diff --git a/clutter/clutter-main.c b/clutter/clutter-main.c
index 745fcbbd7..edcb44cf0 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-main.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-main.c
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ _clutter_stage_maybe_relayout (ClutterActor *stage)
 void
 _clutter_stage_maybe_setup_viewport (ClutterStage *stage)
 {
-  if (CLUTTER_PRIVATE_FLAGS (stage) & CLUTTER_ACTOR_SYNC_MATRICES)
+  if ((CLUTTER_PRIVATE_FLAGS (stage) & CLUTTER_ACTOR_SYNC_MATRICES) &&
+      !(CLUTTER_PRIVATE_FLAGS (stage) & CLUTTER_STAGE_IN_RESIZE))
     {
       ClutterPerspective perspective;
       guint width, height;
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-private.h b/clutter/clutter-private.h
index c65bfb066..b1f141bf7 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-private.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-private.h
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ typedef enum {
                                           */
   CLUTTER_ACTOR_IN_PAINT         = 1 << 4, /* Used to avoid recursion */
   CLUTTER_ACTOR_IN_RELAYOUT      = 1 << 5, /* Used to avoid recursion */
-  CLUTTER_TEXTURE_IN_CLONE_PAINT = 1 << 6  /* Used for safety in clones */
+  CLUTTER_TEXTURE_IN_CLONE_PAINT = 1 << 6, /* Used for safety in clones */
+  CLUTTER_STAGE_IN_RESIZE        = 1 << 7  /* Used to mark stage resizes */
 } ClutterPrivateFlags;
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/clutter/x11/clutter-event-x11.c b/clutter/x11/clutter-event-x11.c
index 06e27e766..090e2c28c 100644
--- a/clutter/x11/clutter-event-x11.c
+++ b/clutter/x11/clutter-event-x11.c
@@ -438,6 +438,12 @@ event_translate (ClutterBackend *backend,
 				  xevent->xconfigure.height);
 
 	  stage_x11->handling_configure = FALSE;
+
+          /* the resize process is complete, so we can remove the
+           * in-resize flag and allow the viewport to be resized
+           */
+          CLUTTER_UNSET_PRIVATE_FLAGS (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage_x11->wrapper),
+                                       CLUTTER_STAGE_IN_RESIZE);
         }
       res = FALSE;
       break;
diff --git a/clutter/x11/clutter-stage-x11.c b/clutter/x11/clutter-stage-x11.c
index 010063951..bfc86ba9f 100644
--- a/clutter/x11/clutter-stage-x11.c
+++ b/clutter/x11/clutter-stage-x11.c
@@ -282,13 +282,30 @@ clutter_stage_x11_allocate (ClutterActor          *self,
 	 queue. Handling the first event will undo the work of setting
 	 the second property which will cause it to keep generating
 	 events in an infinite loop. See bug #810 */
-      if (stage_x11->xwin != None
-	  && !stage_x11->is_foreign_xwin
-	  && !stage_x11->handling_configure)
-        XResizeWindow (stage_x11->xdpy,
-                       stage_x11->xwin,
-                       stage_x11->xwin_width,
-                       stage_x11->xwin_height);
+      if (stage_x11->xwin != None &&
+	  !stage_x11->is_foreign_xwin &&
+	  !stage_x11->handling_configure)
+        {
+          XResizeWindow (stage_x11->xdpy,
+                         stage_x11->xwin,
+                         stage_x11->xwin_width,
+                         stage_x11->xwin_height);
+
+          /* resizing is an asynchronous process; to avoid races
+           * with the window manager, we flag the wrapper as being
+           * "in resize", so that the SYNC_MATRICES flag will not
+           * cause a call to cogl_get_viewport().
+           *
+           * the flag is unset inside clutter-event-x11.c, after
+           * we receive a ConfigureNotify event. XXX - need to
+           * check what happens when running without a window manager
+           */
+          CLUTTER_SET_PRIVATE_FLAGS (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage_x11->wrapper),
+                                     CLUTTER_STAGE_IN_RESIZE);
+        }
+
+      CLUTTER_SET_PRIVATE_FLAGS (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage_x11->wrapper),
+                                 CLUTTER_ACTOR_SYNC_MATRICES);
 
       clutter_stage_x11_fix_window_size (stage_x11);
 
@@ -298,9 +315,6 @@ clutter_stage_x11_allocate (ClutterActor          *self,
           clutter_actor_unrealize (self);
           clutter_actor_realize (self);
         }
-
-      CLUTTER_SET_PRIVATE_FLAGS (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage_x11->wrapper),
-                                 CLUTTER_ACTOR_SYNC_MATRICES);
     }
 
   /* chain up to fill in actor->priv->allocation */
@@ -769,4 +783,3 @@ clutter_stage_x11_unmap (ClutterStageX11 *stage_x11)
   CLUTTER_ACTOR_UNSET_FLAGS (stage_x11, CLUTTER_ACTOR_MAPPED);
   CLUTTER_ACTOR_UNSET_FLAGS (stage_x11->wrapper, CLUTTER_ACTOR_MAPPED);
 }
-