diff --git a/clutter/clutter-text.c b/clutter/clutter-text.c
index 40e4fa679..ea0ad4d78 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-text.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-text.c
@@ -2222,7 +2222,13 @@ clutter_text_paint (ClutterActor *self)
   float alloc_width;
   float alloc_height;
 
+  /* FIXME: this should not be needed, but apparently the text-cache
+   * test unit manages to get in a situation where the active frame
+   * buffer is NULL
+   */
   fb = _clutter_actor_get_active_framebuffer (self);
+  if (fb == NULL)
+    fb = cogl_get_draw_framebuffer ();
 
   /* Note that if anything in this paint method changes it needs to be
      reflected in the get_paint_volume implementation which is tightly