diff --git a/source/blender/editors/interface/eyedroppers/eyedropper_color.cc b/source/blender/editors/interface/eyedroppers/eyedropper_color.cc
index b051adc6c71..6bbc6ea5dbc 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/interface/eyedroppers/eyedropper_color.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/interface/eyedroppers/eyedropper_color.cc
@@ -361,7 +361,13 @@ void eyedropper_color_sample_fl(bContext *C, const int m_xy[2], float r_col[3])
 
   if (win) {
     /* Fallback to simple opengl picker. */
-    WM_window_pixel_sample_read(wm, win, mval, r_col);
+    if (WM_capabilities_flag() & WM_CAPABILITY_GPU_FRONT_BUFFER_READ) {
+      WM_window_pixels_read_sample(wm, win, mval, r_col);
+    }
+    else {
+      WM_window_pixels_read_sample_offscreen(C, win, mval, r_col);
+    }
+
     IMB_colormanagement_display_to_scene_linear_v3(r_col, display);
   }
   else {
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/screen/screendump.c b/source/blender/editors/screen/screendump.c
index 89bb7158b30..2241ac319cf 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/screen/screendump.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/screen/screendump.c
@@ -56,12 +56,15 @@ static int screenshot_data_create(bContext *C, wmOperator *op, ScrArea *area)
 {
   int dumprect_size[2];
 
+  wmWindowManager *wm = CTX_wm_manager(C);
   wmWindow *win = CTX_wm_window(C);
 
   /* do redraw so we don't show popups/menus */
   WM_redraw_windows(C);
 
-  uint *dumprect = WM_window_pixels_read_offscreen(C, win, dumprect_size);
+  uint *dumprect = (WM_capabilities_flag() & WM_CAPABILITY_GPU_FRONT_BUFFER_READ) ?
+                       WM_window_pixels_read(wm, win, dumprect_size) :
+                       WM_window_pixels_read_offscreen(C, win, dumprect_size);
 
   if (dumprect) {
     ScreenshotData *scd = MEM_callocN(sizeof(ScreenshotData), "screenshot");
diff --git a/source/blender/gpu/GPU_framebuffer.h b/source/blender/gpu/GPU_framebuffer.h
index 917407eece3..948fd8f945a 100644
--- a/source/blender/gpu/GPU_framebuffer.h
+++ b/source/blender/gpu/GPU_framebuffer.h
@@ -286,6 +286,11 @@ void GPU_offscreen_free(GPUOffScreen *ofs);
 void GPU_offscreen_bind(GPUOffScreen *ofs, bool save);
 void GPU_offscreen_unbind(GPUOffScreen *ofs, bool restore);
 void GPU_offscreen_read_pixels(GPUOffScreen *ofs, eGPUDataFormat format, void *pixels);
+/**
+ * A version of #GPU_offscreen_read_pixels that reads into a region.
+ */
+void GPU_offscreen_read_pixels_region(
+    GPUOffScreen *offscreen, eGPUDataFormat data_format, int x, int y, int w, int h, void *r_data);
 void GPU_offscreen_draw_to_screen(GPUOffScreen *ofs, int x, int y);
 int GPU_offscreen_width(const GPUOffScreen *ofs);
 int GPU_offscreen_height(const GPUOffScreen *ofs);
diff --git a/source/blender/gpu/intern/gpu_framebuffer.cc b/source/blender/gpu/intern/gpu_framebuffer.cc
index b281753ad1a..fd01db57b92 100644
--- a/source/blender/gpu/intern/gpu_framebuffer.cc
+++ b/source/blender/gpu/intern/gpu_framebuffer.cc
@@ -701,15 +701,26 @@ void GPU_offscreen_draw_to_screen(GPUOffScreen *ofs, int x, int y)
   ofs_fb->blit_to(GPU_COLOR_BIT, 0, ctx->active_fb, 0, x, y);
 }
 
