diff --git a/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-renderer-x11-cm.c b/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-renderer-x11-cm.c
index 18ad5eb5d..afed2e377 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-renderer-x11-cm.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-renderer-x11-cm.c
@@ -37,14 +37,17 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE (MetaRendererX11Cm, meta_renderer_x11_cm,
                META_TYPE_RENDERER_X11)
 
 void
-meta_renderer_x11_cm_ensure_screen_view (MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm,
-                                         int                width,
-                                         int                height)
+meta_renderer_x11_cm_init_screen_view (MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm,
+                                       CoglOnscreen      *onscreen,
+                                       int                width,
+                                       int                height)
 {
+  MetaRenderer *renderer = META_RENDERER (renderer_x11_cm);
+  MetaBackend *backend = meta_renderer_get_backend (renderer);
+  ClutterActor *stage = meta_backend_get_stage (backend);
   cairo_rectangle_int_t view_layout;
 
-  if (renderer_x11_cm->screen_view)
-    return;
+  g_return_if_fail (!renderer_x11_cm->screen_view);
 
   view_layout = (cairo_rectangle_int_t) {
     .width = width,
@@ -52,7 +55,9 @@ meta_renderer_x11_cm_ensure_screen_view (MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm,
   };
   renderer_x11_cm->screen_view = g_object_new (META_TYPE_RENDERER_VIEW,
                                                "name", "X11 screen",
+                                               "stage", stage,
                                                "layout", &view_layout,
+                                               "framebuffer", onscreen,
                                                NULL);
   meta_renderer_add_view (META_RENDERER (renderer_x11_cm),
                           renderer_x11_cm->screen_view);
@@ -75,15 +80,6 @@ meta_renderer_x11_cm_resize (MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm,
                 NULL);
 }
 
-void
-meta_renderer_x11_cm_set_onscreen (MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm,
-                                   CoglOnscreen      *onscreen)
-{
-  g_object_set (G_OBJECT (renderer_x11_cm->screen_view),
-                "framebuffer", onscreen,
-                NULL);
-}
-
 static void
 meta_renderer_x11_cm_rebuild_views (MetaRenderer *renderer)
 {
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-renderer-x11-cm.h b/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-renderer-x11-cm.h
index 65c5125bb..7ddb3445d 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-renderer-x11-cm.h
+++ b/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-renderer-x11-cm.h
@@ -30,15 +30,13 @@ G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (MetaRendererX11Cm, meta_renderer_x11_cm,
                       META, RENDERER_X11_CM,
                       MetaRendererX11)
 
-void meta_renderer_x11_cm_ensure_screen_view (MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm,
-                                              int                width,
-                                              int                height);
+void meta_renderer_x11_cm_init_screen_view (MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm,
+                                            CoglOnscreen      *onscreen,
+                                            int                width,
+                                            int                height);
 
 void meta_renderer_x11_cm_resize (MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm,
                                   int                width,
                                   int                height);
 
-void meta_renderer_x11_cm_set_onscreen (MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm,
-                                        CoglOnscreen      *onscreen);
-
 #endif /* META_RENDERER_X11_CM_H */
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c
index 2367454ed..13db11fe4 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c
@@ -302,7 +302,10 @@ meta_stage_x11_realize (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window)
       MetaRenderer *renderer = meta_backend_get_renderer (stage_x11->backend);
       MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm = META_RENDERER_X11_CM (renderer);
 
-      meta_renderer_x11_cm_set_onscreen (renderer_x11_cm, stage_x11->onscreen);
+      meta_renderer_x11_cm_init_screen_view (renderer_x11_cm,
+                                             stage_x11->onscreen,
+                                             stage_x11->xwin_width,
+                                             stage_x11->xwin_height);
     }
 
   /* We just created a window of the size of the actor. No need to fix
@@ -501,9 +504,6 @@ meta_stage_x11_class_init (MetaStageX11Class *klass)
 static void
 meta_stage_x11_init (MetaStageX11 *stage)
 {
-  MetaRenderer *renderer;
-  MetaRendererX11Cm *renderer_x11_cm;
-
   stage->xwin = None;
   stage->xwin_width = 640;
   stage->xwin_height = 480;
@@ -514,16 +514,6 @@ meta_stage_x11_init (MetaStageX11 *stage)
 
   stage->backend = meta_get_backend ();
   g_assert (stage->backend);
-
-  if (META_IS_BACKEND_X11_CM (stage->backend))
-    {
-      renderer = meta_backend_get_renderer (stage->backend);
-      renderer_x11_cm = META_RENDERER_X11_CM (renderer);
-
-      meta_renderer_x11_cm_ensure_screen_view (renderer_x11_cm,
-                                               stage->xwin_width,
-                                               stage->xwin_height);
-    }
 }
 
 static void