diff --git a/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake b/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake
index 7017364300774..3096832be40c7 100644
--- a/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake
+++ b/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake
@@ -251,9 +251,11 @@ if (APPLE)
     )
 endif()
 
+# TODO: replace these includes per target basis
 include_directories(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR})
 include_directories(external/include)
 include_directories(external/spdlog/include)
+include_directories(external/glad/include)
 include_directories(external/SPIRV-Tools/include)
 include_directories(external/PicoSHA2)
 if (TI_WITH_OPENGL)
@@ -351,6 +353,9 @@ if (TI_WITH_OPENGL)
     add_subdirectory(external/SPIRV-Cross)
     target_include_directories(${CORE_LIBRARY_NAME} PRIVATE external/SPIRV-Cross)
     target_link_libraries(${CORE_LIBRARY_NAME} PRIVATE spirv-cross-glsl spirv-cross-core)
+
+    add_subdirectory(taichi/runtime/opengl)
+    target_link_libraries(${CORE_LIBRARY_NAME} PRIVATE opengl_runtime)
 endif()
 
 if (TI_WITH_DX11)
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/codegen_opengl.cpp b/taichi/backends/opengl/codegen_opengl.cpp
index 173d8cd1c8aee..7f232b26315b5 100644
--- a/taichi/backends/opengl/codegen_opengl.cpp
+++ b/taichi/backends/opengl/codegen_opengl.cpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_data_types.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_kernel_util.h"
 #include "taichi/ir/ir.h"
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ namespace shaders {
 
 #define TI_INSIDE_OPENGL_CODEGEN
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/atomics_macro_f32.glsl.h"
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/runtime.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/shaders/runtime.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/random.glsl.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/fast_pow.glsl.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/print.glsl.h"
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/codegen_opengl.h b/taichi/backends/opengl/codegen_opengl.h
index a630f291b3959..8e4dba27f3977 100644
--- a/taichi/backends/opengl/codegen_opengl.h
+++ b/taichi/backends/opengl/codegen_opengl.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #include "taichi/inc/constants.h"
 #include "taichi/lang_util.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/struct_opengl.h"
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.h"
 
 #include <string>
 #include <unordered_map>
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_device.cpp b/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_device.cpp
index 2eda864bab310..b399cbb12e9ab 100644
--- a/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_device.cpp
+++ b/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_device.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include "opengl_device.h"
-#include "opengl_api.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.h"
 
 namespace taichi {
 namespace lang {
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_program.h b/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_program.h
index d6f8e9e120307..1d495f7654a3a 100644
--- a/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_program.h
+++ b/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_program.h
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/struct_opengl.h"
 
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h"
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/codegen_opengl.h"
 
 #include "taichi/system/memory_pool.h"
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/indirect.glsl.h b/taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/indirect.glsl.h
index 04b215a7ef50d..09170c998c5de 100644
--- a/taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/indirect.glsl.h
+++ b/taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/indirect.glsl.h
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 "#version 430 core\nprecision highp float;\n"
 #define TI_INSIDE_OPENGL_CODEGEN
 #define TI_OPENGL_NESTED_INCLUDE
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/runtime.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/shaders/runtime.h"
 #undef TI_OPENGL_NESTED_INCLUDE
 #undef TI_INSIDE_OPENGL_CODEGEN
 STR(
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/struct_opengl.h b/taichi/backends/opengl/struct_opengl.h
index 475bf97d52270..2d9faad8a6d5d 100644
--- a/taichi/backends/opengl/struct_opengl.h
+++ b/taichi/backends/opengl/struct_opengl.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Codegen for the hierarchical data structure
 #pragma once
 
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_data_types.h"
 #include "taichi/ir/snode.h"
 
diff --git a/taichi/codegen/spirv/spirv_ir_builder.cpp b/taichi/codegen/spirv/spirv_ir_builder.cpp
index b5e58359d915d..f3386e98b0891 100644
--- a/taichi/codegen/spirv/spirv_ir_builder.cpp
+++ b/taichi/codegen/spirv/spirv_ir_builder.cpp
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ void IRBuilder::init_random_function(Value global_tmp_) {
   store_var(rand_z_, _521288629u);
   store_var(rand_w_, _88675123u);
 
-  enum spv::Op add_op = spv::OpIAdd;
+  // enum spv::Op add_op = spv::OpIAdd;
   bool use_atomic_increment = false;
 
 // use atomic increment for DX API to avoid error X3694
diff --git a/taichi/program/extension.cpp b/taichi/program/extension.cpp
index 0db7e436fca61..cff4620c5e913 100644
--- a/taichi/program/extension.cpp
+++ b/taichi/program/extension.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #include "extension.h"
-//#include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.h"
 
 #include <unordered_map>
 #include <unordered_set>
diff --git a/taichi/python/export_misc.cpp b/taichi/python/export_misc.cpp
index a1abb389ab782..2ede85517e551 100644
--- a/taichi/python/export_misc.cpp
+++ b/taichi/python/export_misc.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 *******************************************************************************/
 
 #include "taichi/backends/metal/api.h"
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.h"
 #include "taichi/runtime/vulkan/runtime.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/dx/dx_api.h"
 #include "taichi/common/core.h"
diff --git a/taichi/runtime/opengl/CMakeLists.txt b/taichi/runtime/opengl/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e736722bade47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/taichi/runtime/opengl/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# ./taichi/runtime/opengl/CMakeLists.txt
+
+add_library(opengl_runtime)
+target_sources(opengl_runtime
+  PRIVATE
+    opengl_api.cpp
+  )
+target_include_directories(opengl_runtime
+  PRIVATE
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/shaders
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/SPIRV-Tools/include
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glad/include
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/eigen
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glfw/include
+  )
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.cpp b/taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.cpp
similarity index 99%
rename from taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.cpp
rename to taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.cpp
index 9e870814e75f0..cbb05d0340b56 100644
--- a/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.cpp
+++ b/taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_kernel_util.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_utils.h"
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/runtime.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/shaders/runtime.h"
 #include "taichi/ir/transforms.h"
 #include "taichi/program/kernel.h"
 #include "taichi/program/program.h"
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.h b/taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.h
similarity index 98%
rename from taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.h
rename to taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.h
index 6f4ee6e27a8f5..7fb5fe203e1be 100644
--- a/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_api.h
+++ b/taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_api.h
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "taichi/backends/device.h"
-#include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h"
+#include "taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h"
 #include "taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_kernel_util.h"
 #include "taichi/common/core.h"
 #include "taichi/ir/offloaded_task_type.h"
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h b/taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h
similarity index 100%
rename from taichi/backends/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h
rename to taichi/runtime/opengl/opengl_kernel_launcher.h
diff --git a/taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/runtime.h b/taichi/runtime/opengl/shaders/runtime.h
similarity index 100%
rename from taichi/backends/opengl/shaders/runtime.h
rename to taichi/runtime/opengl/shaders/runtime.h