This paper is concerned with synthesis of output feedback controllers for descriptor systems to attain dissipativity of the closed-loop system. A necessary and sufficient condition is provided in terms of LMIs for the existence of a controller satisfying dissipativity and admissibility (an internal stability) of the closed-loop system. Unlike previous results, the condition does not depend on the choice of the descriptor realization. The derived LMI condition with a rank constraint for synthesis is a generalization of those for LMI-based H-infinity control of state-space systems to descriptor systems. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.