-void GPU_offscreen_read_pixels(GPUOffScreen *ofs, eGPUDataFormat format, void *pixels)
+void GPU_offscreen_read_pixels_region(
+    GPUOffScreen *ofs, eGPUDataFormat format, int x, int y, int w, int h, void *r_pixels)
+{
+  BLI_assert(ELEM(format, GPU_DATA_UBYTE, GPU_DATA_FLOAT));
+  BLI_assert(x >= 0 && y >= 0 && w > 0 && h > 0);
+  BLI_assert(x + w <= GPU_texture_width(ofs->color));
+  BLI_assert(y + h <= GPU_texture_height(ofs->color));
+
+  GPUFrameBuffer *ofs_fb = gpu_offscreen_fb_get(ofs);
+  GPU_framebuffer_read_color(ofs_fb, x, y, w, h, 4, 0, format, r_pixels);
+}
+
+void GPU_offscreen_read_pixels(GPUOffScreen *ofs, eGPUDataFormat format, void *r_pixels)
 {
   BLI_assert(ELEM(format, GPU_DATA_UBYTE, GPU_DATA_FLOAT));
 
   const int w = GPU_texture_width(ofs->color);
   const int h = GPU_texture_height(ofs->color);
 
-  GPUFrameBuffer *ofs_fb = gpu_offscreen_fb_get(ofs);
-  GPU_framebuffer_read_color(ofs_fb, 0, 0, w, h, 4, 0, format, pixels);
+  GPU_offscreen_read_pixels_region(ofs, format, 0, 0, w, h, r_pixels);
 }
 
 int GPU_offscreen_width(const GPUOffScreen *ofs)
diff --git a/source/blender/windowmanager/WM_api.h b/source/blender/windowmanager/WM_api.h
index 0d970685582..051856da0c9 100644
--- a/source/blender/windowmanager/WM_api.h
+++ b/source/blender/windowmanager/WM_api.h
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ typedef enum eWM_CapabilitiesFlag {
   WM_CAPABILITY_CURSOR_WARP = (1 << 0),
   /** Ability to access window positions & move them. */
   WM_CAPABILITY_WINDOW_POSITION = (1 << 1),
+  /**
+   * Reading from the back-buffer is supported.
+   */
+  WM_CAPABILITY_GPU_FRONT_BUFFER_READ = (1 << 2),
 } eWM_CapabilitiesFlag;
 
 eWM_CapabilitiesFlag WM_capabilities_flag(void);
@@ -159,6 +163,11 @@ void WM_window_pixel_sample_read(const wmWindowManager *wm,
  * the front-buffer state to be invalid under some EGL configurations.
  */
 uint *WM_window_pixels_read(struct wmWindowManager *wm, struct wmWindow *win, int r_size[2]);
+void WM_window_pixels_read_sample(const wmWindowManager *wm,
+                                  const wmWindow *win,
+                                  const int pos[2],
+                                  float r_col[3]);
+
 /**
  * Draw the window & read pixels from an off-screen buffer (slower than #WM_window_pixels_read).
  *
@@ -166,6 +175,10 @@ uint *WM_window_pixels_read(struct wmWindowManager *wm, struct wmWindow *win, in
  * (see in-line code comments for details).
  */
 uint *WM_window_pixels_read_offscreen(struct bContext *C, struct wmWindow *win, int r_size[2]);
+bool WM_window_pixels_read_sample_offscreen(struct bContext *C,
+                                            struct wmWindow *win,
+                                            const int pos[2],
+                                            float r_col[3]);
 
 /**
  * Support for native pixel size
diff --git a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_draw.c b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_draw.c
index ebe670bfa21..c31327200c0 100644
--- a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_draw.c
+++ b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_draw.c
@@ -1237,6 +1237,36 @@ uint *WM_window_pixels_read_offscreen(bContext *C, wmWindow *win, int r_size[2])
   return rect;
 }
 
