diff --git a/clutter/clutter-backend.c b/clutter/clutter-backend.c
index ca4fd3c26..3e70e255c 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-backend.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-backend.c
@@ -323,12 +323,20 @@ _clutter_backend_create_context (ClutterBackend  *backend,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+void
+_clutter_backend_ensure_context_internal (ClutterBackend  *backend,
+                                          ClutterStage    *stage)
+{
+  ClutterBackendClass *klass = CLUTTER_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend);
+  if (G_LIKELY (klass->ensure_context))
+    klass->ensure_context (backend, stage);
+}
+
 void
 _clutter_backend_ensure_context (ClutterBackend *backend,
                                  ClutterStage   *stage)
 {
   static ClutterStage *current_context_stage = NULL;
-  ClutterBackendClass *klass;
 
   g_return_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_BACKEND (backend));
   g_return_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_STAGE (stage));
@@ -354,9 +362,7 @@ _clutter_backend_ensure_context (ClutterBackend *backend,
                         new_stage);
         }
 
-      klass = CLUTTER_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend);
-      if (G_LIKELY (klass->ensure_context))
-        klass->ensure_context (backend, new_stage);
+      _clutter_backend_ensure_context_internal (backend, new_stage);
 
       /* XXX: Until Cogl becomes fully responsible for backend windows
        * Clutter need to manually keep it informed of the current window size
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-private.h b/clutter/clutter-private.h
index 4fdffee37..db9a6d2d0 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-private.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-private.h
@@ -193,6 +193,9 @@ ClutterStageWindow *_clutter_backend_create_stage   (ClutterBackend  *backend,
                                                GError         **error);
 void          _clutter_backend_ensure_context (ClutterBackend  *backend,
                                                ClutterStage    *stage);
+void          _clutter_backend_ensure_context_internal
+                                              (ClutterBackend  *backend,
+                                               ClutterStage    *stage);
 gboolean      _clutter_backend_create_context (ClutterBackend  *backend,
                                                GError         **error);
 
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-stage.c b/clutter/clutter-stage.c
index 7a84cd447..305733878 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-stage.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-stage.c
@@ -310,8 +310,26 @@ clutter_stage_realize (ClutterActor *self)
    */
   if (is_realized)
     {
-      CLUTTER_ACTOR_SET_FLAGS (self, CLUTTER_ACTOR_REALIZED);
-      clutter_stage_ensure_current (CLUTTER_STAGE (self));
+      GError *error = NULL;
+      ClutterBackend *backend = clutter_get_default_backend ();
+
+      /* We want to select the context without calling
+         clutter_backend_ensure_context so that it doesn't call any
+         Cogl functions. Otherwise it would create the Cogl context
+         before we get a chance to check whether the GL version is
+         valid */
+      _clutter_backend_ensure_context_internal (backend, CLUTTER_STAGE (self));
+
+      /* Make sure Cogl can support the driver */
+      if (!_cogl_check_driver_valid (&error))
+        {
+          g_warning ("The GL driver is not supported: %s",
+                     error->message);
+          g_clear_error (&error);
+          CLUTTER_ACTOR_UNSET_FLAGS (self, CLUTTER_ACTOR_REALIZED);
+        }
+      else
+        CLUTTER_ACTOR_SET_FLAGS (self, CLUTTER_ACTOR_REALIZED);
     }
   else
     CLUTTER_ACTOR_UNSET_FLAGS (self, CLUTTER_ACTOR_REALIZED);
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
index b4ce48718..ff5f67963 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
@@ -942,3 +942,8 @@ _cogl_get_clip_state (void)
   return _cogl_draw_buffer_get_clip_state (draw_buffer);
 }
 
+GQuark
+_cogl_driver_error_quark (void)
+{
+  return g_quark_from_static_string ("cogl-driver-error-quark");
+}
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.h.in b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.h.in
index 69e653325..5fb5df0ce 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.h.in
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.h.in
@@ -969,8 +969,17 @@ void            cogl_flush_gl_state         (int      flags);
 #endif
 
 /* private */
+#define COGL_DRIVER_ERROR (_cogl_driver_error_quark ())
+
+typedef enum { /*< prefix=COGL_DRIVER_ERROR >*/
+  COGL_DRIVER_ERROR_UNKNOWN_VERSION,
+  COGL_DRIVER_ERROR_INVALID_VERSION
+} CoglDriverError;
+
 void            _cogl_set_indirect_context  (gboolean indirect);
 void            _cogl_set_viewport (int x, int y, int width, int height);
+gboolean        _cogl_check_driver_valid (GError **error);
+GQuark          _cogl_driver_error_quark (void);
 
 void
 _cogl_onscreen_clutter_backend_set_size (int width, int height);
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl.c
index e81ec377c..9403b94e3 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl.c
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@
 #include "cogl-internal.h"
 #include "cogl-context.h"
 
