diff --git a/src/big/rectangle.c b/src/big/rectangle.c
index 2b1fb7d37..8ca104d50 100644
--- a/src/big/rectangle.c
+++ b/src/big/rectangle.c
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ big_rectangle_paint(ClutterActor *actor)
 
     if (radius != 0) {
         cogl_color_set_from_4ub(&tmp_color,
-                                0xff, 0xff, 0xff, actor_opacity);
+                                actor_opacity, actor_opacity, actor_opacity, actor_opacity);
         cogl_material_set_color(rectangle->corner_material, &tmp_color);
         cogl_set_source(rectangle->corner_material);
 
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ big_rectangle_paint(ClutterActor *actor)
                                 border_color->green,
                                 border_color->blue,
                                 actor_opacity * border_color->alpha / 255);
+        cogl_color_premultiply (&tmp_color);
         cogl_material_set_color(rectangle->border_material, &tmp_color);
         cogl_set_source(rectangle->border_material);
 
@@ -429,6 +430,7 @@ big_rectangle_paint(ClutterActor *actor)
                             color->green,
                             color->blue,
                             actor_opacity * color->alpha / 255);
+    cogl_color_premultiply (&tmp_color);
     cogl_material_set_color(rectangle->background_material, &tmp_color);
     cogl_set_source(rectangle->background_material);
 
diff --git a/src/shell-global.c b/src/shell-global.c
index 1dffc29a2..070c962ac 100644
--- a/src/shell-global.c
+++ b/src/shell-global.c
@@ -980,6 +980,7 @@ update_root_window_pixmap (ShellGlobal *global)
   gulong nitems;
   gulong bytes_after;
   guchar *data;
+  Pixmap root_pixmap_id = None;
 
   if (!XGetWindowProperty (gdk_x11_get_default_xdisplay (),
                            gdk_x11_get_default_root_xwindow (),
@@ -994,8 +995,7 @@ update_root_window_pixmap (ShellGlobal *global)
      if (type == XA_PIXMAP && format == 32 && nitems == 1)
        {
          /* Was what we expected. */
-         clutter_x11_texture_pixmap_set_pixmap (CLUTTER_X11_TEXTURE_PIXMAP (global->root_pixmap),
-                                                *(Pixmap *)data);
+         root_pixmap_id = *(Pixmap *)data;
        }
      else
        {
@@ -1004,6 +1004,9 @@ update_root_window_pixmap (ShellGlobal *global)
 
      XFree(data);
   }
+
+  clutter_x11_texture_pixmap_set_pixmap (CLUTTER_X11_TEXTURE_PIXMAP (global->root_pixmap),
+                                         root_pixmap_id);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1023,6 +1026,22 @@ root_window_filter (GdkXEvent *native, GdkEvent *event, gpointer data)
   return GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE;
 }
 
+/* Workaround for a clutter bug where if ClutterGLXTexturePixmap
+ * is painted without the pixmap being set, a crash will occur inside
+ * Cogl.
+ *
+ * http://bugzilla.openedhand.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1644
+ */
+static void
+root_pixmap_paint (ClutterActor *actor, gpointer data)
+{
+  Pixmap pixmap;
+
+  g_object_get (G_OBJECT (actor), "pixmap", &pixmap, NULL);
+  if (!pixmap)
+    g_signal_stop_emission_by_name (actor, "paint");
+}
+
 /*
  * Called when the root window pixmap actor is destroyed.
  */
@@ -1068,6 +1087,9 @@ shell_global_create_root_pixmap_actor (ShellGlobal *global)
       clutter_container_add_actor (CLUTTER_CONTAINER (stage),
                                    global->root_pixmap);
 
+      g_signal_connect (global->root_pixmap, "paint",
+                        G_CALLBACK (root_pixmap_paint), NULL);
+
       /* This really should never happen; but just in case... */
       g_signal_connect (global->root_pixmap, "destroy",
                         G_CALLBACK (root_pixmap_destroy), global);