diff --git a/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c b/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c
index 67f92e597..176e6afbf 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c
@@ -53,15 +53,18 @@ queue_redraw (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer)
   MetaCursorRendererPrivate *priv = meta_cursor_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
   MetaBackend *backend = meta_get_backend ();
   ClutterActor *stage = meta_backend_get_stage (backend);
+  CoglTexture *texture;
 
   /* During early initialization, we can have no stage */
   if (!stage)
     return;
 
-  if (priv->handled_by_backend)
-    meta_stage_set_cursor (META_STAGE (stage), NULL, &priv->current_rect);
+  if (priv->displayed_cursor && !priv->handled_by_backend)
+    texture = meta_cursor_reference_get_cogl_texture (priv->displayed_cursor, NULL, NULL);
   else
-    meta_stage_set_cursor (META_STAGE (stage), priv->displayed_cursor, &priv->current_rect);
+    texture = NULL;
+
+  meta_stage_set_cursor (META_STAGE (stage), texture, &priv->current_rect);
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-stage.c b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
index d331ec1e9..7f50a2012 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-stage.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
@@ -184,20 +184,14 @@ queue_redraw_for_overlay (MetaStage   *stage,
 }
 
 void
-meta_stage_set_cursor (MetaStage           *stage,
-                       MetaCursorReference *cursor,
-                       MetaRectangle       *rect)
+meta_stage_set_cursor (MetaStage     *stage,
+                       CoglTexture   *texture,
+                       MetaRectangle *rect)
 {
   MetaStagePrivate *priv = meta_stage_get_instance_private (stage);
-  CoglTexture *texture;
 
   g_assert (meta_is_wayland_compositor ());
 
-  if (cursor)
-    texture = meta_cursor_reference_get_cogl_texture (cursor, NULL, NULL);
-  else
-    texture = NULL;
-
   meta_overlay_set (&priv->cursor_overlay, texture, rect);
   queue_redraw_for_overlay (stage, &priv->cursor_overlay);
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-stage.h b/src/backends/meta-stage.h
index df11feba0..742d14fa4 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-stage.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-stage.h
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ GType             meta_stage_get_type                (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 ClutterActor     *meta_stage_new                     (void);
 
-void meta_stage_set_cursor (MetaStage           *stage,
-                            MetaCursorReference *cursor,
-                            MetaRectangle       *rect);
+void meta_stage_set_cursor (MetaStage     *stage,
+                            CoglTexture   *texture,
+                            MetaRectangle *rect);
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* META_STAGE_H */