diff --git a/src/compositor/mutter/mutter-shaped-texture.c b/src/compositor/mutter/mutter-shaped-texture.c
index 31e432339..ed01e9acc 100644
--- a/src/compositor/mutter/mutter-shaped-texture.c
+++ b/src/compositor/mutter/mutter-shaped-texture.c
@@ -366,6 +366,17 @@ mutter_shaped_texture_paint (ClutterActor *actor)
   ClutterActorBox alloc;
   static const ClutterColor white = { 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff };
 
+  if (!CLUTTER_ACTOR_IS_REALIZED (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stex)))
+    clutter_actor_realize (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stex));
+
+  paint_tex = clutter_texture_get_cogl_texture (CLUTTER_TEXTURE (stex));
+
+  tex_width = cogl_texture_get_width (paint_tex);
+  tex_height = cogl_texture_get_height (paint_tex);
+
+  if (tex_width == 0 || tex_width == 0) /* no contents yet */
+    return;
+
   /* If there are no rectangles or multi-texturing isn't supported,
      fallback to the regular paint method */
   if (priv->rectangles->len < 1
@@ -376,11 +387,6 @@ mutter_shaped_texture_paint (ClutterActor *actor)
       return;
     }
 
-  if (!CLUTTER_ACTOR_IS_REALIZED (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stex)))
-    clutter_actor_realize (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stex));
-
-  paint_tex = clutter_texture_get_cogl_texture (CLUTTER_TEXTURE (stex));
-
   if (paint_tex == COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
     return;
 
@@ -392,9 +398,6 @@ mutter_shaped_texture_paint (ClutterActor *actor)
       return;
     }
 
-  tex_width = cogl_texture_get_width (paint_tex);
-  tex_height = cogl_texture_get_height (paint_tex);
-
   mutter_shaped_texture_ensure_mask (stex);
 
   cogl_texture_get_gl_texture (paint_tex, &paint_gl_tex, &paint_target);
@@ -512,12 +515,19 @@ mutter_shaped_texture_pick (ClutterActor *actor,
     {
       CoglHandle paint_tex;
       ClutterActorBox alloc;
+      guint tex_width, tex_height;
 
       paint_tex = clutter_texture_get_cogl_texture (CLUTTER_TEXTURE (stex));
 
       if (paint_tex == COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
         return;
 
+      tex_width = cogl_texture_get_width (paint_tex);
+      tex_height = cogl_texture_get_height (paint_tex);
+
+      if (tex_width == 0 || tex_width == 0) /* no contents yet */
+	return;
+
       mutter_shaped_texture_ensure_mask (stex);
 
       cogl_color (color);