diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c
index 331c61cad..9a04787ab 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-actor.c
@@ -689,6 +689,8 @@ struct _ClutterActorPrivate
   /* the cached transformation matrix; see apply_transform() */
   graphene_matrix_t transform;
 
+  graphene_matrix_t absolute_modelview;
+
   float resource_scale;
 
   guint8 opacity;
@@ -851,6 +853,7 @@ struct _ClutterActorPrivate
   guint clear_stage_views_needs_stage_views_changed : 1;
   guint needs_redraw : 1;
   guint needs_finish_layout : 1;
+  guint absolute_modelview_valid : 1;
 };
 
 enum
@@ -2494,6 +2497,7 @@ absolute_geometry_changed (ClutterActor *actor)
 {
   actor->priv->needs_update_stage_views = TRUE;
   actor->priv->needs_visible_paint_volume_update = TRUE;
+  actor->priv->absolute_modelview_valid = FALSE;
 
   actor->priv->needs_finish_layout = TRUE;
   /* needs_finish_layout is already TRUE on the whole parent tree thanks
@@ -2878,8 +2882,6 @@ clutter_actor_apply_transform_to_point (ClutterActor             *self,
  * instead.
  *
  */
-/* XXX: We should consider caching the stage relative modelview along with
- * the actor itself */
 void
 clutter_actor_get_relative_transformation_matrix (ClutterActor      *self,
                                                   ClutterActor      *ancestor,
@@ -3119,6 +3121,30 @@ _clutter_actor_apply_relative_transformation_matrix (ClutterActor      *self,
   if (self == ancestor)
     return;
 
+  if (ancestor == NULL)
+    {
+      ClutterActorPrivate *priv = self->priv;
+
+      if (!priv->absolute_modelview_valid)
+        {
+          graphene_matrix_init_identity (&priv->absolute_modelview);
+
+          if (priv->parent != NULL)
+            {
+              _clutter_actor_apply_relative_transformation_matrix (priv->parent,
+                                                                   NULL,
+                                                                   &priv->absolute_modelview);
+            }
+
+          _clutter_actor_apply_modelview_transform (self, &priv->absolute_modelview);
+
+          priv->absolute_modelview_valid = TRUE;
+        }
+
+      graphene_matrix_multiply (&priv->absolute_modelview, matrix, matrix);
+      return;
+    }
+
   if (self->priv->parent != NULL)
     _clutter_actor_apply_relative_transformation_matrix (self->priv->parent,
                                                          ancestor,
@@ -7595,6 +7621,7 @@ clutter_actor_init (ClutterActor *self)
   priv->enable_model_view_transform = TRUE;
 
   priv->transform_valid = FALSE;
+  priv->absolute_modelview_valid = FALSE;
 
   /* the default is to stretch the content, to match the
    * current behaviour of basically all actors. also, it's