diff --git a/cogl/cogl-journal.c b/cogl/cogl-journal.c
index 584726623..9d8ea572e 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-journal.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-journal.c
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ upload_vertices (GArray *vertices, CoglJournalFlushState *state)
   needed_vbo_len = vertices->len * sizeof (float);
   g_assert (needed_vbo_len);
 
-  array = cogl_vertex_array_new (needed_vbo_len);
+  array = cogl_vertex_array_new (needed_vbo_len, NULL);
   buffer = COGL_BUFFER (array);
   cogl_buffer_set_update_hint (buffer, COGL_BUFFER_UPDATE_HINT_STATIC);
   cogl_buffer_set_data (buffer, 0, vertices->data, needed_vbo_len);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-primitive.c b/cogl/cogl-primitive.c
index 62857c292..2edac5f85 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-primitive.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-primitive.c
@@ -126,12 +126,9 @@ cogl_primitive_new_p2 (CoglVerticesMode mode,
                        const CoglP2Vertex *data)
 {
   CoglVertexArray *array =
-    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2Vertex));
-  CoglBuffer *buffer = COGL_BUFFER (array);
+    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2Vertex), data);
   CoglVertexAttribute *attributes[2];
 
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (buffer, 0, data,
-                        n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2Vertex));
   attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (array,
                                "cogl_position_in",
@@ -153,12 +150,9 @@ cogl_primitive_new_p3 (CoglVerticesMode mode,
                        const CoglP3Vertex *data)
 {
   CoglVertexArray *array =
-    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3Vertex));
-  CoglBuffer *buffer = COGL_BUFFER (array);
+    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3Vertex), data);
   CoglVertexAttribute *attributes[2];
 
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (buffer, 0, data,
-                        n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3Vertex));
   attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (array,
                                "cogl_position_in",
@@ -180,12 +174,9 @@ cogl_primitive_new_p2c4 (CoglVerticesMode mode,
                          const CoglP2C4Vertex *data)
 {
   CoglVertexArray *array =
-    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2C4Vertex));
-  CoglBuffer *buffer = COGL_BUFFER (array);
+    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2C4Vertex), data);
   CoglVertexAttribute *attributes[3];
 
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (buffer, 0, data,
-                        n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2C4Vertex));
   attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (array,
                                "cogl_position_in",
@@ -214,12 +205,9 @@ cogl_primitive_new_p3c4 (CoglVerticesMode mode,
                          const CoglP3C4Vertex *data)
 {
   CoglVertexArray *array =
-    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3C4Vertex));
-  CoglBuffer *buffer = COGL_BUFFER (array);
+    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3C4Vertex), data);
   CoglVertexAttribute *attributes[3];
 
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (buffer, 0, data,
-                        n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3C4Vertex));
   attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (array,
                                "cogl_position_in",
@@ -248,12 +236,9 @@ cogl_primitive_new_p2t2 (CoglVerticesMode mode,
                          const CoglP2T2Vertex *data)
 {
   CoglVertexArray *array =
-    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2T2Vertex));
-  CoglBuffer *buffer = COGL_BUFFER (array);
+    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2T2Vertex), data);
   CoglVertexAttribute *attributes[3];
 
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (buffer, 0, data,
-                        n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2T2Vertex));
   attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (array,
                                "cogl_position_in",
@@ -282,12 +267,9 @@ cogl_primitive_new_p3t2 (CoglVerticesMode mode,
                          const CoglP3T2Vertex *data)
 {
   CoglVertexArray *array =
-    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3T2Vertex));
-  CoglBuffer *buffer = COGL_BUFFER (array);
+    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3T2Vertex), data);
   CoglVertexAttribute *attributes[3];
 
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (buffer, 0, data,
-                        n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3T2Vertex));
   attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (array,
                                "cogl_position_in",
@@ -316,12 +298,9 @@ cogl_primitive_new_p2t2c4 (CoglVerticesMode mode,
                            const CoglP2T2C4Vertex *data)
 {
   CoglVertexArray *array =
-    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2T2C4Vertex));
-  CoglBuffer *buffer = COGL_BUFFER (array);
+    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2T2C4Vertex), data);
   CoglVertexAttribute *attributes[4];
 
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (buffer, 0, data,
-                        n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP2T2C4Vertex));
   attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (array,
                                "cogl_position_in",
@@ -357,12 +336,9 @@ cogl_primitive_new_p3t2c4 (CoglVerticesMode mode,
                            const CoglP3T2C4Vertex *data)
 {
   CoglVertexArray *array =
-    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3T2C4Vertex));
-  CoglBuffer *buffer = COGL_BUFFER (array);
+    cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3T2C4Vertex), data);
   CoglVertexAttribute *attributes[4];
 
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (buffer, 0, data,
-                        n_vertices * sizeof (CoglP3T2C4Vertex));
   attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (array,
                                "cogl_position_in",
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-primitives.c b/cogl/cogl-primitives.c
index 0c548009b..c7c8ae60c 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-primitives.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-primitives.c
@@ -911,9 +911,7 @@ _cogl_rectangle_immediate (float x_1,
   CoglVertexArray *vertex_array;
   CoglVertexAttribute *attributes[2];
 
