diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor-private.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor-private.h
index d8952b6b1..9ff4b2d4b 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor-private.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor-private.h
@@ -315,7 +315,6 @@ void                            _clutter_actor_queue_relayout_on_clones
 void                            _clutter_actor_queue_only_relayout                      (ClutterActor *actor);
 void                            _clutter_actor_queue_update_resource_scale_recursive    (ClutterActor *actor);
 
-CoglFramebuffer *               _clutter_actor_get_active_framebuffer                   (ClutterActor *actor);
 gboolean                        _clutter_actor_get_real_resource_scale                  (ClutterActor *actor,
                                                                                          float        *resource_scale);
 
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c
index 39b664e94..5e844eb79 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c
@@ -20817,32 +20817,6 @@ clutter_actor_has_mapped_clones (ClutterActor *self)
   return FALSE;
 }
 
-CoglFramebuffer *
-_clutter_actor_get_active_framebuffer (ClutterActor *self)
-{
-  ClutterStage *stage;
-
-  if (!CLUTTER_ACTOR_IN_PAINT (self))
-    {
-      g_critical ("The active framebuffer of actor '%s' can only be "
-                  "retrieved during the paint sequence. Please, check "
-                  "your code.",
-                  _clutter_actor_get_debug_name (self));
-      return NULL;
-    }
-
-  stage = (ClutterStage *) _clutter_actor_get_stage_internal (self);
-  if (stage == NULL)
-    {
-      g_critical ("The active framebuffer of actor '%s' is only available "
-                  "if the actor is associated to a ClutterStage.",
-                  _clutter_actor_get_debug_name (self));
-      return NULL;
-    }
-
-  return _clutter_stage_get_active_framebuffer (stage);
-}
-
 static void
 clutter_actor_child_model__items_changed (GListModel *model,
                                           guint       position,
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-private.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-private.h
index ae28856f6..5ec1af670 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-private.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-private.h
@@ -104,8 +104,6 @@ ClutterStageQueueRedrawEntry *_clutter_stage_queue_actor_redraw            (Clut
                                                                             const ClutterPaintVolume     *clip);
 void                          _clutter_stage_queue_redraw_entry_invalidate (ClutterStageQueueRedrawEntry *entry);
 
-CoglFramebuffer *_clutter_stage_get_active_framebuffer (ClutterStage *stage);
-
 void            _clutter_stage_add_pointer_drag_actor    (ClutterStage       *stage,
                                                           ClutterInputDevice *device,
                                                           ClutterActor       *actor);
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c
index 38ffe7f50..dec8328f3 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c
@@ -122,8 +122,6 @@ struct _ClutterStagePrivate
 
   GList *pending_queue_redraws;
 
-  CoglFramebuffer *active_framebuffer;
-
   gint sync_delay;
 
   GTimer *fps_timer;
@@ -840,20 +838,6 @@ _cogl_util_get_eye_planes_for_screen_poly (float *polygon,
   graphene_vec3_normalize (&plane->n, &plane->n);
 }
 
-static void
-_clutter_stage_update_active_framebuffer (ClutterStage    *stage,
-                                          CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer)
-{
-  ClutterStagePrivate *priv = stage->priv;
-
-  /* We track the CoglFramebuffer that corresponds to the stage itself
-   * so, for example, we can disable culling when rendering to an
-   * offscreen framebuffer.
-   */
-
-  priv->active_framebuffer = framebuffer;
-}
-
 /* XXX: Instead of having a toplevel 2D clip region, it might be
  * better to have a clip volume within the view frustum. This could
  * allow us to avoid projecting actors into window coordinates to
@@ -865,7 +849,6 @@ setup_view_for_pick_or_paint (ClutterStage                *stage,
                               const cairo_rectangle_int_t *clip)
 {
   ClutterStagePrivate *priv = stage->priv;
-  CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer = clutter_stage_view_get_framebuffer (view);
   cairo_rectangle_int_t view_layout;
   float clip_poly[8];
   float viewport[4];
@@ -916,7 +899,6 @@ setup_view_for_pick_or_paint (ClutterStage                *stage,
                                              priv->current_clip_planes);
 
   _clutter_stage_paint_volume_stack_free_all (stage);
-  _clutter_stage_update_active_framebuffer (stage, framebuffer);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -4023,18 +4005,6 @@ clutter_stage_get_motion_events_enabled (ClutterStage *stage)
   return stage->priv->motion_events_enabled;
 }
 
-/* NB: The presumption shouldn't be that a stage can't be comprised
- * of multiple internal framebuffers, so instead of simply naming
- * this function _clutter_stage_get_framebuffer(), the "active"
- * infix is intended to clarify that it gets the framebuffer that
- * is currently in use/being painted.
- */
-CoglFramebuffer *
-_clutter_stage_get_active_framebuffer (ClutterStage *stage)
-{
-  return stage->priv->active_framebuffer;
-}
-
 void
 _clutter_stage_add_pointer_drag_actor (ClutterStage       *stage,
                                        ClutterInputDevice *device,