diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-fragend-arbfp.c b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-fragend-arbfp.c
index f02aec296..813bf1442 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-fragend-arbfp.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-fragend-arbfp.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ typedef struct _UnitState
 {
   int constant_id; /* The program.local[] index */
   unsigned int dirty_combine_constant:1;
+  unsigned int has_combine_constant:1;
 
   unsigned int sampled:1;
 } UnitState;
@@ -404,6 +405,7 @@ setup_arg (CoglPipeline *pipeline,
         UnitState *unit_state = &shader_state->unit_state[unit_index];
 
         unit_state->constant_id = shader_state->next_constant_id++;
+        unit_state->has_combine_constant = TRUE;
         unit_state->dirty_combine_constant = TRUE;
 
         arg->type = COGL_PIPELINE_FRAGEND_ARBFP_ARG_TYPE_CONSTANT;
@@ -786,7 +788,8 @@ update_constants_cb (CoglPipeline *pipeline,
 
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, FALSE);
 
-  if (state->update_all || unit_state->dirty_combine_constant)
+  if (unit_state->has_combine_constant &&
+      (state->update_all || unit_state->dirty_combine_constant))
     {
       float constant[4];
       _cogl_pipeline_get_layer_combine_constant (pipeline,