diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.c
index c5766016f..a76dbc5c0 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.c
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 #include <meta/util.h>
 #include "display-private.h"
 #include "compositor/compositor-private.h"
-#include "compositor/meta-sync-ring.h"
 
 typedef enum {
   /* We're a traditional CM running under the host. */
@@ -267,8 +266,6 @@ handle_host_xevent (MetaBackend *backend,
         MetaCompositor *compositor = display->compositor;
         if (meta_plugin_manager_xevent_filter (compositor->plugin_mgr, event))
           bypass_clutter = TRUE;
-        if (compositor->have_x11_sync_object)
-          meta_sync_ring_handle_event (event);
       }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/compositor/compositor.c b/src/compositor/compositor.c
index 12822798f..615ebd871 100644
--- a/src/compositor/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/compositor.c
@@ -529,8 +529,7 @@ meta_compositor_manage (MetaCompositor *compositor)
        */
       XMapWindow (xdisplay, compositor->output);
 
-      compositor->have_x11_sync_object =
-        meta_sync_ring_init (meta_backend_x11_get_xdisplay (META_BACKEND_X11 (backend)));
+      compositor->have_x11_sync_object = meta_sync_ring_init (xdisplay);
     }
 
   redirect_windows (display->screen);
@@ -732,6 +731,9 @@ meta_compositor_process_event (MetaCompositor *compositor,
         process_damage (compositor, (XDamageNotifyEvent *) event, window);
     }
 
+  if (compositor->have_x11_sync_object)
+    meta_sync_ring_handle_event (event);
+
   /* Clutter needs to know about MapNotify events otherwise it will
      think the stage is invisible */
   if (!meta_is_wayland_compositor () && event->type == MapNotify)
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-sync-ring.c b/src/compositor/meta-sync-ring.c
index 217ebe569..336ccd45f 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-sync-ring.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-sync-ring.c
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ meta_sync_new (Display *xdisplay)
   self->xdisplay = xdisplay;
 
   self->xfence = XSyncCreateFence (xdisplay, DefaultRootWindow (xdisplay), FALSE);
-  self->gl_x11_sync = meta_gl_import_sync (GL_SYNC_X11_FENCE_EXT, self->xfence, 0);
+  self->gl_x11_sync = 0;
   self->gpu_fence = 0;
 
   self->xcounter = XSyncCreateCounter (xdisplay, SYNC_VALUE_ZERO);
@@ -347,6 +347,13 @@ meta_sync_new (Display *xdisplay)
   return self;
 }
 
+static void
+meta_sync_import (MetaSync *self)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (self->gl_x11_sync == 0);
+  self->gl_x11_sync = meta_gl_import_sync (GL_SYNC_X11_FENCE_EXT, self->xfence, 0);
+}
+
 static Bool
 alarm_event_predicate (Display  *dpy,
                        XEvent   *event,
@@ -437,6 +444,12 @@ meta_sync_ring_init (Display *xdisplay)
       ring->syncs_array[i] = sync;
       g_hash_table_replace (ring->alarm_to_sync, (gpointer) sync->xalarm, sync);
     }
+  /* Since the connection we create the X fences on isn't the same as
+   * the one used for the GLX context, we need to XSync() here to
+   * ensure glImportSync() succeeds. */
+  XSync (xdisplay, False);
+  for (i = 0; i < NUM_SYNCS; ++i)
+    meta_sync_import (ring->syncs_array[i]);
 
   ring->current_sync_idx = 0;
   ring->current_sync = ring->syncs_array[0];