diff --git a/cogl/cogl-context.c b/cogl/cogl-context.c
index e16957d9d..4c75c36f1 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-context.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-context.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ _cogl_init_feature_overrides (CoglContext *ctx)
     ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_VBOS;
 
   if (G_UNLIKELY (COGL_DEBUG_ENABLED (COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PBOS)))
-    ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_PBOS;
+    ctx->private_feature_flags &= ~COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_PBOS;
 
   if (G_UNLIKELY (COGL_DEBUG_ENABLED (COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ARBFP)))
     ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_SHADERS_ARBFP;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-internal.h b/cogl/cogl-internal.h
index 5c43093b6..b67186896 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-internal.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-internal.h
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ typedef enum
   COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_MESA_PACK_INVERT = 1L<<1,
   COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_STENCIL_BUFFER = 1L<<2,
   COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_OFFSCREEN_BLIT = 1L<<3,
-  COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_FOUR_CLIP_PLANES = 1L<<4
+  COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_FOUR_CLIP_PLANES = 1L<<4,
+  COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_PBOS = 1L<<5
 } CoglPrivateFeatureFlags;
 
 /* Sometimes when evaluating pipelines, either during comparisons or
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c b/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c
index e8a1b06bb..e49d4a824 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ _cogl_pixel_buffer_new (unsigned int size)
 
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, COGL_INVALID_HANDLE);
 
-  if (!cogl_features_available (COGL_FEATURE_PBOS))
+  if (!(ctx->private_feature_flags & COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_PBOS))
     use_malloc = TRUE;
   else
     use_malloc = FALSE;
diff --git a/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-gl.c b/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-gl.c
index adff2811d..f0a9c4e48 100644
--- a/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-gl.c
+++ b/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-gl.c
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ _cogl_gl_update_features (CoglContext *context,
 
   if (COGL_CHECK_GL_VERSION (gl_major, gl_minor, 2, 1) ||
       _cogl_check_extension ("GL_EXT_pixel_buffer_object", gl_extensions))
-    flags |= COGL_FEATURE_PBOS;
+    private_flags |= COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_PBOS;
 
   if (COGL_CHECK_GL_VERSION (gl_major, gl_minor, 2, 0) ||
       _cogl_check_extension ("GL_ARB_point_sprite", gl_extensions))