+bool WM_window_pixels_read_sample_offscreen(bContext *C,
+                                            wmWindow *win,
+                                            const int pos[2],
+                                            float r_col[3])
+{
+  /* A version of #WM_window_pixels_read_offscreen. */
+
+  const int size[2] = {WM_window_pixels_x(win), WM_window_pixels_y(win)};
+  zero_v3(r_col);
+
+  /* While this shouldn't happen, return in the case it does. */
+  BLI_assert((uint)pos[0] < (uint)size[0] && (uint)pos[1] < (uint)size[1]);
+  if (!((uint)pos[0] < (uint)size[0] && (uint)pos[1] < (uint)size[1])) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  GPUOffScreen *offscreen = GPU_offscreen_create(size[0], size[1], false, GPU_RGBA8, NULL);
+  if (UNLIKELY(!offscreen)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  float rect_pixel[4];
+  GPU_offscreen_bind(offscreen, false);
+  wm_draw_window_onscreen(C, win, -1);
+  GPU_offscreen_unbind(offscreen, false);
+  GPU_offscreen_read_pixels_region(offscreen, GPU_DATA_FLOAT, pos[0], pos[1], 1, 1, rect_pixel);
+  GPU_offscreen_free(offscreen);
+  copy_v3_v3(r_col, rect_pixel);
+  return true;
+}
+
 /** \} */
 
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_window.c b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_window.c
index 186d74620e4..5f008b86449 100644
--- a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_window.c
+++ b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_window.c
@@ -1827,6 +1827,10 @@ eWM_CapabilitiesFlag WM_capabilities_flag(void)
     return flag;
   }
 
+  /* NOTE: this is not the intended use of #WM_ghost_backend (for 3.5 release only). */
+  const char *ghost_backend = WM_ghost_backend();
+  const bool is_wayland = ghost_backend && STREQ(ghost_backend, "WAYLAND");
+
   flag = 0;
   if (GHOST_SupportsCursorWarp()) {
     flag |= WM_CAPABILITY_CURSOR_WARP;
@@ -1834,6 +1838,9 @@ eWM_CapabilitiesFlag WM_capabilities_flag(void)
   if (GHOST_SupportsWindowPosition()) {
     flag |= WM_CAPABILITY_WINDOW_POSITION;
   }
+  if (is_wayland == false) {
+    flag |= WM_CAPABILITY_GPU_FRONT_BUFFER_READ;
+  }
   return flag;
 }
 
@@ -2151,28 +2158,6 @@ wmWindow *WM_window_find_under_cursor(wmWindow *win, const int mval[2], int r_mv
   return win_other;
 }
 
-void WM_window_pixel_sample_read(const wmWindowManager *wm,
-                                 const wmWindow *win,
-                                 const int pos[2],
-                                 float r_col[3])
-{
-  bool setup_context = wm->windrawable != win;
-
-  if (setup_context) {
-    GHOST_ActivateWindowDrawingContext(win->ghostwin);
-    GPU_context_active_set(win->gpuctx);
-  }
-
-  GPU_frontbuffer_read_pixels(pos[0], pos[1], 1, 1, 3, GPU_DATA_FLOAT, r_col);
-
-  if (setup_context) {
-    if (wm->windrawable) {
-      GHOST_ActivateWindowDrawingContext(wm->windrawable->ghostwin);
-      GPU_context_active_set(wm->windrawable->gpuctx);
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 /** \} */
 
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -2217,6 +2202,29 @@ uint *WM_window_pixels_read(wmWindowManager *wm, wmWindow *win, int r_size[2])
   return (uint *)rect;
 }
 
+void WM_window_pixels_read_sample(const wmWindowManager *wm,
+                                  const wmWindow *win,
+                                  const int pos[2],
+                                  float r_col[3])
+{
+  BLI_assert(WM_capabilities_flag() & WM_CAPABILITY_GPU_FRONT_BUFFER_READ);
+  bool setup_context = wm->windrawable != win;
+
+  if (setup_context) {
+    GHOST_ActivateWindowDrawingContext(win->ghostwin);
+    GPU_context_active_set(win->gpuctx);
+  }
+
+  GPU_frontbuffer_read_pixels(pos[0], pos[1], 1, 1, 3, GPU_DATA_FLOAT, r_col);
+
+  if (setup_context) {
+    if (wm->windrawable) {
+      GHOST_ActivateWindowDrawingContext(wm->windrawable->ghostwin);
+      GPU_context_active_set(wm->windrawable->gpuctx);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 /** \} */
 
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------- */