+#define COGL_CHECK_GL_VERSION(driver_major, driver_minor, \
+                              target_major, target_minor) \
+  ((driver_major) > (target_major) || \
+   ((driver_major) == (target_major) && (driver_minor) >= (target_minor)))
+
 typedef struct _CoglGLSymbolTableEntry
 {
   const char *name;
@@ -109,6 +114,70 @@ really_enable_npot (void)
 }
 #endif
 
+static gboolean
+_cogl_get_gl_version (int *major_out, int *minor_out)
+{
+  const char *version_string, *major_end, *minor_end;
+  int major = 0, minor = 0;
+
+  /* Get the OpenGL version number */
+  if ((version_string = (const char *) glGetString (GL_VERSION)) == NULL)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  /* Extract the major number */
+  for (major_end = version_string; *major_end >= '0'
+	 && *major_end <= '9'; major_end++)
+    major = (major * 10) + *major_end - '0';
+  /* If there were no digits or the major number isn't followed by a
+     dot then it is invalid */
+  if (major_end == version_string || *major_end != '.')
+    return FALSE;
+
+  /* Extract the minor number */
+  for (minor_end = major_end + 1; *minor_end >= '0'
+	 && *minor_end <= '9'; minor_end++)
+    minor = (minor * 10) + *minor_end - '0';
+  /* If there were no digits or there is an unexpected character then
+     it is invalid */
+  if (minor_end == major_end + 1
+      || (*minor_end && *minor_end != ' ' && *minor_end != '.'))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  *major_out = major;
+  *minor_out = minor;
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+gboolean
+_cogl_check_driver_valid (GError **error)
+{
+  int major, minor;
+
+  if (!_cogl_get_gl_version (&major, &minor))
+    {
+      g_set_error (error,
+                   COGL_DRIVER_ERROR,
+                   COGL_DRIVER_ERROR_UNKNOWN_VERSION,
+                   "The OpenGL version could not be determined");
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
+  /* OpenGL 1.2 is required */
+  if (!COGL_CHECK_GL_VERSION (major, minor, 1, 2))
+    {
+      g_set_error (error,
+                   COGL_DRIVER_ERROR,
+                   COGL_DRIVER_ERROR_INVALID_VERSION,
+                   "The OpenGL version of your driver (%i.%i) "
+                   "is not compatible with Cogl",
+                   major, minor);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
 void
 _cogl_features_init (void)
 {
@@ -119,9 +188,12 @@ _cogl_features_init (void)
   gboolean          fbo_ARB = FALSE;
   gboolean          fbo_EXT = FALSE;
   const char       *suffix;
+  int               gl_major = 0, gl_minor = 0;
 
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NO_RETVAL);
 
+  _cogl_get_gl_version (&gl_major, &gl_minor);
+
   flags = COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_READ_PIXELS;
 
   gl_extensions = (const gchar*) glGetString (GL_EXTENSIONS);
@@ -427,17 +499,18 @@ _cogl_features_init (void)
          cogl_get_proc_address ("glBlendColor");
 
   /* Available in 1.4 */
-  ctx->drv.pf_glBlendFuncSeparate =
-        (COGL_PFNGLBLENDFUNCSEPARATEPROC)
-        cogl_get_proc_address ("glBlendFuncSeparate");
+  if (COGL_CHECK_GL_VERSION (gl_major, gl_minor, 1, 4))
+    ctx->drv.pf_glBlendFuncSeparate =
+      (COGL_PFNGLBLENDFUNCSEPARATEPROC)
+      cogl_get_proc_address ("glBlendFuncSeparate");
 
   /* Available in 2.0 */
-  ctx->drv.pf_glBlendEquationSeparate =
-        (COGL_PFNGLBLENDEQUATIONSEPARATEPROC)
-        cogl_get_proc_address ("glBlendEquationSeparate");
+  if (COGL_CHECK_GL_VERSION (gl_major, gl_minor, 2, 0))
+    ctx->drv.pf_glBlendEquationSeparate =
+      (COGL_PFNGLBLENDEQUATIONSEPARATEPROC)
+      cogl_get_proc_address ("glBlendEquationSeparate");
 
   /* Cache features */
   ctx->feature_flags = flags;
   ctx->features_cached = TRUE;
 }
-
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gles/cogl.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gles/cogl.c
index 565ff0fa7..c17736f58 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gles/cogl.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gles/cogl.c
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ _cogl_resolve_gl_symbols (CoglGLSymbolTableEntry *symbol_table,
   return status;
 }
 
+gboolean
+_cogl_check_driver_valid (GError **error)
+{
+  /* The GLES backend doesn't have any particular version requirements */
+  return TRUE;
+}
 
 void
 _cogl_features_init (void)