diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
index 99c368ca4..37e1715ae 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ CoglContext *
 cogl_context_new (CoglDisplay *display,
                   GError **error)
 {
+  g_return_val_if_fail (display != NULL, NULL);
+
   CoglContext *context;
   uint8_t white_pixel[] = { 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff };
   const CoglWinsysVtable *winsys;
@@ -221,30 +223,7 @@ cogl_context_new (CoglDisplay *display,
   memset (context->private_features, 0, sizeof (context->private_features));
   memset (context->winsys_features, 0, sizeof (context->winsys_features));
 
-  if (!display)
-    {
-      CoglRenderer *renderer = cogl_renderer_new ();
-      if (!cogl_renderer_connect (renderer, error))
-        {
-          g_object_unref (renderer);
-          g_object_unref (context);
-          return NULL;
-        }
-
-      display = cogl_display_new (renderer, NULL);
-      g_object_unref (renderer);
-    }
-  else
-    g_object_ref (display);
-
-  if (!cogl_display_setup (display, error))
-    {
-      g_object_unref (display);
-      g_object_unref (context);
-      return NULL;
-    }
-
-  context->display = display;
+  context->display = g_object_ref (display);
 
   /* This is duplicated data, but it's much more convenient to have
      the driver attached to the context and the value is accessed a
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c
index a5bcde08a..fca1b8e1b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c
@@ -85,18 +85,11 @@ CoglDisplay *
 cogl_display_new (CoglRenderer         *renderer,
                   CoglOnscreenTemplate *onscreen_template)
 {
+  g_return_val_if_fail (renderer != NULL, NULL);
+
   CoglDisplay *display = g_object_new (COGL_TYPE_DISPLAY, NULL);
-  GError *error = NULL;
-
-  display->renderer = renderer;
-  if (renderer)
-    g_object_ref (renderer);
-  else
-    display->renderer = cogl_renderer_new ();
-
-  if (!cogl_renderer_connect (display->renderer, &error))
-    g_error ("Failed to connect to renderer: %s\n", error->message);
 
+  display->renderer = g_object_ref (renderer);
   display->setup = FALSE;
 
   cogl_display_set_onscreen_template (display, onscreen_template);