diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer-private.h
index d78bd408d..46a1d146d 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer-private.h
@@ -192,6 +192,11 @@ struct _CoglFramebuffer
   CoglFramebufferBits bits;
 
   int                 samples_per_pixel;
+
+  /* Whether the depth buffer was enabled for this framebuffer,
+   * usually means it needs to be cleared before being reused next.
+   */
+  CoglBool            depth_buffer_clear_needed;
 };
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
index f2df9c229..8660f910a 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ _cogl_framebuffer_init (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer,
   framebuffer->viewport_age_for_scissor_workaround = -1;
   framebuffer->dither_enabled = TRUE;
   framebuffer->depth_writing_enabled = TRUE;
+  framebuffer->depth_buffer_clear_needed = TRUE;
 
   framebuffer->modelview_stack = cogl_matrix_stack_new (ctx);
   framebuffer->projection_stack = cogl_matrix_stack_new (ctx);
@@ -267,6 +268,13 @@ cogl_framebuffer_clear4f (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer,
   int scissor_y1;
   CoglBool saved_viewport_scissor_workaround;
 
+  if (!framebuffer->depth_buffer_clear_needed &&
+      (buffers & COGL_BUFFER_BIT_DEPTH))
+    buffers &= ~(COGL_BUFFER_BIT_DEPTH);
+
+  if (buffers == 0)
+    return;
+
   _cogl_clip_stack_get_bounds (clip_stack,
                                &scissor_x0, &scissor_y0,
                                &scissor_x1, &scissor_y1);
@@ -414,6 +422,9 @@ cleared:
   _cogl_framebuffer_mark_mid_scene (framebuffer);
   _cogl_framebuffer_mark_clear_clip_dirty (framebuffer);
 
+  if (buffers & COGL_BUFFER_BIT_DEPTH)
+    framebuffer->depth_buffer_clear_needed = FALSE;
+
   if (buffers & COGL_BUFFER_BIT_COLOR && buffers & COGL_BUFFER_BIT_DEPTH)
     {
       /* For our fast-path for reading back a single pixel of simple
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-opengl.c b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-opengl.c
index 0e8f7c698..1de4b65eb 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-opengl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-opengl.c
@@ -378,7 +378,11 @@ flush_depth_state (CoglContext *ctx,
   if (ctx->depth_test_enabled_cache != depth_state->test_enabled)
     {
       if (depth_state->test_enabled == TRUE)
-        GE (ctx, glEnable (GL_DEPTH_TEST));
+        {
+          GE (ctx, glEnable (GL_DEPTH_TEST));
+          if (ctx->current_draw_buffer)
+            ctx->current_draw_buffer->depth_buffer_clear_needed = TRUE;
+        }
       else
         GE (ctx, glDisable (GL_DEPTH_TEST));
       ctx->depth_test_enabled_cache = depth_state->test_enabled;