diff --git a/clutter/clutter-settings-private.h b/clutter/clutter-settings-private.h
index 0e1c463f9..244122c1f 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-settings-private.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-settings-private.h
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ void    _clutter_settings_set_backend           (ClutterSettings *settings,
 void    _clutter_settings_read_from_key_file    (ClutterSettings *settings,
                                                  GKeyFile        *key_file);
 
+void    clutter_settings_set_property_internal (ClutterSettings *settings,
+                                                const char *property,
+                                                GValue *value);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __CLUTTER_SETTINGS_PRIVATE_H__ */
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-settings.c b/clutter/clutter-settings.c
index 7b0032978..a269c3a89 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-settings.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-settings.c
@@ -355,7 +355,10 @@ clutter_settings_set_property (GObject      *gobject,
 
     case PROP_WINDOW_SCALING_FACTOR:
       if (!self->fixed_scaling_factor)
-        self->window_scaling_factor = g_value_get_int (value);
+        {
+          self->window_scaling_factor = g_value_get_int (value);
+          self->fixed_scaling_factor = TRUE;
+        }
       break;
 
     case PROP_UNSCALED_FONT_DPI:
@@ -369,6 +372,24 @@ clutter_settings_set_property (GObject      *gobject,
     }
 }
 
+void
+clutter_settings_set_property_internal (ClutterSettings *self,
+                                        const char *property,
+                                        GValue *value)
+{
+
+  property = g_intern_string (property);
+
+  if (property == I_("window-scaling-factor") &&
+      self->fixed_scaling_factor)
+    return;
+
+  g_object_set_property (G_OBJECT (self), property, value);
+
+  if (property == I_("window-scaling-factor"))
+    self->fixed_scaling_factor = FALSE;
+}
+
 static void
 clutter_settings_get_property (GObject    *gobject,
                                guint       prop_id,
diff --git a/clutter/gdk/clutter-backend-gdk.c b/clutter/gdk/clutter-backend-gdk.c
index 7a719aa0b..7f14feb6e 100644
--- a/clutter/gdk/clutter-backend-gdk.c
+++ b/clutter/gdk/clutter-backend-gdk.c
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
 #include "clutter-event-private.h"
 #include "clutter-main.h"
 #include "clutter-private.h"
+#include "clutter-settings-private.h"
 
 #define clutter_backend_gdk_get_type _clutter_backend_gdk_get_type
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (ClutterBackendGdk, clutter_backend_gdk, CLUTTER_TYPE_BACKEND);
@@ -88,9 +89,9 @@ clutter_backend_gdk_init_settings (ClutterBackendGdk *backend_gdk)
       gdk_screen_get_setting (backend_gdk->screen,
 			      CLUTTER_SETTING_GDK_NAME(i),
 			      &val);
-      g_object_set_property (G_OBJECT (settings),
-			     CLUTTER_SETTING_PROPERTY(i),
-			     &val);
+      clutter_settings_set_property_internal (settings,
+                                              CLUTTER_SETTING_PROPERTY (i),
+                                              &val);
       g_value_unset (&val);
     }
 }
@@ -112,9 +113,9 @@ _clutter_backend_gdk_update_setting (ClutterBackendGdk *backend_gdk,
 	  gdk_screen_get_setting (backend_gdk->screen,
 				  CLUTTER_SETTING_GDK_NAME (i),
 				  &val);
-	  g_object_set_property (G_OBJECT (settings),
-				 CLUTTER_SETTING_PROPERTY (i),
-				 &val);
+	  clutter_settings_set_property_internal (settings,
+	  	  	  	  	  	  CLUTTER_SETTING_PROPERTY (i),
+	  	  	  	  	  	  &val);
 	  g_value_unset (&val);
 
 	  break;
diff --git a/clutter/x11/clutter-backend-x11.c b/clutter/x11/clutter-backend-x11.c
index 5e5d50658..c9478c405 100644
--- a/clutter/x11/clutter-backend-x11.c
+++ b/clutter/x11/clutter-backend-x11.c
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 #include "clutter-event-private.h"
 #include "clutter-main.h"
 #include "clutter-private.h"
+#include "clutter-settings-private.h"
 
 #define clutter_backend_x11_get_type    _clutter_backend_x11_get_type
 
@@ -203,9 +204,9 @@ clutter_backend_x11_xsettings_notify (const char       *name,
                         CLUTTER_SETTING_X11_NAME (i),
                         CLUTTER_SETTING_PROPERTY (i));
 
-          g_object_set_property (G_OBJECT (settings),
-                                 CLUTTER_SETTING_PROPERTY (i),
-                                 &value);
+          clutter_settings_set_property_internal (settings,
+                                                  CLUTTER_SETTING_PROPERTY (i),
+                                                  &value);
 
           g_value_unset (&value);