diff --git a/frontend/main.c b/frontend/main.c
index 3f02d1dd..c27c011d 100644
--- a/frontend/main.c
+++ b/frontend/main.c
@@ -2540,6 +2540,9 @@ wet_output_compute_output_from_mirror(struct weston_output *output,
 				      struct weston_mode *mode,
 				      int *scale)
 {
+	assert(output->native_mode_copy.width);
+	assert(output->native_mode_copy.height);
+
 	mode->width = output->native_mode_copy.width /
 			mirror->current_scale;
 
diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/modes.c b/libweston/backend-drm/modes.c
index 12891d6b..aecd4069 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/modes.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/modes.c
@@ -912,7 +912,7 @@ drm_output_set_mode(struct weston_output *base,
 	output->base.current_mode->flags |= WL_OUTPUT_MODE_CURRENT;
 
 	/* Set native_ fields, so weston_output_mode_switch_to_native() works */
-	output->base.native_mode = output->base.current_mode;
+	weston_output_copy_native_mode(&output->base, output->base.current_mode);
 	output->base.native_scale = output->base.current_scale;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/libweston/backend-pipewire/pipewire.c b/libweston/backend-pipewire/pipewire.c
index 2643800c..56bf591e 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-pipewire/pipewire.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-pipewire/pipewire.c
@@ -1129,7 +1129,8 @@ pipewire_switch_mode(struct weston_output *base, struct weston_mode *target_mode
 
 	base->current_mode->flags &= ~WL_OUTPUT_MODE_CURRENT;
 
-	base->current_mode = base->native_mode = local_mode;
+	base->current_mode = local_mode;
+	weston_output_copy_native_mode(base, local_mode);
 	base->current_mode->flags |= WL_OUTPUT_MODE_CURRENT;
 
 	fb_size.width = target_mode->width;
@@ -1172,8 +1173,8 @@ pipewire_output_set_size(struct weston_output *base, int width, int height)
 	current_mode = pipewire_ensure_matching_mode(&output->base, &init_mode);
 	current_mode->flags = WL_OUTPUT_MODE_CURRENT | WL_OUTPUT_MODE_PREFERRED;
 
-	output->base.current_mode = output->base.native_mode = current_mode;
-
+	output->base.current_mode = current_mode;
+	weston_output_copy_native_mode(base, current_mode);
 	output->base.start_repaint_loop = pipewire_output_start_repaint_loop;
 	output->base.repaint = pipewire_output_repaint;
 	output->base.assign_planes = NULL;
diff --git a/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c b/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c
index 48d3ab99..8c87d9ed 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c
@@ -1182,7 +1182,7 @@ x11_output_set_size(struct weston_output *base, int width, int height)
 	wl_list_insert(&output->base.mode_list, &output->mode.link);
 
 	output->base.current_mode = &output->mode;
-	output->base.native_mode = &output->native;
+	weston_output_copy_native_mode(&output->base, &output->mode);
 	output->base.native_scale = output->base.current_scale;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/libweston/compositor.c b/libweston/compositor.c
index ee1fad3b..3d0d06a1 100644
--- a/libweston/compositor.c
+++ b/libweston/compositor.c
@@ -525,6 +525,36 @@ static void
 weston_compositor_reflow_outputs(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 				struct weston_output *resized_output, int delta_width);
 
+/** Set up the native mode for an output
+ *
+ * \param output     The weston_output object
+ * \param mode       The new native mode
+ *
+ * Our mode setting code does some ugly tricks, and will
+ * sometimes save pointers to ephemeral structures for
+ * comparison later.
+ *
+ * To work around this fragility, we copy the contents of
+ * the native mode at set time.
+ *
+ * This function will be removed when we fix the mode set
+ * code.
+ *
+ * \ingroup output
+ * \internal
+ */
+WL_EXPORT void
+weston_output_copy_native_mode(struct weston_output *output,
+			       struct weston_mode *mode)
+{
+	output->native_mode = mode;
+	output->native_mode_copy.width = mode->width;
+	output->native_mode_copy.height = mode->height;
+	output->native_mode_copy.flags = mode->flags;
+	output->native_mode_copy.aspect_ratio = mode->aspect_ratio;
+	output->native_mode_copy.refresh = mode->refresh;
+}
+
 /**
  * \ingroup output
  */
@@ -552,15 +582,9 @@ weston_output_mode_set_native(struct weston_output *output,
 	}
 
 	old_width = output->width;
-	output->native_mode = mode;
+	weston_output_copy_native_mode(output, mode);
 	output->native_scale = scale;
 
-	output->native_mode_copy.width = mode->width;
-	output->native_mode_copy.height = mode->height;
-	output->native_mode_copy.flags = mode->flags;
-	output->native_mode_copy.aspect_ratio = mode->aspect_ratio;
-	output->native_mode_copy.refresh = mode->refresh;
-
 	weston_mode_switch_finish(output, mode_changed, scale_changed);
 
 	if (mode_changed || scale_changed) {
@@ -8053,7 +8077,7 @@ weston_output_set_single_mode(struct weston_output *output,
 	wl_list_insert(&output->mode_list, &mode->link);
 out:
 	output->current_mode = mode;
-	output->native_mode = mode;
+	weston_output_copy_native_mode(output, mode);
 
 	if (local) {
 		wl_list_remove(&local->link);
diff --git a/libweston/libweston-internal.h b/libweston/libweston-internal.h
index ff99a52c..0cdb9e2d 100644
--- a/libweston/libweston-internal.h
+++ b/libweston/libweston-internal.h
@@ -656,4 +656,8 @@ convert_size_by_transform_scale(int32_t *width_out, int32_t *height_out,
 bool
 weston_authenticate_user(const char *username, const char *password);
 
+void
+weston_output_copy_native_mode(struct weston_output *output,
+			       struct weston_mode *mode);
+
 #endif