diff --git a/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c b/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c
index 6613468ea..18a15b775 100644
--- a/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c
+++ b/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ static gchar *clutter_vblank_name = NULL;
 
 static HINSTANCE clutter_hinst = NULL;
 
+/* various flags corresponding to pre init setup calls */
+static gboolean _no_event_retrieval = FALSE;
+
 gboolean
 clutter_backend_win32_pre_parse (ClutterBackend  *backend,
 				 GError         **error)
@@ -75,7 +78,8 @@ clutter_backend_win32_init_events (ClutterBackend *backend)
                   "backend", backend_win32,
                   NULL);
 
-  _clutter_backend_win32_events_init (backend);
+  if (!_no_event_retrieval)
+    _clutter_backend_win32_events_init (backend);
 }
 
 HCURSOR
@@ -539,6 +543,29 @@ clutter_backend_win32_get_device_manager (ClutterBackend *backend)
   return backend_win32->device_manager;
 }
 
+/**
+ * clutter_win32_disable_event_retrieval
+ *
+ * Disables retrieval of Windows messages in the main loop. Use to
+ * create event-less canvas.
+ *
+ * This function can only be called before calling clutter_init().
+ *
+ * Since: 0.8
+ */
+void
+clutter_win32_disable_event_retrieval (void)
+{
+  if (_clutter_context_is_initialized ())
+    {
+      g_warning ("clutter_win32_disable_event_retrieval() can only be "
+                 "called before clutter_init()");
+      return;
+    }
+
+  _no_event_retrieval = TRUE;
+}
+
 static void
 clutter_backend_win32_class_init (ClutterBackendWin32Class *klass)
 {
@@ -566,7 +593,6 @@ clutter_backend_win32_init (ClutterBackendWin32 *backend_win32)
   ClutterBackend *backend = CLUTTER_BACKEND (backend_win32);
 
   backend_win32->gl_context         = NULL;
-  backend_win32->no_event_retrieval = FALSE;
   backend_win32->invisible_cursor   = NULL;
 
   /* FIXME: get from GetSystemMetric?
diff --git a/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.h b/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.h
index 5a6c40dbc..4da5c8a90 100644
--- a/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.h
+++ b/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.h
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ struct _ClutterBackendWin32
   HGLRC          gl_context;
   HWND           dummy_hwnd;
   HDC            dummy_dc;
-  gboolean       no_event_retrieval;
 
   HCURSOR        invisible_cursor;
 
diff --git a/clutter/win32/clutter-event-win32.c b/clutter/win32/clutter-event-win32.c
index 17717c6ce..152a4a1e1 100644
--- a/clutter/win32/clutter-event-win32.c
+++ b/clutter/win32/clutter-event-win32.c
@@ -237,26 +237,6 @@ make_button_event (const MSG *msg,
   take_and_queue_event (event);
 }
 
-/**
- * clutter_win32_disable_event_retrieval
- *
- * Disables retrieval of Windows messages in the main loop. Use to
- * create event-less canvas.
- *
- * This function can only be called before calling clutter_init().
- *
- * Since: 0.8
- */
-void
-clutter_win32_disable_event_retrieval (void)
-{
-  ClutterBackendWin32 *backend;
-
-  backend = CLUTTER_BACKEND_WIN32 (clutter_get_default_backend ());
-
-  backend->no_event_retrieval = TRUE;
-}
-
 static gboolean
 clutter_event_prepare (GSource *source,
                        gint    *timeout)