diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-clutter-backend-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-clutter-backend-x11.c
index 2c43e9f35..97767c686 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-clutter-backend-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-clutter-backend-x11.c
@@ -82,32 +82,6 @@ static gboolean clutter_enable_stereo = FALSE;
 static int TrappedErrorCode = 0;
 static int (* old_error_handler) (Display *, XErrorEvent *);
 
-static MetaX11FilterReturn
-cogl_xlib_filter (XEvent       *xevent,
-                  ClutterEvent *event,
-                  gpointer      data)
-{
-  ClutterBackend *clutter_backend = data;
-  MetaX11FilterReturn retval;
-  CoglFilterReturn ret;
-
-  ret = cogl_xlib_renderer_handle_event (clutter_backend->cogl_renderer,
-                                         xevent);
-  switch (ret)
-    {
-    case COGL_FILTER_REMOVE:
-      retval = META_X11_FILTER_REMOVE;
-      break;
-
-    case COGL_FILTER_CONTINUE:
-    default:
-      retval = META_X11_FILTER_CONTINUE;
-      break;
-    }
-
-  return retval;
-}
-
 static gboolean
 meta_clutter_backend_x11_finish_init (ClutterBackend  *clutter_backend,
                                       GError         **error)
@@ -121,11 +95,6 @@ meta_clutter_backend_x11_finish_init (ClutterBackend  *clutter_backend,
 
   clutter_backend_x11->xdisplay = meta_backend_x11_get_xdisplay (backend_x11);
 
-  /* add event filter for Cogl events */
-  meta_clutter_backend_x11_add_filter (clutter_backend_x11,
-                                       cogl_xlib_filter,
-                                       clutter_backend);
-
   XInternAtoms (clutter_backend_x11->xdisplay,
                 (char **) atom_names, N_ATOM_NAMES,
                 False, atoms);
@@ -144,18 +113,6 @@ meta_clutter_backend_x11_finish_init (ClutterBackend  *clutter_backend,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static void
-meta_clutter_backend_x11_finalize (GObject *gobject)
-{
-  MetaClutterBackendX11 *clutter_backend_x11 = META_CLUTTER_BACKEND_X11 (gobject);
-
-  meta_clutter_backend_x11_remove_filter (clutter_backend_x11,
-                                          cogl_xlib_filter,
-                                          clutter_backend_x11);
-
-  G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_clutter_backend_x11_parent_class)->finalize (gobject);
-}
-
 static void
 update_last_event_time (MetaClutterBackendX11 *clutter_backend_x11,
                         XEvent                *xevent)
@@ -406,11 +363,8 @@ meta_clutter_backend_x11_init (MetaClutterBackendX11 *clutter_backend_x11)
 static void
 meta_clutter_backend_x11_class_init (MetaClutterBackendX11Class *klass)
 {
-  GObjectClass *gobject_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
   ClutterBackendClass *clutter_backend_class = CLUTTER_BACKEND_CLASS (klass);
 
-  gobject_class->finalize = meta_clutter_backend_x11_finalize;
-
   clutter_backend_class->finish_init = meta_clutter_backend_x11_finish_init;
 
   clutter_backend_class->get_display = meta_clutter_backend_x11_get_display;
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-event-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-event-x11.c
index e1ac17c4a..f0b04edd7 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-event-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-event-x11.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.h"
 #include "backends/x11/meta-event-x11.h"
 #include "clutter/clutter-mutter.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl-xlib.h"
 
 /**
  * meta_x11_handle_event:
@@ -77,6 +78,13 @@ meta_x11_handle_event (MetaBackend *backend,
 
   allocated_event = XGetEventData (xdisplay, &xevent->xcookie);
 
+  if (cogl_xlib_renderer_handle_event (clutter_backend->cogl_renderer,
+                                       xevent) == COGL_FILTER_REMOVE)
+    {
+      clutter_event_free (event);
+      goto out;
+    }
+
   if (_clutter_backend_translate_event (clutter_backend, xevent, event))
     {
       _clutter_event_push (event, FALSE);