diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9dc02104..9749caaa 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -678,6 +678,16 @@ if(NOT MINIAUDIO_NO_DEVICEIO)
             target_link_libraries(miniaudio_sdl2 PRIVATE PkgConfig::SDL2)
         endif()
     endif()
+
+    # Template Backend (for build validation only, not installed)
+    add_library(miniaudio_backend_template STATIC
+        extras/backends/template/miniaudio_backend_template.c
+        extras/backends/template/miniaudio_backend_template.h
+    )
+
+    target_include_directories(miniaudio_backend_template PUBLIC  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/extras/backends/template)
+    target_compile_options    (miniaudio_backend_template PRIVATE ${COMPILE_OPTIONS})
+    target_compile_definitions(miniaudio_backend_template PRIVATE ${COMPILE_DEFINES})
 endif()
 
 
diff --git a/extras/backends/template/miniaudio_backend_template.c b/extras/backends/template/miniaudio_backend_template.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7b071d5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extras/backends/template/miniaudio_backend_template.c
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+#ifndef miniaudio_backend_template_c
+#define miniaudio_backend_template_c
+
+/* Do not include this in your backend. It's only used to validate the template build. Needed for MA_ZERO_OBJECT(). */
+#include "../../../miniaudio.c"
+
+#include "miniaudio_backend_template.h"
+
+/* Wrap this in a #ifdef/#endif depending on the build environment. */
+#define MA_SUPPORT_TEMPLATE
+
+#if defined(MA_SUPPORT_TEMPLATE) && !defined(MA_NO_TEMPLATE) && (!defined(MA_ENABLE_ONLY_SPECIFIC_BACKENDS) || defined(MA_ENABLE_TEMPLATE))
+    #define MA_HAS_TEMPLATE
+#endif
+
+#if defined(MA_HAS_TEMPLATE)
+
+static void ma_backend_info__template(ma_device_backend_info* pBackendInfo)
+{
+    (void)pBackendInfo;
+}
+
+static ma_result ma_context_init__template(ma_context* pContext, const void* pContextBackendConfig, void** ppContextState)
+{
+    (void)pContext;
+    (void)pContextBackendConfig;
+    (void)ppContextState;
+
+    return MA_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
+}
+
+static void ma_context_uninit__template(ma_context* pContext)
+{
+    (void)pContext;
+}
+
+static ma_result ma_context_enumerate_devices__template(ma_context* pContext, ma_enum_devices_callback_proc callback, void* pCallbackUserData)
+{
+    (void)pContext;
+    (void)callback;
+    (void)pCallbackUserData;
+
+    return MA_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
+}
+
+static ma_result ma_device_init__template(ma_device* pDevice, const void* pDeviceBackendConfig, ma_device_descriptor* pDescriptorPlayback, ma_device_descriptor* pDescriptorCapture, void** ppDeviceState)
+{
+    (void)pDevice;
+    (void)pDeviceBackendConfig;
+    (void)pDescriptorPlayback;
+    (void)pDescriptorCapture;
+    (void)ppDeviceState;
+
+    return MA_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
+}
+
+static void ma_device_uninit__template(ma_device* pDevice)
+{
+    (void)pDevice;
+}
+
+static ma_result ma_device_start__template(ma_device* pDevice)
+{
+    (void)pDevice;
+
+    return MA_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
+}
+
+static ma_result ma_device_stop__template(ma_device* pDevice)
+{
+    (void)pDevice;
+
+    return MA_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
+}
+
+static ma_result ma_device_step__template(ma_device* pDevice, ma_blocking_mode blockingMode)
+{
+    (void)pDevice;
+    (void)blockingMode;
+
+    return MA_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
+}
+
+static void ma_device_wakeup__template(ma_device* pDevice)
+{
+    (void)pDevice;
+}
+
+static ma_device_backend_vtable ma_gDeviceBackendVTable_Template =
+{
+    ma_backend_info__template,
+    ma_context_init__template,
+    ma_context_uninit__template,
+    ma_context_enumerate_devices__template,
+    ma_device_init__template,
+    ma_device_uninit__template,
+    ma_device_start__template,
+    ma_device_stop__template,
+    ma_device_step__template,
+    ma_device_wakeup__template
+};
+
+ma_device_backend_vtable* ma_device_backend_template = &ma_gDeviceBackendVTable_Template;
+#else
+ma_device_backend_vtable* ma_device_backend_template = NULL;
+#endif  /* MA_HAS_TEMPLATE */
+
+MA_API ma_device_backend_vtable* ma_template_get_vtable(void)
+{
+    return ma_device_backend_template;
+}
+
+MA_API ma_context_config_template ma_context_config_template_init(void)
+{
+    ma_context_config_template config;
+
+    MA_ZERO_OBJECT(&config);
+
+    return config;
+}
+
+MA_API ma_device_config_template ma_device_config_template_init(void)
+{
+    ma_device_config_template config;
+
+    MA_ZERO_OBJECT(&config);
+
+    return config;
+}
+
+#endif  /* miniaudio_backend_template_c */
diff --git a/extras/backends/template/miniaudio_backend_template.h b/extras/backends/template/miniaudio_backend_template.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d116eb35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extras/backends/template/miniaudio_backend_template.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#ifndef miniaudio_backend_template_h
+#define miniaudio_backend_template_h
+
+#include "../../../miniaudio.h"
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+extern ma_device_backend_vtable* ma_device_backend_template;
+MA_API ma_device_backend_vtable* ma_template_get_vtable(void);
+
+
+typedef struct
+{
+    int _unused;
+} ma_context_config_template;
+
+MA_API ma_context_config_template ma_context_config_template_init(void);
+
+
+typedef struct
+{
+    int _unused;
+} ma_device_config_template;
+
+MA_API ma_device_config_template ma_device_config_template_init(void);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+#endif  /* miniaudio_backend_template_h */
+