diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-shaped-texture-private.h b/src/compositor/meta-shaped-texture-private.h
index 482914c17..b6cf9d486 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-shaped-texture-private.h
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-shaped-texture-private.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include "backends/meta-monitor-manager-private.h"
 #include "meta/meta-shaped-texture.h"
 
-MetaShapedTexture * meta_shaped_texture_new (void);
+MetaShapedTexture * meta_shaped_texture_new (ClutterContext *clutter_context);
 void meta_shaped_texture_set_texture (MetaShapedTexture *stex,
                                       MetaMultiTexture  *multi_texture);
 void meta_shaped_texture_set_is_y_inverted (MetaShapedTexture *stex,
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-shaped-texture.c b/src/compositor/meta-shaped-texture.c
index 9454a975e..35fbbacab 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-shaped-texture.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-shaped-texture.c
@@ -51,6 +51,17 @@ static void meta_shaped_texture_dispose  (GObject    *object);
 
 static void clutter_content_iface_init (ClutterContentInterface *iface);
 
+enum
+{
+  PROP_0,
+
+  PROP_CLUTTER_CONTEXT,
+
+  N_PROPS
+};
+
+static GParamSpec *obj_props[N_PROPS];
+
 enum
 {
   SIZE_CHANGED,
@@ -69,6 +80,8 @@ struct _MetaShapedTexture
 {
   GObject parent;
 
+  ClutterContext *clutter_context;
+
   MetaMultiTexture *texture;
   CoglTexture *mask_texture;
   CoglSnippet *snippet;
@@ -114,12 +127,50 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (MetaShapedTexture, meta_shaped_texture, G_TYPE_OBJECT,
                          G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (CLUTTER_TYPE_CONTENT,
                                                 clutter_content_iface_init));
 
+static void
+meta_shaped_texture_set_property (GObject      *object,
+                                  guint         prop_id,
+                                  const GValue *value,
+                                  GParamSpec   *pspec)
+{
+  MetaShapedTexture *stex = META_SHAPED_TEXTURE (object);
+
+  switch (prop_id)
+    {
+    case PROP_CLUTTER_CONTEXT:
+      stex->clutter_context = g_value_get_object (value);
+      break;
+    default:
+      G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+meta_shaped_texture_get_property (GObject    *object,
+                                  guint       prop_id,
+                                  GValue     *value,
+                                  GParamSpec *pspec)
+{
+  MetaShapedTexture *stex = META_SHAPED_TEXTURE (object);
+
+  switch (prop_id)
+    {
+    case PROP_CLUTTER_CONTEXT:
+      g_value_set_object (value, stex->clutter_context);
+      break;
+    default:
+      G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+    }
+}
+
 static void
 meta_shaped_texture_class_init (MetaShapedTextureClass *klass)
 {
   GObjectClass *object_class = (GObjectClass *) klass;
 
   object_class->dispose = meta_shaped_texture_dispose;
+  object_class->set_property = meta_shaped_texture_set_property;
+  object_class->get_property = meta_shaped_texture_get_property;
 
   signals[SIZE_CHANGED] = g_signal_new ("size-changed",
                                         G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (klass),
@@ -127,6 +178,14 @@ meta_shaped_texture_class_init (MetaShapedTextureClass *klass)
                                         0,
                                         NULL, NULL, NULL,
                                         G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
+
+  obj_props[PROP_CLUTTER_CONTEXT] =
+    g_param_spec_object ("clutter-context", NULL, NULL,
+                         CLUTTER_TYPE_CONTEXT,
+                         G_PARAM_READWRITE |
+                         G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
+                         G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
+  g_object_class_install_properties (object_class, N_PROPS, obj_props);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1512,9 +1571,11 @@ meta_shaped_texture_set_fallback_size (MetaShapedTexture *stex,
 }
 
 MetaShapedTexture *
-meta_shaped_texture_new (void)
+meta_shaped_texture_new (ClutterContext *clutter_context)
 {
-  return g_object_new (META_TYPE_SHAPED_TEXTURE, NULL);
+  return g_object_new (META_TYPE_SHAPED_TEXTURE,
+                       "clutter-context", clutter_context,
+                       NULL);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c
index d6d1f13c1..7b08640be 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c
@@ -250,6 +250,35 @@ meta_surface_actor_get_property (GObject      *object,
     }
 }
 
+static void
+texture_size_changed (MetaShapedTexture *texture,
+                      MetaSurfaceActor  *surface_actor)
+{
+  g_signal_emit (surface_actor, signals[SIZE_CHANGED], 0);
+}
+
+static void
+meta_surface_actor_constructed (GObject *object)
+{
+  MetaSurfaceActor *surface_actor = META_SURFACE_ACTOR (object);
+  MetaSurfaceActorPrivate *priv =
+    meta_surface_actor_get_instance_private (surface_actor);
+  ClutterContext *clutter_context =
+    clutter_actor_get_context (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor));
+
+  priv->is_obscured = TRUE;
+  priv->texture = meta_shaped_texture_new (clutter_context);
+  g_signal_connect_object (priv->texture, "size-changed",
+                           G_CALLBACK (texture_size_changed), surface_actor,
+                           G_CONNECT_DEFAULT);
+  clutter_actor_set_content (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor),
+                             CLUTTER_CONTENT (priv->texture));
+  clutter_actor_set_request_mode (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor),
+                                  CLUTTER_REQUEST_CONTENT_SIZE);
+
+  G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_surface_actor_parent_class)->constructed (object);
+}
+
 static void
 meta_surface_actor_dispose (GObject *object)
 {
@@ -271,6 +300,7 @@ meta_surface_actor_class_init (MetaSurfaceActorClass *klass)
   GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
   ClutterActorClass *actor_class = CLUTTER_ACTOR_CLASS (klass);
 
+  object_class->constructed = meta_surface_actor_constructed;
   object_class->dispose = meta_surface_actor_dispose;
   object_class->get_property = meta_surface_actor_get_property;
 
@@ -369,28 +399,9 @@ cullable_iface_init (MetaCullableInterface *iface)
   iface->cull_unobscured = meta_surface_actor_cull_unobscured;
 }
 
-static void
-texture_size_changed (MetaShapedTexture *texture,
-                      gpointer           user_data)
-{
-  MetaSurfaceActor *actor = META_SURFACE_ACTOR (user_data);
-  g_signal_emit (actor, signals[SIZE_CHANGED], 0);
-}
-
 static void
 meta_surface_actor_init (MetaSurfaceActor *self)
 {
-  MetaSurfaceActorPrivate *priv =
-    meta_surface_actor_get_instance_private (self);
-
-  priv->is_obscured = TRUE;
-  priv->texture = meta_shaped_texture_new ();
-  g_signal_connect_object (priv->texture, "size-changed",
-                           G_CALLBACK (texture_size_changed), self, 0);
-  clutter_actor_set_content (CLUTTER_ACTOR (self),
-                             CLUTTER_CONTENT (priv->texture));
-  clutter_actor_set_request_mode (CLUTTER_ACTOR (self),
-                                  CLUTTER_REQUEST_CONTENT_SIZE);
 }
 
 MetaShapedTexture *