diff --git a/cogl/cogl-blit.c b/cogl/cogl-blit.c
index e65a5b0b4..2ab14455e 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-blit.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-blit.c
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ _cogl_blit_texture_render_begin (CoglBlitData *data)
   if (fbo == COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
     return FALSE;
 
+  if (!cogl_framebuffer_allocate (fbo, NULL))
+    {
+      cogl_handle_unref (fbo);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
   cogl_push_framebuffer (fbo);
   cogl_handle_unref (fbo);
 
@@ -141,6 +147,7 @@ static gboolean
 _cogl_blit_framebuffer_begin (CoglBlitData *data)
 {
   CoglHandle dst_fbo, src_fbo;
+  gboolean ret;
 
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, FALSE);
 
@@ -155,22 +162,35 @@ _cogl_blit_framebuffer_begin (CoglBlitData *data)
     (data->dst_tex, COGL_OFFSCREEN_DISABLE_DEPTH_AND_STENCIL, 0 /* level */);
 
   if (dst_fbo == COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
-    return FALSE;
-
-  src_fbo = _cogl_offscreen_new_to_texture_full
-    (data->src_tex, COGL_OFFSCREEN_DISABLE_DEPTH_AND_STENCIL, 0 /* level */);
-
-  if (src_fbo == COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
+    ret = FALSE;
+  else
     {
+      if (!cogl_framebuffer_allocate (dst_fbo, NULL))
+        ret = FALSE;
+      else
+        {
+          src_fbo = _cogl_offscreen_new_to_texture_full
+            (data->src_tex,
+             COGL_OFFSCREEN_DISABLE_DEPTH_AND_STENCIL,
+             0 /* level */);
+
+          if (src_fbo == COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
+            ret = FALSE;
+          else
+            {
+              if (!cogl_framebuffer_allocate (src_fbo, NULL))
+                ret = FALSE;
+              else
+                _cogl_push_framebuffers (dst_fbo, src_fbo);
+
+              cogl_handle_unref (src_fbo);
+            }
+        }
+
       cogl_handle_unref (dst_fbo);
-      return FALSE;
     }
 
-  _cogl_push_framebuffers (dst_fbo, src_fbo);
-  cogl_handle_unref (src_fbo);
-  cogl_handle_unref (dst_fbo);
-
-  return TRUE;
+  return ret;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -210,6 +230,12 @@ _cogl_blit_copy_tex_sub_image_begin (CoglBlitData *data)
   if (fbo == COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
     return FALSE;
 
+  if (!cogl_framebuffer_allocate (fbo, NULL))
+    {
+      cogl_handle_unref (fbo);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
   cogl_push_framebuffer (fbo);
   cogl_handle_unref (fbo);
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture.c b/cogl/cogl-texture.c
index d75f6c124..d957a9448 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture.c
@@ -1026,6 +1026,12 @@ get_texture_bits_via_offscreen (CoglTexture    *texture,
   if (framebuffer == NULL)
     return FALSE;
 
+  if (!cogl_framebuffer_allocate (framebuffer, NULL))
+    {
+      cogl_object_unref (framebuffer);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
   cogl_push_framebuffer (framebuffer);
 
   _cogl_read_pixels_with_rowstride (x, y, width, height,