diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c
index 3b66ed5aa..fd00721c9 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c
@@ -69,11 +69,13 @@ free_damage (MetaSurfaceActorX11 *self)
 {
   MetaSurfaceActorX11Private *priv = meta_surface_actor_x11_get_instance_private (self);
   MetaDisplay *display = priv->display;
-  Display *xdisplay = meta_x11_display_get_xdisplay (display->x11_display);
+  Display *xdisplay;
 
   if (priv->damage == None)
     return;
 
+  xdisplay = meta_x11_display_get_xdisplay (display->x11_display);
+
   meta_x11_error_trap_push (display->x11_display);
   XDamageDestroy (xdisplay, priv->damage);
   priv->damage = None;
@@ -85,12 +87,14 @@ detach_pixmap (MetaSurfaceActorX11 *self)
 {
   MetaSurfaceActorX11Private *priv = meta_surface_actor_x11_get_instance_private (self);
   MetaDisplay *display = priv->display;
-  Display *xdisplay = meta_x11_display_get_xdisplay (display->x11_display);
   MetaShapedTexture *stex = meta_surface_actor_get_texture (META_SURFACE_ACTOR (self));
+  Display *xdisplay;
 
   if (priv->pixmap == None)
     return;
 
+  xdisplay = meta_x11_display_get_xdisplay (display->x11_display);
+
   /* Get rid of all references to the pixmap before freeing it; it's unclear whether
    * you are supposed to be able to free a GLXPixmap after freeing the underlying
    * pixmap, but it certainly doesn't work with current DRI/Mesa