b/output.c
index 5c4f62f..1cd1745 100644
--- a/output.c
+++ b/output.c
@@ -55,6 +55,19 @@ void liftoff_output_set_composition_layer(struct liftoff_output *output,
 	output->composition_layer = layer;
 }
 
+bool liftoff_output_needs_composition(struct liftoff_output *output)
+{
+	struct liftoff_layer *layer;
+
+	liftoff_list_for_each(layer, &output->layers, link) {
+		if (liftoff_layer_needs_composition(layer)) {
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
 void output_log_layers(struct liftoff_output *output) {
 	struct liftoff_layer *layer;
 	size_t i;
diff --git a/test/test_alloc.c b/test/test_alloc.c
index 5d22ffc..7120843 100644
--- a/test/test_alloc.c
+++ b/test/test_alloc.c
@@ -606,6 +606,19 @@ static struct test_case tests[] = {
 	},
 };
 
+static bool test_needs_composition(struct test_layer *test_layers)
+{
+	size_t i;
+
+	for (i = 0; test_layers[i].width > 0; i++) {
+		if (test_layers[i].result == NULL) {
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
 static void run_test(struct test_layer *test_layers)
 {
 	size_t i, j;
@@ -696,6 +709,9 @@ static void run_test(struct test_layer *test_layers)
 	}
 	assert(ok);
 
+	assert(test_needs_composition(test_layers) ==
+	       liftoff_output_needs_composition(output));
+
 	liftoff_output_destroy(output);
 	liftoff_device_destroy(device);
 	close(drm_fd);
diff --git a/test/test_prop.c b/test/test_prop.c
index 59320c0..fbdf92c 100644
--- a/test/test_prop.c
+++ b/test/test_prop.c
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ static int test_ignore_alpha(void)
 	ret = drmModeAtomicCommit(drm_fd, req, 0, NULL);
 	assert(ret == 0);
 	assert(liftoff_mock_plane_get_layer(mock_plane) == NULL);
+	assert(!liftoff_layer_needs_composition(layer));
 	drmModeAtomicFree(req);
 
 	liftoff_device_destroy(device);