diff --git a/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c b/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
index a7a442c1e..4a45e7566 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
@@ -1666,7 +1666,7 @@ cogl_framebuffer_swap_buffers (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer)
 
 void
 cogl_framebuffer_swap_region (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer,
-                              int *rectangles,
+                              const int *rectangles,
                               int n_rectangles)
 {
   /* FIXME: we shouldn't need to flush *all* journals here! */
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.h b/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.h
index 9619f01db..fb69da4e8 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.h
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ cogl_framebuffer_swap_buffers (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer);
 #define cogl_framebuffer_swap_region cogl_framebuffer_swap_region_EXP
 void
 cogl_framebuffer_swap_region (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer,
-                              int *rectangles,
+                              const int *rectangles,
                               int n_rectangles);
 
 
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
index 08cd354a9..35230fc8b 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
@@ -1512,12 +1512,26 @@ _cogl_winsys_onscreen_bind (CoglOnscreen *onscreen)
 
 static void
 _cogl_winsys_onscreen_swap_region (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
-                                   int *rectangles,
+                                   const int *user_rectangles,
                                    int n_rectangles)
 {
   CoglContext *context = COGL_FRAMEBUFFER (onscreen)->context;
   CoglRendererEGL *egl_renderer = context->display->renderer->winsys;
   CoglOnscreenEGL *egl_onscreen = onscreen->winsys;
+  CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer = COGL_FRAMEBUFFER (onscreen);
+  int framebuffer_height  = cogl_framebuffer_get_height (framebuffer);
+  int *rectangles = g_alloca (sizeof (int) * n_rectangles * 4);
+  int i;
+
+  /* eglSwapBuffersRegion expects rectangles relative to the bottom left corner
+   * but we are given rectangles relative to the top left so we need to flip
+   * them... */
+  memcpy (rectangles, user_rectangles, sizeof (int) * n_rectangles * 4);
+  for (i = 0; i < n_rectangles; i++)
+    {
+      int *rect = &rectangles[4 * i];
+      rect[1] = framebuffer_height - rect[1] - rect[3];
+    }
 
   if (egl_renderer->pf_eglSwapBuffersRegion (egl_renderer->edpy,
                                              egl_onscreen->egl_surface,
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
index 0a2fe00be..b50af5562 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
@@ -1114,7 +1114,7 @@ _cogl_winsys_get_vsync_counter (void)
 
 static void
 _cogl_winsys_onscreen_swap_region (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
-                                   int *rectangles,
+                                   const int *user_rectangles,
                                    int n_rectangles)
 {
   CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer = COGL_FRAMEBUFFER (onscreen);
@@ -1128,6 +1128,19 @@ _cogl_winsys_onscreen_swap_region (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
   guint32 end_frame_vsync_counter = 0;
   gboolean have_counter;
   gboolean can_wait;
+  int framebuffer_height =  cogl_framebuffer_get_height (framebuffer);
+  int *rectangles = g_alloca (sizeof (int) * n_rectangles * 4);
+  int i;
+
+  /* glXCopySubBuffer expects rectangles relative to the bottom left corner but
+   * we are given rectangles relative to the top left so we need to flip
+   * them... */
+  memcpy (rectangles, user_rectangles, sizeof (int) * n_rectangles * 4);
+  for (i = 0; i < n_rectangles; i++)
+    {
+      int *rect = &rectangles[4 * i];
+      rect[1] = framebuffer_height - rect[1] - rect[3];
+    }
 
   _cogl_framebuffer_flush_state (framebuffer,
                                  framebuffer,
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
index 88df22d48..dbc409775 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ typedef struct _CoglWinsysVtable
 
   void
   (*onscreen_swap_region) (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
-                           int *rectangles,
+                           const int *rectangles,
                            int n_rectangles);
 
 #ifdef COGL_HAS_EGL_SUPPORT