-  vertex_array = cogl_vertex_array_new (sizeof (vertices));
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (COGL_BUFFER (vertex_array), 0,
-                        (guint8 *) vertices, sizeof (vertices));
+  vertex_array = cogl_vertex_array_new (sizeof (vertices), vertices);
   attributes[0] = cogl_vertex_attribute_new (vertex_array,
                                              "cogl_position_in",
                                              sizeof (float) * 2, /* stride */
@@ -1053,7 +1051,7 @@ cogl_polygon (const CoglTextureVertex *vertices,
    * but still support any number of vertices */
   g_array_set_size (ctx->polygon_vertices, n_vertices * stride);
 
-  vertex_array = cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * stride_bytes);
+  vertex_array = cogl_vertex_array_new (n_vertices * stride_bytes, NULL);
 
   attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (vertex_array,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-vertex-array.c b/cogl/cogl-vertex-array.c
index 23e010e26..965135cb0 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-vertex-array.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-vertex-array.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ static void _cogl_vertex_array_free (CoglVertexArray *array);
 COGL_BUFFER_DEFINE (VertexArray, vertex_array);
 
 CoglVertexArray *
-cogl_vertex_array_new (gsize bytes)
+cogl_vertex_array_new (gsize bytes, const void *data)
 {
   CoglVertexArray *array = g_slice_new (CoglVertexArray);
   gboolean use_malloc;
@@ -56,7 +56,14 @@ cogl_vertex_array_new (gsize bytes)
                            COGL_BUFFER_USAGE_HINT_VERTEX_ARRAY,
                            COGL_BUFFER_UPDATE_HINT_STATIC);
 
-  return _cogl_vertex_array_object_new (array);
+  _cogl_vertex_array_object_new (array);
+
+  if (data)
+    cogl_buffer_set_data (COGL_BUFFER (array),
+                          0,
+                          data,
+                          bytes);
+  return array;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-vertex-array.h b/cogl/cogl-vertex-array.h
index a27e627de..afcd6dad1 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-vertex-array.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-vertex-array.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 /**
  * SECTION:cogl-vertex-array
- * @short_description: Fuctions for creating and manipulating vertex arrays
+ * @short_description: Functions for creating and manipulating vertex arrays
  *
  * FIXME
  */
@@ -45,16 +45,21 @@ typedef struct _CoglVertexArray	      CoglVertexArray;
 /**
  * cogl_vertex_array_new:
  * @size: The number of bytes to allocate for vertex attribute data.
+ * @data: An optional pointer to vertex data to upload immediately.
  *
  * Declares a new #CoglVertexArray of @size bytes to contain arrays of vertex
  * attribute data. Once declared, data can be set using cogl_buffer_set_data()
  * or by mapping it into the application's address space using cogl_buffer_map().
  *
+ * If @data isn't %NULL then @size bytes will be read from @data and
+ * immediately copied into the new buffer.
+ *
  * Since: 1.4
  * Stability: Unstable
  */
 CoglVertexArray *
-cogl_vertex_array_new (gsize bytes);
+cogl_vertex_array_new (gsize bytes,
+                       const void *data);
 
 /**
  * cogl_is_vertex_array:
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-vertex-buffer.c b/cogl/cogl-vertex-buffer.c
index 47ac93a37..dee14f4c7 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-vertex-buffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-vertex-buffer.c
@@ -1132,7 +1132,8 @@ cogl_vertex_buffer_vbo_resolve (CoglVertexBuffer *buffer,
 
   if (!found_target_vbo)
     {
-      new_cogl_vbo->array = cogl_vertex_array_new (new_cogl_vbo->array_bytes);
+      new_cogl_vbo->array = cogl_vertex_array_new (new_cogl_vbo->array_bytes,
+                                                   NULL);
 
       upload_attributes (new_cogl_vbo);
       *final_vbos = g_list_prepend (*final_vbos, new_cogl_vbo);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl2-path.c b/cogl/cogl2-path.c
index 20fb8d2e5..1241f969d 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl2-path.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl2-path.c
@@ -1432,7 +1432,10 @@ _cogl_path_build_vbo (CoglPath *path)
   gluDeleteTess (tess.glu_tess);
 
   data->vbo = cogl_vertex_array_new (sizeof (CoglPathTesselatorVertex) *
-                                     tess.vertices->len);
+                                     tess.vertices->len,
+                                     tess.vertices->data);
+  g_array_free (tess.vertices, TRUE);
+
   data->vbo_attributes[0] =
     cogl_vertex_attribute_new (data->vbo,
                                "cogl_position_in",
@@ -1454,13 +1457,6 @@ _cogl_path_build_vbo (CoglPath *path)
                                         tess.indices->data,
                                         tess.indices->len);
   data->vbo_n_indices = tess.indices->len;
-
-  cogl_buffer_set_data (COGL_BUFFER (data->vbo),
-                        0, /* offset */
-                        tess.vertices->data,
-                        sizeof (CoglPathTesselatorVertex) * tess.vertices->len);
-
-  g_array_free (tess.vertices, TRUE);
   g_array_free (tess.indices, TRUE);
 }