diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c
index 731a0b9fe..40ceae08f 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ _cogl_atlas_texture_pre_reorganize_cb (void *data)
    * We are assuming that texture atlas migration never happens
    * during a flush so we don't have to consider recursion here.
    */
-  cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_context_flush (atlas->context);
 
   if (atlas->map)
     _cogl_rectangle_map_foreach (atlas->map,
@@ -336,11 +336,13 @@ static void
 _cogl_atlas_texture_migrate_out_of_atlas (CoglAtlasTexture *atlas_tex)
 {
   CoglTexture *standalone_tex;
+  CoglContext *ctx;
 
   /* Make sure this texture is not in the atlas */
   if (!atlas_tex->atlas)
     return;
 
+  ctx = cogl_texture_get_context (COGL_TEXTURE (atlas_tex));
   COGL_NOTE (ATLAS, "Migrating texture out of the atlas");
 
   /* We don't know if any journal entries currently depend on
@@ -351,7 +353,7 @@ _cogl_atlas_texture_migrate_out_of_atlas (CoglAtlasTexture *atlas_tex)
    * We are assuming that texture atlas migration never happens
    * during a flush so we don't have to consider recursion here.
    */
-  cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_context_flush (ctx);
 
   standalone_tex =
     _cogl_atlas_copy_rectangle (atlas_tex->atlas,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
index 12dbd006e..04a8ae0a6 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
@@ -575,3 +575,12 @@ cogl_context_has_winsys_feature (CoglContext       *context,
 {
   return COGL_FLAGS_GET (context->winsys_features, feature);
 }
+
+void
+cogl_context_flush (CoglContext *context)
+{
+  GList *l;
+
+  for (l = context->framebuffers; l; l = l->next)
+    _cogl_framebuffer_flush_journal (l->data);
+}
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.h
index 36ed70844..fcc32a169 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.h
@@ -345,5 +345,32 @@ cogl_context_get_latest_sync_fd (CoglContext *context);
 COGL_EXPORT gboolean
 cogl_context_has_winsys_feature (CoglContext       *context,
                                  CoglWinsysFeature  feature);
+/**
+ * cogl_context_flush:
+ * @context: A #CoglContext
+ *
+ * This function should only need to be called in exceptional circumstances.
+ *
+ * As an optimization Cogl drawing functions may batch up primitives
+ * internally, so if you are trying to use raw GL outside of Cogl you stand a
+ * better chance of being successful if you ask Cogl to flush any batched
+ * geometry before making your state changes.
+ *
+ * It only ensure that the underlying driver is issued all the commands
+ * necessary to draw the batched primitives. It provides no guarantees about
+ * when the driver will complete the rendering.
+ *
+ * This provides no guarantees about the GL state upon returning and to avoid
+ * confusing Cogl you should aim to restore any changes you make before
+ * resuming use of Cogl.
+ *
+ * If you are making state changes with the intention of affecting Cogl drawing
+ * primitives you are 100% on your own since you stand a good chance of
+ * conflicting with Cogl internals. For example clutter-gst which currently
+ * uses direct GL calls to bind ARBfp programs will very likely break when Cogl
+ * starts to use ARBfb programs itself for the material API.
+ */
+COGL_EXPORT void
+cogl_context_flush (CoglContext *context);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
index 4f33c4055..e5b9764a0 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
@@ -1084,7 +1084,7 @@ _cogl_pipeline_pre_change_notify (CoglPipeline     *pipeline,
           /* XXX: note we use cogl_flush() not _cogl_flush_journal() so
            * we will flush *all* known journals that might reference the
            * current pipeline. */
-          cogl_flush ();
+          cogl_context_flush (pipeline->context);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
index 40c85706c..626dae976 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
@@ -80,17 +80,6 @@ cogl_has_feature (CoglContext *ctx, CoglFeatureID feature)
   return COGL_FLAGS_GET (ctx->features, feature);
 }
 
-void
-cogl_flush (void)
-{
-  GList *l;
-
-  _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NO_RETVAL);
-
-  for (l = ctx->framebuffers; l; l = l->next)
-    _cogl_framebuffer_flush_journal (l->data);
-}
-
 uint32_t
 _cogl_driver_error_quark (void)
 {
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl1-context.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl1-context.h
index 9164ea7fe..6b7996f38 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl1-context.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl1-context.h
@@ -62,31 +62,5 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 COGL_EXPORT GCallback
 cogl_get_proc_address (const char *name);
 
-/**
- * cogl_flush:
- *
- * This function should only need to be called in exceptional circumstances.
- *
- * As an optimization Cogl drawing functions may batch up primitives
- * internally, so if you are trying to use raw GL outside of Cogl you stand a
- * better chance of being successful if you ask Cogl to flush any batched
- * geometry before making your state changes.
- *
- * It only ensure that the underlying driver is issued all the commands
- * necessary to draw the batched primitives. It provides no guarantees about
- * when the driver will complete the rendering.
- *
- * This provides no guarantees about the GL state upon returning and to avoid
- * confusing Cogl you should aim to restore any changes you make before
- * resuming use of Cogl.
- *
- * If you are making state changes with the intention of affecting Cogl drawing
- * primitives you are 100% on your own since you stand a good chance of
- * conflicting with Cogl internals. For example clutter-gst which currently
- * uses direct GL calls to bind ARBfp programs will very likely break when Cogl
- * starts to use ARBfb programs itself for the material API.
- */
-COGL_EXPORT void
-cogl_flush (void);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c
index 346e1c502..954361316 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ detach_pixmap (MetaSurfaceActorX11 *self)
 {
   MetaDisplay *display = self->display;
   MetaShapedTexture *stex = meta_surface_actor_get_texture (META_SURFACE_ACTOR (self));
+  MetaContext *context = meta_display_get_context (display);
+  MetaBackend *backend = meta_context_get_backend (context);
+  ClutterBackend *clutter_backend = meta_backend_get_clutter_backend (backend);
+  CoglContext *cogl_context = clutter_backend_get_cogl_context (clutter_backend);
   Display *xdisplay;
 
   if (self->pixmap == None)
@@ -100,7 +104,7 @@ detach_pixmap (MetaSurfaceActorX11 *self)
    * pixmap, but it certainly doesn't work with current DRI/Mesa
    */
   meta_shaped_texture_set_texture (stex, NULL);
-  cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_context_flush (cogl_context);
 
   mtk_x11_error_trap_push (xdisplay);
   XFreePixmap (xdisplay, self->pixmap);
diff --git a/src/tests/cogl/conform/test-sub-texture.c b/src/tests/cogl/conform/test-sub-texture.c
index 5f0a50ac4..7587517b3 100644
--- a/src/tests/cogl/conform/test-sub-texture.c
+++ b/src/tests/cogl/conform/test-sub-texture.c
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ validate_result (TestState *state)
 
   /* Sub sub texture */
   p = texture_data = g_malloc (10 * 10 * 4);
-  cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_context_flush (cogl_framebuffer_get_context (test_fb));
   cogl_framebuffer_read_pixels (test_fb,
                                 0, SOURCE_SIZE * 2, 10, 10,
                                 COGL_PIXEL_FORMAT_RGBA_8888,