diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-wheel-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/test-wheel-linux.yml
index 796ab306e..f763d65b9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-wheel-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-wheel-linux.yml
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/install_unix_deps
         continue-on-error: false
         with:
-          # for artifact fetching
-          dependencies: "jq wget"
+          # for artifact fetching, graphics libs
+          dependencies: "jq wget libgl1 libegl1"
           dependent_exes: "jq wget"
 
       - name: Set environment variables
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/tests/test_graphics_apis.py b/cuda_bindings/tests/test_graphics_apis.py
index ae2f074d5..d010796e8 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/tests/test_graphics_apis.py
+++ b/cuda_bindings/tests/test_graphics_apis.py
@@ -1,29 +1,104 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2025 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-NVIDIA-SOFTWARE-LICENSE
 
+import contextlib
+import ctypes
+import ctypes.util
+import os
+import sys
+
 import pytest
 from cuda.bindings import runtime as cudart
 
 
-def test_graphics_api_smoketest():
-    # Due to lazy importing in pyglet, pytest.importorskip doesn't work
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def _gl_context():
+    """
+    Yield a (tex_id, tex_target) with a current GL context.
+    Tries:
+      1) Windows: hidden WGL window (no EGL)
+      2) Linux with DISPLAY/wayland: hidden window
+      3) Linux headless: EGL headless if available
+    Skips if none work.
+    """
+    pyglet = pytest.importorskip("pyglet")
+
+    # Prefer non-headless when a display is available; it's more portable and avoids EGL.
+    if sys.platform.startswith("linux") and not (os.environ.get("DISPLAY") or os.environ.get("WAYLAND_DISPLAY")):
+        if ctypes.util.find_library("EGL") is None:
+            pytest.skip("No DISPLAY and no EGL runtime available for headless context.")
+        pyglet.options["headless"] = True
+
+    # Create a minimal offscreen/hidden context
+    win = None
     try:
-        import pyglet
-
-        tex = pyglet.image.Texture.create(512, 512)
-    except (ImportError, AttributeError):
-        pytest.skip("pyglet not available or could not create GL context")
-        # return to make linters happy
-        return
-
-    err, gfx_resource = cudart.cudaGraphicsGLRegisterImage(
-        tex.id, tex.target, cudart.cudaGraphicsRegisterFlags.cudaGraphicsRegisterFlagsWriteDiscard
-    )
-    error_name = cudart.cudaGetErrorName(err)[1].decode()
-    if error_name == "cudaSuccess":
-        assert int(gfx_resource) != 0
-    else:
-        assert error_name in ("cudaErrorInvalidValue", "cudaErrorUnknown")
+        if not pyglet.options.get("headless"):
+            # Hidden window path (WGL on Windows, GLX/WLS on Linux)
+            from pyglet import gl
+
+            config = gl.Config(double_buffer=False)
+            win = pyglet.window.Window(visible=False, config=config)
+            win.switch_to()
+        else:
+            # Headless EGL path; pyglet will arrange a pbuffer-like headless context
+            from pyglet.gl import headless  # noqa: F401  (import side-effect creates context)
+
+        # Make a tiny texture so we have a real GL object to register
+        from pyglet.gl import gl as _gl
+
+        tex_id = _gl.GLuint(0)
+        _gl.glGenTextures(1, ctypes.byref(tex_id))
+        target = _gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D
+        _gl.glBindTexture(target, tex_id.value)
+        _gl.glTexParameteri(target, _gl.GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, _gl.GL_NEAREST)
+        _gl.glTexParameteri(target, _gl.GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, _gl.GL_NEAREST)
+        width, height = 16, 16
+        _gl.glTexImage2D(target, 0, _gl.GL_RGBA8, width, height, 0, _gl.GL_RGBA, _gl.GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, None)
+
+        yield int(tex_id.value), int(target)
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        # Convert any pyglet/GL creation failure into a clean skip
+        pytest.skip(f"Could not create GL context/texture: {type(e).__name__}: {e}")
+    finally:
+        # Best-effort cleanup
+        try:
+            from pyglet.gl import gl as _gl
+
+            if tex_id.value:
+                _gl.glDeleteTextures(1, ctypes.byref(tex_id))
+        except Exception:  # noqa: S110
+            pass
+        try:
+            if win is not None:
+                win.close()
+        except Exception:  # noqa: S110
+            pass
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "flags",
+    [
+        cudart.cudaGraphicsRegisterFlags.cudaGraphicsRegisterFlagsNone,
+        cudart.cudaGraphicsRegisterFlags.cudaGraphicsRegisterFlagsWriteDiscard,
+    ],
+)
+def test_cuda_gl_register_image_smoketest(flags):
+    with _gl_context() as (tex_id, tex_target):
+        # Register
+        err, resource = cudart.cudaGraphicsGLRegisterImage(tex_id, tex_target, flags)
+        name = cudart.cudaGetErrorName(err)[1].decode()
+
+        # Map error expectations by environment:
+        # - success: we actually exercised the API
+        # - operating-system: typical when the driver/runtime refuses interop (e.g., no GPU/driver in CI container)
+        acceptable = {"cudaSuccess", "cudaErrorOperatingSystem"}
+
+        assert name in acceptable, f"cudaGraphicsGLRegisterImage returned {name}"
+        if name == "cudaSuccess":
+            assert int(resource) != 0
+            # Unregister to be tidy
+            cudart.cudaGraphicsUnregisterResource(resource)
 
 
 def test_cuda_register_image_invalid():