diff --git a/src/shell-screenshot.c b/src/shell-screenshot.c
index 99083ffb2..09f73edae 100644
--- a/src/shell-screenshot.c
+++ b/src/shell-screenshot.c
@@ -104,6 +104,182 @@ on_screenshot_written (GObject      *source,
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->datetime, g_date_time_unref);
 }
 
+static cairo_format_t
+util_cairo_format_for_content (cairo_content_t content)
+{
+  switch (content)
+    {
+    case CAIRO_CONTENT_COLOR:
+      return CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB24;
+    case CAIRO_CONTENT_ALPHA:
+      return CAIRO_FORMAT_A8;
+    case CAIRO_CONTENT_COLOR_ALPHA:
+    default:
+      return CAIRO_FORMAT_ARGB32;
+    }
+}
+
+static cairo_surface_t *
+util_cairo_surface_coerce_to_image (cairo_surface_t *surface,
+                                    cairo_content_t  content,
+                                    int              src_x,
+                                    int              src_y,
+                                    int              width,
+                                    int              height)
+{
+  cairo_surface_t *copy;
+  cairo_t *cr;
+
+  copy = cairo_image_surface_create (util_cairo_format_for_content (content),
+                                     width,
+                                     height);
+
+  cr = cairo_create (copy);
+  cairo_set_operator (cr, CAIRO_OPERATOR_SOURCE);
+  cairo_set_source_surface (cr, surface, -src_x, -src_y);
+  cairo_paint (cr);
+  cairo_destroy (cr);
+
+  return copy;
+}
+
+static void
+convert_alpha (guchar *dest_data,
+               int     dest_stride,
+               guchar *src_data,
+               int     src_stride,
+               int     src_x,
+               int     src_y,
+               int     width,
+               int     height)
+{
+  int x, y;
+
+  src_data += src_stride * src_y + src_x * 4;
+
+  for (y = 0; y < height; y++)
+    {
+      uint32_t *src = (guint32 *) src_data;
+
+      for (x = 0; x < width; x++)
+        {
+          unsigned int alpha = src[x] >> 24;
+
+          if (alpha == 0)
+            {
+              dest_data[x * 4 + 0] = 0;
+              dest_data[x * 4 + 1] = 0;
+              dest_data[x * 4 + 2] = 0;
+            }
+          else
+            {
+              dest_data[x * 4 + 0] = (((src[x] & 0xff0000) >> 16) * 255 + alpha / 2) / alpha;
+              dest_data[x * 4 + 1] = (((src[x] & 0x00ff00) >>  8) * 255 + alpha / 2) / alpha;
+              dest_data[x * 4 + 2] = (((src[x] & 0x0000ff) >>  0) * 255 + alpha / 2) / alpha;
+            }
+          dest_data[x * 4 + 3] = alpha;
+        }
+
+      src_data += src_stride;
+      dest_data += dest_stride;
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+convert_no_alpha (guchar *dest_data,
+                  int     dest_stride,
+                  guchar *src_data,
+                  int     src_stride,
+                  int     src_x,
+                  int     src_y,
+                  int     width,
+                  int     height)
+{
+  int x, y;
+
+  src_data += src_stride * src_y + src_x * 4;
+
+  for (y = 0; y < height; y++)
+    {
+      uint32_t *src = (uint32_t *) src_data;
+
+      for (x = 0; x < width; x++)
+        {
+          dest_data[x * 3 + 0] = src[x] >> 16;
+          dest_data[x * 3 + 1] = src[x] >>  8;
+          dest_data[x * 3 + 2] = src[x];
+        }
+
+      src_data += src_stride;
+      dest_data += dest_stride;
+    }
+}
+
+static GdkPixbuf *
+util_pixbuf_from_surface (cairo_surface_t *surface,
+                          gint             src_x,
+                          gint             src_y,
+                          gint             width,
+                          gint             height)
+{
+  cairo_content_t content;
+  GdkPixbuf *dest;
+
+  /* General sanity checks */
+  g_return_val_if_fail (surface != NULL, NULL);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (width > 0 && height > 0, NULL);
+
+  content = cairo_surface_get_content (surface) | CAIRO_CONTENT_COLOR;
+  dest = gdk_pixbuf_new (GDK_COLORSPACE_RGB,
+                         !!(content & CAIRO_CONTENT_ALPHA),
+                         8,
+                         width, height);
+
+  if (cairo_surface_get_type (surface) == CAIRO_SURFACE_TYPE_IMAGE &&
+      cairo_image_surface_get_format (surface) == util_cairo_format_for_content (content))
+    {
+      surface = cairo_surface_reference (surface);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      surface = util_cairo_surface_coerce_to_image (surface, content,
+                                                    src_x, src_y,
+                                                    width, height);
+      src_x = 0;
+      src_y = 0;
+    }
+  cairo_surface_flush (surface);
+  if (cairo_surface_status (surface) || dest == NULL)
+    {
+      cairo_surface_destroy (surface);
+      g_clear_object (&dest);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+  if (gdk_pixbuf_get_has_alpha (dest))
+    {
+      convert_alpha (gdk_pixbuf_get_pixels (dest),
+                     gdk_pixbuf_get_rowstride (dest),
+                     cairo_image_surface_get_data (surface),
+                     cairo_image_surface_get_stride (surface),
+                     src_x, src_y,
+                     width, height);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      convert_no_alpha (gdk_pixbuf_get_pixels (dest),
+                        gdk_pixbuf_get_rowstride (dest),
+                        cairo_image_surface_get_data (surface),
+                        cairo_image_surface_get_stride (surface),
+                        src_x, src_y,
+                        width, height);
+    }
+
+  cairo_surface_destroy (surface);
+
+  return dest;
+}
+
 static void
 write_screenshot_thread (GTask        *result,
                          gpointer      object,
@@ -123,10 +299,10 @@ write_screenshot_thread (GTask        *result,
 
   stream = g_object_ref (priv->stream);
 
-  pixbuf = gdk_pixbuf_get_from_surface (priv->image,
-                                        0, 0,
-                                        cairo_image_surface_get_width (priv->image),
-                                        cairo_image_surface_get_height (priv->image));
+  pixbuf = util_pixbuf_from_surface (priv->image,
+                                     0, 0,
+                                     cairo_image_surface_get_width (priv->image),
+                                     cairo_image_surface_get_height (priv->image));
   creation_time = g_date_time_format (priv->datetime, "%c");
 
   if (!creation_time)
@@ -1167,11 +1343,11 @@ shell_screenshot_composite_to_stream (CoglTexture         *texture,
       cairo_surface_destroy (cursor_surface);
     }
 
-  // Save to an image.
-  pixbuf = gdk_pixbuf_get_from_surface (surface,
-                                        0, 0,
-                                        cairo_image_surface_get_width (surface),
-                                        cairo_image_surface_get_height (surface));
+  /* Save to an image. */
+  pixbuf = util_pixbuf_from_surface (surface,
+                                     0, 0,
+                                     cairo_image_surface_get_width (surface),
+                                     cairo_image_surface_get_height (surface));
   cairo_surface_destroy (surface);
 
   date_time = g_date_time_new_now_local ();