diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-texture-rectangle.c b/src/compositor/meta-texture-rectangle.c
index 450155d95..cd585b51f 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-texture-rectangle.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-texture-rectangle.c
@@ -26,36 +26,6 @@
 #include <clutter/clutter.h>
 #include "meta-texture-rectangle.h"
 
-CoglTexture *
-meta_texture_rectangle_new (unsigned int width,
-                            unsigned int height,
-                            CoglPixelFormat format,
-                            unsigned int rowstride,
-                            const guint8 *data)
-{
-  ClutterBackend *backend =
-    clutter_get_default_backend ();
-  CoglContext *context =
-    clutter_backend_get_cogl_context (backend);
-  CoglTextureRectangle *tex_rect;
-
-  tex_rect = cogl_texture_rectangle_new_with_size (context, width, height);
-  if (tex_rect == NULL)
-    return NULL;
-
-  if (data)
-    cogl_texture_set_region (COGL_TEXTURE (tex_rect),
-                             0, 0, /* src_x/y */
-                             0, 0, /* dst_x/y */
-                             width, height, /* dst_width/height */
-                             width, height, /* width/height */
-                             format,
-                             rowstride,
-                             data);
-
-  return COGL_TEXTURE (tex_rect);
-}
-
 static void
 texture_rectangle_check_cb (CoglTexture *sub_texture,
                             const float *sub_texture_coords,
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-texture-rectangle.h b/src/compositor/meta-texture-rectangle.h
index 7b84229f5..ba2624f52 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-texture-rectangle.h
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-texture-rectangle.h
@@ -28,13 +28,6 @@
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-CoglTexture *
-meta_texture_rectangle_new (unsigned int width,
-                            unsigned int height,
-                            CoglPixelFormat format,
-                            unsigned int rowstride,
-                            const guint8 *data);
-
 gboolean
 meta_texture_rectangle_check (CoglTexture *texture);
 
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-texture-tower.c b/src/compositor/meta-texture-tower.c
index 019aaf4fb..5d82addb4 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-texture-tower.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-texture-tower.c
@@ -359,14 +359,10 @@ texture_tower_create_texture (MetaTextureTower *tower,
   if ((!is_power_of_two (width) || !is_power_of_two (height)) &&
       meta_texture_rectangle_check (tower->textures[level - 1]))
     {
-      tower->textures[level] =
-        meta_texture_rectangle_new (width, height,
-                                    /* data format */
-                                    TEXTURE_FORMAT,
-                                    /* rowstride */
-                                    width * 4,
-                                    /* data */
-                                    NULL);
+      ClutterBackend *backend = clutter_get_default_backend ();
+      CoglContext *context = clutter_backend_get_cogl_context (backend);
+
+      tower->textures[level] = cogl_texture_rectangle_new_with_size (context, width, height);
     }
   else
     {
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index 46979bf7d..b9473d256 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -2165,9 +2165,18 @@ build_and_scan_frame_mask (MetaWindowActor       *self,
 
   if (meta_texture_rectangle_check (paint_tex))
     {
-      mask_texture = meta_texture_rectangle_new (tex_width, tex_height,
-                                                 COGL_PIXEL_FORMAT_A_8,
-                                                 stride, mask_data);
+      ClutterBackend *backend = clutter_get_default_backend ();
+      CoglContext *context = clutter_backend_get_cogl_context (backend);
+
+      mask_texture = COGL_TEXTURE (cogl_texture_rectangle_new_with_size (context, tex_width, tex_height));
+      cogl_texture_set_components (mask_texture, COGL_TEXTURE_COMPONENTS_A);
+      cogl_texture_set_region (mask_texture,
+                               0, 0, /* src_x/y */
+                               0, 0, /* dst_x/y */
+                               tex_width, tex_height, /* dst_width/height */
+                               tex_width, tex_height, /* width/height */
+                               COGL_PIXEL_FORMAT_A_8,
+                               stride, mask_data);
     }
   else
     {