diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/main.cc b/selfdrive/ui/main.cc
index dab8d66540..901899e39a 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/main.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/main.cc
@@ -3,18 +3,11 @@
 
 #include "selfdrive/hardware/hw.h"
 #include "selfdrive/ui/qt/qt_window.h"
+#include "selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h"
 #include "selfdrive/ui/qt/window.h"
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
-  QSurfaceFormat fmt;
-#ifdef __APPLE__
-  fmt.setVersion(3, 2);
-  fmt.setProfile(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGLContextProfile::CoreProfile);
-  fmt.setRenderableType(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGL);
-#else
-  fmt.setRenderableType(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGLES);
-#endif
-  QSurfaceFormat::setDefaultFormat(fmt);
+  setQtSurfaceFormat();
 
   if (Hardware::EON()) {
     QApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_ShareOpenGLContexts);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc
index f16be965ba..822a8c9f8a 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 #include "selfdrive/hardware/hw.h"
 #include "selfdrive/ui/qt/qt_window.h"
+#include "selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h"
 
 TrackWidget::TrackWidget(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent) {
   setFixedSize(spinner_size);
@@ -114,15 +115,7 @@ void Spinner::update(int n) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
-  QSurfaceFormat fmt;
-#ifdef __APPLE__
-  fmt.setVersion(3, 2);
-  fmt.setProfile(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGLContextProfile::CoreProfile);
-  fmt.setRenderableType(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGL);
-#else
-  fmt.setRenderableType(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGLES);
-#endif
-  QSurfaceFormat::setDefaultFormat(fmt);
+  setQtSurfaceFormat();
 
   Hardware::set_display_power(true);
   Hardware::set_brightness(65);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
index c8c33504de..8cc1e46ebb 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
@@ -42,3 +42,15 @@ inline QString timeAgo(const QDateTime &date) {
 
   return s;
 }
+
+inline void setQtSurfaceFormat() {
+  QSurfaceFormat fmt;
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+  fmt.setVersion(3, 2);
+  fmt.setProfile(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGLContextProfile::CoreProfile);
+  fmt.setRenderableType(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGL);
+#else
+  fmt.setRenderableType(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGLES);
+#endif
+  QSurfaceFormat::setDefaultFormat(fmt);
+}