diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
index 37965d119..fa8a4b1bd 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
@@ -58,6 +58,28 @@ _cogl_destroy_context_winsys (CoglContext *context);
 static CoglContext *_context = NULL;
 static gboolean gl_is_indirect = FALSE;
 
+static void
+_cogl_init_feature_overrides (CoglContext *ctx)
+{
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_VBOS))
+    ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_VBOS;
+
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PBOS))
+    ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_PBOS;
+
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ARBFP))
+    ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_SHADERS_ARBFP;
+
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_GLSL))
+    ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_SHADERS_GLSL;
+
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_NPOT_TEXTURES))
+    ctx->feature_flags &= ~(COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_NPOT |
+                            COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_NPOT_BASIC |
+                            COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_NPOT_MIPMAP |
+                            COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_NPOT_REPEAT);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 cogl_create_context (void)
 {
@@ -91,7 +113,6 @@ cogl_create_context (void)
   /* Init default values */
   _context->feature_flags = 0;
   _context->feature_flags_private = 0;
-  _context->features_cached = FALSE;
 
   _context->texture_types = NULL;
   _context->buffer_types = NULL;
@@ -100,6 +121,7 @@ cogl_create_context (void)
   /* TODO: combine these two into one function */
   _cogl_create_context_driver (_context);
   _cogl_features_init ();
+  _cogl_init_feature_overrides (_context);
 
   _cogl_create_context_winsys (_context);
 
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.h b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.h
index b3784d51b..0bc0248d4 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.h
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.h
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ typedef struct
   /* Features cache */
   CoglFeatureFlags        feature_flags;
   CoglFeatureFlagsPrivate feature_flags_private;
-  gboolean                features_cached;
 
   CoglHandle        default_pipeline;
   CoglHandle        default_layer_0;
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
index ce8326955..5df6e93dc 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
@@ -432,24 +432,6 @@ cogl_get_features (void)
 {
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, 0);
 
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_VBOS))
-    ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_VBOS;
-
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PBOS))
-    ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_PBOS;
-
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ARBFP))
-    ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_SHADERS_ARBFP;
-
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_GLSL))
-    ctx->feature_flags &= ~COGL_FEATURE_SHADERS_GLSL;
-
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_NPOT_TEXTURES))
-    ctx->feature_flags &= ~(COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_NPOT |
-                            COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_NPOT_BASIC |
-                            COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_NPOT_MIPMAP |
-                            COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_NPOT_REPEAT);
-
   return ctx->feature_flags;
 }
 
@@ -458,9 +440,6 @@ cogl_features_available (CoglFeatureFlags features)
 {
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, 0);
 
-  if (!ctx->features_cached)
-    _cogl_features_init ();
-
   return (ctx->feature_flags & features) == features;
 }
 
@@ -469,9 +448,6 @@ _cogl_features_available_private (CoglFeatureFlagsPrivate features)
 {
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, 0);
 
-  if (!ctx->features_cached)
-    _cogl_features_init ();
-
   return (ctx->feature_flags_private & features) == features;
 }
 
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-gl.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-gl.c
index a8494fe0b..b0b069f8c 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-gl.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-gl.c
@@ -233,5 +233,4 @@ _cogl_features_init (void)
   /* Cache features */
   ctx->feature_flags = flags;
   ctx->feature_flags_private = flags_private;
-  ctx->features_cached = TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-gles.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-gles.c
index c268f614f..1f9c9e081 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-gles.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-gles.c
@@ -117,6 +117,5 @@ _cogl_features_init (void)
 
   /* Cache features */
   ctx->feature_flags = flags;
-  ctx->features_cached = TRUE;
 }