diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c
index 50b05d734..6d45dec15 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c
@@ -17845,13 +17845,13 @@ clutter_actor_get_content_repeat (ClutterActor *self)
 }
 
 static ClutterColorState *
-create_default_color_state (ClutterActor *self)
+get_default_color_state (ClutterActor *self)
 {
-  ClutterColorState *color_state;
-
-  color_state = clutter_color_state_new (clutter_actor_get_context (self),
-                                         CLUTTER_COLORSPACE_DEFAULT,
-                                         CLUTTER_TRANSFER_FUNCTION_DEFAULT);
+  ClutterContext *context = clutter_actor_get_context (self);
+  ClutterColorManager *color_manager =
+    clutter_context_get_color_manager (context);
+  ClutterColorState *color_state =
+    clutter_color_manager_get_default_color_state (color_manager);
 
   return color_state;
 }
@@ -17875,11 +17875,11 @@ clutter_actor_set_color_state_internal (ClutterActor      *self,
 void
 clutter_actor_unset_color_state (ClutterActor *self)
 {
-  g_autoptr (ClutterColorState) default_color_state = NULL;
+  ClutterColorState *default_color_state;
 
   g_return_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_ACTOR (self));
 
-  default_color_state = create_default_color_state (self);
+  default_color_state = get_default_color_state (self);
   clutter_actor_set_color_state_internal (self, default_color_state);
 }
 
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-color-manager.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-color-manager.c
index 9a52422c7..99c7e7418 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-color-manager.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-color-manager.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ struct _ClutterColorManager
 
   GHashTable *snippet_cache;
   unsigned int id_counter;
+  ClutterColorState *default_color_state;
 };
 
 G_DEFINE_FINAL_TYPE (ClutterColorManager, clutter_color_manager, G_TYPE_OBJECT)
@@ -140,6 +141,20 @@ clutter_color_manager_get_next_id (ClutterColorManager *color_manager)
   return ++color_manager->id_counter;
 }
 
+ClutterColorState *
+clutter_color_manager_get_default_color_state (ClutterColorManager *color_manager)
+{
+  if (!color_manager->default_color_state)
+    {
+      color_manager->default_color_state =
+        clutter_color_state_new (color_manager->context,
+                                 CLUTTER_COLORSPACE_DEFAULT,
+                                 CLUTTER_TRANSFER_FUNCTION_DEFAULT);
+    }
+
+  return color_manager->default_color_state;
+}
+
 CoglSnippet *
 clutter_color_manager_lookup_snippet (ClutterColorManager            *color_manager,
                                       const ClutterColorTransformKey *key)
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-color-manager.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-color-manager.h
index 9ad47bf19..5b8ef9e09 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-color-manager.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-color-manager.h
@@ -32,3 +32,9 @@
 CLUTTER_EXPORT
 G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (ClutterColorManager, clutter_color_manager,
                       CLUTTER, COLOR_MANAGER, GObject)
+
+/**
+ * clutter_color_manager_get_default_color_state: (skip)
+ */
+CLUTTER_EXPORT
+ClutterColorState * clutter_color_manager_get_default_color_state (ClutterColorManager *color_manager);
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-cursor-sprite-xcursor.c b/src/backends/meta-cursor-sprite-xcursor.c
index 4364cc3fb..388d2d74b 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-cursor-sprite-xcursor.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-cursor-sprite-xcursor.c
@@ -383,13 +383,15 @@ ensure_xcursor_color_state (MetaCursorTracker *cursor_tracker)
         meta_cursor_tracker_get_backend (cursor_tracker);
       ClutterContext *clutter_context =
         meta_backend_get_clutter_context (backend);
+      ClutterColorManager *color_manager =
+        clutter_context_get_color_manager (clutter_context);
+
+      color_state = clutter_color_manager_get_default_color_state (color_manager);
 
-      color_state = clutter_color_state_new (clutter_context,
-                                             CLUTTER_COLORSPACE_DEFAULT,
-                                             CLUTTER_TRANSFER_FUNCTION_DEFAULT);
       g_object_set_qdata_full (G_OBJECT (cursor_tracker),
                                GPOINTER_TO_INT (quark_once.retval),
-                               color_state, g_object_unref);
+                               g_object_ref (color_state),
+                               g_object_unref);
     }
 
   return color_state;
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-cursor-sprite-wayland.c b/src/wayland/meta-cursor-sprite-wayland.c
index b24a533f8..7e146b398 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-cursor-sprite-wayland.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-cursor-sprite-wayland.c
@@ -82,13 +82,15 @@ ensure_default_color_state (MetaCursorTracker *cursor_tracker)
         meta_cursor_tracker_get_backend (cursor_tracker);
       ClutterContext *clutter_context =
         meta_backend_get_clutter_context (backend);
+      ClutterColorManager *color_manager =
+        clutter_context_get_color_manager (clutter_context);
+
+      color_state = clutter_color_manager_get_default_color_state (color_manager);
 
-      color_state = clutter_color_state_new (clutter_context,
-                                             CLUTTER_COLORSPACE_DEFAULT,
-                                             CLUTTER_TRANSFER_FUNCTION_DEFAULT);
       g_object_set_qdata_full (G_OBJECT (cursor_tracker),
                                GPOINTER_TO_INT (quark_once.retval),
-                               color_state, g_object_unref);
+                               g_object_ref (color_state),
+                               g_object_unref);
     }
 
   return color_state;