diff --git a/helix-view/Cargo.toml b/helix-view/Cargo.toml
index 69df49ccf..a73bd8f7a 100644
--- a/helix-view/Cargo.toml
+++ b/helix-view/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ lsp = ["helix-lsp", "tokio-runtime"]
 dap = ["helix-dap", "tokio-stream", "tokio-runtime"]
 tokio-runtime = ["tokio"]
 term = ["crossterm", "tui"]
+ui = []
 
 [dependencies]
 bitflags = "1.3"
diff --git a/helix-view/src/compositor.rs b/helix-view/src/compositor.rs
index 55a158441..e367e54e0 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/compositor.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/compositor.rs
@@ -46,9 +46,33 @@ fn cursor(&self, _area: Rect, _ctx: &Editor) -> (Option<Position>, CursorKind) {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+pub mod ui {
+    use super::*;
+    pub type Surface = ();
+
+    pub struct RenderContext<'a> {
+        pub editor: &'a Editor,
+        // pub surface: &'a mut Surface,
+        pub scroll: Option<usize>,
+    }
+
+    pub trait Render {
+        /// Render the component onto the provided surface.
+        fn render(&mut self, area: Rect, ctx: &mut RenderContext) {
+            // TODO:
+        }
+
+        // TODO: make required_size be layout() instead and part of this trait?
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(feature = "term")]
 pub use term::*;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+pub use ui::*;
+
 pub trait Component: Any + AnyComponent + Render {
     /// Process input events, return true if handled.
     fn handle_event(&mut self, _event: Event, _ctx: &mut Context) -> EventResult {
diff --git a/helix-view/src/info.rs b/helix-view/src/info.rs
index cb6021bf6..df43937a8 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/info.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/info.rs
@@ -121,4 +121,7 @@ fn render(&mut self, viewport: Rect, cx: &mut RenderContext<'_>) {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+impl compositor::ui::Render for Info {}
+
 impl Component for Info {}
diff --git a/helix-view/src/ui/editor.rs b/helix-view/src/ui/editor.rs
index ac2a9c596..2287a0649 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/ui/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/ui/editor.rs
@@ -1397,6 +1397,9 @@ fn cursor(&self, _area: Rect, editor: &Editor) -> (Option<Position>, CursorKind)
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+impl compositor::ui::Render for EditorView {}
+
 fn canonicalize_key(key: &mut KeyEvent) {
     if let KeyEvent {
         code: KeyCode::Char(_),
diff --git a/helix-view/src/ui/markdown.rs b/helix-view/src/ui/markdown.rs
index 760241d59..b7d1cec8f 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/ui/markdown.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/ui/markdown.rs
@@ -282,6 +282,9 @@ fn render(&mut self, area: Rect, cx: &mut RenderContext<'_>) {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+impl compositor::ui::Render for Markdown {}
+
 impl Component for Markdown {
     #[cfg(not(feature = "term"))]
     fn required_size(&mut self, viewport: (u16, u16)) -> Option<(u16, u16)> {
diff --git a/helix-view/src/ui/overlay.rs b/helix-view/src/ui/overlay.rs
index 0b13212e9..8f534b60a 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/ui/overlay.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/ui/overlay.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ fn cursor(&self, area: Rect, ctx: &Editor) -> (Option<Position>, CursorKind) {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+impl<T: Component + 'static> compositor::ui::Render for Overlay<T> {}
+
 impl<T: Component + 'static> Component for Overlay<T> {
     fn required_size(&mut self, (width, height): (u16, u16)) -> Option<(u16, u16)> {
         let area = Rect {
diff --git a/helix-view/src/ui/picker.rs b/helix-view/src/ui/picker.rs
index 91022e442..0bb3a23f6 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/ui/picker.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/ui/picker.rs
@@ -266,6 +266,9 @@ fn cursor(&self, area: Rect, ctx: &Editor) -> (Option<Position>, CursorKind) {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+impl<T: 'static> compositor::ui::Render for FilePicker<T> {}
+
 impl<T: 'static> Component for FilePicker<T> {
     fn handle_event(&mut self, event: Event, ctx: &mut Context) -> EventResult {
         // TODO: keybinds for scrolling preview
@@ -658,3 +661,6 @@ fn cursor(&self, area: Rect, editor: &Editor) -> (Option<Position>, CursorKind)
         self.prompt.cursor(area, editor)
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+impl<T: 'static> compositor::ui::Render for Picker<T> {}
diff --git a/helix-view/src/ui/popup.rs b/helix-view/src/ui/popup.rs
index eb6823a7e..329e4a0e5 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/ui/popup.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/ui/popup.rs
@@ -201,3 +201,6 @@ fn render(&mut self, viewport: Rect, cx: &mut RenderContext<'_>) {
         self.contents.render(inner, cx);
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+impl<T: Component> compositor::ui::Render for Popup<T> {}
diff --git a/helix-view/src/ui/prompt.rs b/helix-view/src/ui/prompt.rs
index 2d73fb1ea..911ae2ef7 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/ui/prompt.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/ui/prompt.rs
@@ -455,6 +455,9 @@ fn cursor(&self, area: Rect, _editor: &Editor) -> (Option<Position>, CursorKind)
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "ui")]
+impl compositor::ui::Render for Prompt {}
+
 impl Component for Prompt {
     fn handle_event(&mut self, event: Event, cx: &mut Context) -> EventResult {
         let event = match event {