diff --git a/src/backend.cpp b/src/backend.cpp
index eb365b7..bf53e70 100644
--- a/src/backend.cpp
+++ b/src/backend.cpp
@@ -575,12 +575,14 @@ const char *X11Backend::pcursorStrs[CURSOR_COUNT] = {
 	"left_ptr"
 };
 
-Default::Default() : X11Backend(), pdragClient(0){
+Default::Default(bool _standaloneComp) : X11Backend(), pdragClient(0), standaloneComp(_standaloneComp){
 	//
 	clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC,&eventTimer);
 	pollTimer.tv_sec = 0;
 	pollTimer.tv_nsec = 0;
 	//polling = false;
+
+	printf("------standalone comp: %u\n",standaloneComp);
 }
 
 Default::~Default(){
diff --git a/src/backend.h b/src/backend.h
index 11b6966..1b0b96a 100644
--- a/src/backend.h
+++ b/src/backend.h
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ friend class Compositor::TexturePixmap;
 
 class Default : public X11Backend{
 public:
-	Default();
+	Default(bool);
 	virtual ~Default();
 	void Start();
 	void Stop();
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ class Default : public X11Backend{
 	std::vector<xcb_window_t> netClientList; //used only to update the property - not maintained
 	X11Client *pdragClient;
 	sint dragRootX, dragRootY;
+	bool standaloneComp;
 };
 
 class DebugClient : public WManager::Client{
diff --git a/src/config.cpp b/src/config.cpp
index 47c8169..a90adeb 100644
--- a/src/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config.cpp
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ WorkspaceProxy::~WorkspaceProxy(){
 	//
 }*/
 
-BackendInterface::BackendInterface() : pbackend(0){
+BackendInterface::BackendInterface() : standaloneComp(Loader::standaloneComp), pbackend(0){
 	//
 }
 
@@ -1067,6 +1067,7 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(chamfer){
 		.def("BindKey",&BackendInterface::BindKey)
 		.def("MapKey",&BackendInterface::MapKey)
 		.def("GrabKeyboard",&BackendInterface::GrabKeyboard)
+		.def_readwrite("standaloneCompositor",&BackendInterface::standaloneComp)
 		;
 	boost::python::def("BindBackend",BackendInterface::Bind);
 
@@ -1169,6 +1170,8 @@ void Loader::Run(const char *pfilePath, const char *pfileLabel){
 	fclose(pf);
 }
 
+bool Loader::standaloneComp;
+
 sint Loader::deviceIndex;
 bool Loader::debugLayers;
 bool Loader::scissoring;
diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
index 816cb8c..e1a198a 100644
--- a/src/config.h
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@ class BackendInterface{
 	void MapKey(uint, uint, uint);
 	void GrabKeyboard(bool);
 
+	bool standaloneComp;
+
 	class BackendConfig *pbackend;
 
 	static void Bind(boost::python::object);
@@ -215,6 +217,10 @@ class Loader{
 	~Loader();
 	void Run(const char *, const char *);
 
+	//backend
+	static bool standaloneComp;
+
+	//compositor
 	static sint deviceIndex;
 	static bool debugLayers;
 	static bool scissoring;
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 8a07b81..4d09326 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ class RunBackend : public Config::BackendConfig{
 
 class DefaultBackend : public Backend::Default, public RunBackend{
 public:
-	DefaultBackend(Config::BackendInterface *_pbackendInt) : Default(), RunBackend(new Config::X11ContainerConfig(this),_pbackendInt){
+	DefaultBackend(Config::BackendInterface *_pbackendInt) : Default(_pbackendInt->standaloneComp), RunBackend(new Config::X11ContainerConfig(this),_pbackendInt){
 		Start();
 		DebugPrintf(stdout,"Backend initialized.\n");
 	}
@@ -823,6 +823,7 @@ int main(sint argc, const char **pargv){
 
 	args::Group group_backend(parser,"Backend",args::Group::Validators::DontCare);
 	args::Flag debugBackend(group_backend,"debugBackend","Create a test environment for the compositor engine without redirection. The application will not act as a window manager.",{'d',"debug-backend"});
+	args::Flag staComp(group_backend,"standaloneCompositor","Standalone compositor for external window managers.",{'C',"standalone-compositor"});
 
 	args::Group group_comp(parser,"Compositor",args::Group::Validators::DontCare);
 	args::Flag noComp(group_comp,"noComp","Disable compositor.",{"no-compositor",'n'});
@@ -855,6 +856,9 @@ int main(sint argc, const char **pargv){
 	Config::Loader *pconfigLoader = new Config::Loader(pargv[0]);
 	pconfigLoader->Run(configPath?configPath.Get().c_str():0,"config.py");
 
+	if(staComp.Get())
+		Config::BackendInterface::pbackendInt->standaloneComp = true;
+
 	if(deviceIndexOpt)
 		Config::CompositorInterface::pcompositorInt->deviceIndex = deviceIndexOpt.Get();
 	if(debugLayersOpt.Get())