diff --git a/video/out/vo.c b/video/out/vo.c
index f195568eaa..8e63be75e6 100644
--- a/video/out/vo.c
+++ b/video/out/vo.c
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ struct vo_internal {
 
     int64_t nominal_vsync_interval;
 
+    bool external_renderloop_drive;
+
     int64_t vsync_interval;
     int64_t *vsync_samples;
     int num_vsync_samples;
@@ -788,11 +790,12 @@ static void wait_until(struct vo *vo, int64_t target)
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&in->lock);
 }
 
-static bool render_frame(struct vo *vo)
+bool vo_render_frame_external(struct vo *vo)
 {
     struct vo_internal *in = vo->in;
     struct vo_frame *frame = NULL;
     bool got_frame = false;
+    bool flipped = false;
 
     update_display_fps(vo);
 
@@ -854,6 +857,7 @@ static bool render_frame(struct vo *vo)
     if (in->dropped_frame) {
         in->drop_count += 1;
     } else {
+        flipped = true;
         in->rendering = true;
         in->hasframe_rendered = true;
         int64_t prev_drop_count = vo->in->drop_count;
@@ -904,6 +908,8 @@ static bool render_frame(struct vo *vo)
 done:
     talloc_free(frame);
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&in->lock);
+    if (in->external_renderloop_drive)
+        return flipped;
     return got_frame || (in->frame_queued && in->frame_queued->display_synced);
 }
 
@@ -946,6 +952,44 @@ static void do_redraw(struct vo *vo)
         talloc_free(frame);
 }
 
+static void drop_unrendered_frame(struct vo *vo)
+{
+    struct vo_internal *in = vo->in;
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&in->lock);
+
+    if (!in->frame_queued)
+        goto end;
+
+    if ((in->frame_queued->pts + in->frame_queued->duration) > mp_time_us())
+        goto end;
+
+    MP_VERBOSE(vo, "Dropping unrendered frame (pts %li)\n", in->frame_queued->pts);
+
+    talloc_free(in->frame_queued);
+    in->frame_queued = NULL;
+    in->hasframe = false;
+    pthread_cond_broadcast(&in->wakeup);
+    wakeup_core(vo);
+
+end:
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&in->lock);
+}
+
+void vo_enable_external_renderloop(struct vo *vo)
+{
+    struct vo_internal *in = vo->in;
+    MP_VERBOSE(vo, "Enabling event driven renderloop!\n");
+    in->external_renderloop_drive = true;
+}
+
+void vo_disable_external_renderloop(struct vo *vo)
+{
+    struct vo_internal *in = vo->in;
+    MP_VERBOSE(vo, "Disabling event driven renderloop!\n");
+    in->external_renderloop_drive = false;
+}
+
 static void *vo_thread(void *ptr)
 {
     struct vo *vo = ptr;
@@ -967,7 +1011,11 @@ static void *vo_thread(void *ptr)
         if (in->terminate)
             break;
         vo->driver->control(vo, VOCTRL_CHECK_EVENTS, NULL);
-        bool working = render_frame(vo);
+        bool working = false;
+        if (!in->external_renderloop_drive || !in->hasframe_rendered)
+            working = vo_render_frame_external(vo);
+        else
+            drop_unrendered_frame(vo);
         int64_t now = mp_time_us();
         int64_t wait_until = now + (working ? 0 : (int64_t)1e9);
 
@@ -980,7 +1028,7 @@ static void *vo_thread(void *ptr)
                 wakeup_core(vo);
             }
         }
-        if (vo->want_redraw && !in->want_redraw) {
+        if (vo->want_redraw) {
             vo->want_redraw = false;
             in->want_redraw = true;
             wakeup_core(vo);
diff --git a/video/out/vo.h b/video/out/vo.h
index fc6cf394e4..995d6b97f5 100644
--- a/video/out/vo.h
+++ b/video/out/vo.h
@@ -433,6 +433,9 @@ void vo_query_formats(struct vo *vo, uint8_t *list);
 void vo_event(struct vo *vo, int event);
 int vo_query_and_reset_events(struct vo *vo, int events);
 struct mp_image *vo_get_current_frame(struct vo *vo);
+void vo_enable_external_renderloop(struct vo *vo);
+void vo_disable_external_renderloop(struct vo *vo);
+bool vo_render_frame_external(struct vo *vo);
 void vo_set_queue_params(struct vo *vo, int64_t offset_us, int num_req_frames);
 int vo_get_num_req_frames(struct vo *vo);
 int64_t vo_get_vsync_interval(struct vo *vo);
diff --git a/video/out/vo_gpu.c b/video/out/vo_gpu.c
index 6a971dd94b..95318d36df 100644
--- a/video/out/vo_gpu.c
+++ b/video/out/vo_gpu.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ static int control(struct vo *vo, uint32_t request, void *data)
     case VOCTRL_PAUSE:
         if (gl_video_showing_interpolated_frame(p->renderer))
             vo->want_redraw = true;
-        return true;
+        break;
     case VOCTRL_PERFORMANCE_DATA:
         gl_video_perfdata(p->renderer, (struct voctrl_performance_data *)data);
         return true;
diff --git a/video/out/wayland_common.c b/video/out/wayland_common.c
index a0e734703b..19adf01df0 100644
--- a/video/out/wayland_common.c
+++ b/video/out/wayland_common.c
@@ -767,6 +767,9 @@ static void frame_callback(void *data, struct wl_callback *callback, uint32_t ti
 
     wl->frame_callback = wl_surface_frame(wl->surface);
     wl_callback_add_listener(wl->frame_callback, &frame_listener, wl);
+
+    if (!vo_render_frame_external(wl->vo))
+        wl_surface_commit(wl->surface);
 }
 
 static const struct wl_callback_listener frame_listener = {
@@ -785,6 +788,7 @@ static void registry_handle_add(void *data, struct wl_registry *reg, uint32_t id
         wl->surface = wl_compositor_create_surface(wl->compositor);
         wl->cursor_surface = wl_compositor_create_surface(wl->compositor);
         wl_surface_add_listener(wl->surface, &surface_listener, wl);
+        vo_enable_external_renderloop(wl->vo);
         wl->frame_callback = wl_surface_frame(wl->surface);
         wl_callback_add_listener(wl->frame_callback, &frame_listener, wl);
     }
@@ -1295,6 +1299,17 @@ int vo_wayland_control(struct vo *vo, int *events, int request, void *arg)
         *(char ***)arg = get_displays_spanned(wl);
         return VO_TRUE;
     }
+    case VOCTRL_PAUSE: {
+        wl_callback_destroy(wl->frame_callback);
+        wl->frame_callback = NULL;
+        vo_disable_external_renderloop(wl->vo);
+        return VO_TRUE;
+    }
+    case VOCTRL_RESUME: {
+        vo_enable_external_renderloop(wl->vo);
+        frame_callback(wl, NULL, 0);
+        return VO_TRUE;
+    }
     case VOCTRL_GET_UNFS_WINDOW_SIZE: {
         int *s = arg;
         s[0] = mp_rect_w(wl->geometry)*wl->scaling;