diff --git a/cogl/cogl-buffer.c b/cogl/cogl-buffer.c
index 21ede706c..f61f1afae 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-buffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-buffer.c
@@ -57,11 +57,13 @@
 #define glBufferSubData ctx->drv.pf_glBufferSubData
 #define glGetBufferSubData ctx->drv.pf_glGetBufferSubData
 #define glDeleteBuffers ctx->drv.pf_glDeleteBuffers
-#define glMapBuffer ctx->drv.pf_glMapBuffer
-#define glUnmapBuffer ctx->drv.pf_glUnmapBuffer
 
 #endif
 
+/* These two are always accessed through an extension, even on GLES */
+#define glMapBuffer ctx->drv.pf_glMapBuffer
+#define glUnmapBuffer ctx->drv.pf_glUnmapBuffer
+
 #ifndef GL_PIXEL_PACK_BUFFER
 #define GL_PIXEL_PACK_BUFFER 0x88EB
 #endif
@@ -74,6 +76,15 @@
 #ifndef GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER
 #define GL_ARRAY_BUFFER 0x8893
 #endif
+#ifndef GL_READ_ONLY
+#define GL_READ_ONLY 0x88B8
+#endif
+#ifndef GL_WRITE_ONLY
+#define GL_WRITE_ONLY 0x88B9
+#endif
+#ifndef GL_READ_WRITE
+#define GL_READ_WRITE 0x88BA
+#endif
 
 /* XXX:
  * The CoglHandle macros don't support any form of inheritance, so for
@@ -131,13 +142,19 @@ bo_map (CoglBuffer       *buffer,
         CoglBufferAccess  access,
         CoglBufferMapHint hints)
 {
-#ifndef COGL_HAS_GLES
   guint8 *data;
   CoglBufferBindTarget target;
   GLenum gl_target;
 
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NULL);
 
+  if ((access & COGL_BUFFER_ACCESS_READ) &&
+      !cogl_features_available (COGL_FEATURE_MAP_BUFFER_FOR_READ))
+    return NULL;
+  if ((access & COGL_BUFFER_ACCESS_WRITE) &&
+      !cogl_features_available (COGL_FEATURE_MAP_BUFFER_FOR_WRITE))
+    return NULL;
+
   target = buffer->last_target;
   _cogl_buffer_bind (buffer, target);
 
@@ -164,18 +181,11 @@ bo_map (CoglBuffer       *buffer,
   _cogl_buffer_unbind (buffer);
 
   return data;
-
-#else /* COGL_HAS_GLES */
-
-  return NULL;
-
-#endif /* COGL_HAS_GLES */
 }
 
 static void
 bo_unmap (CoglBuffer *buffer)
 {
-#ifndef COGL_HAS_GLES
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NO_RETVAL);
 
   _cogl_buffer_bind (buffer, buffer->last_target);
@@ -184,9 +194,6 @@ bo_unmap (CoglBuffer *buffer)
   buffer->flags &= ~COGL_BUFFER_FLAG_MAPPED;
 
   _cogl_buffer_unbind (buffer);
-#else
-  g_return_if_reached ();
-#endif
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -306,16 +313,6 @@ _cogl_buffer_fini (CoglBuffer *buffer)
     g_free (buffer->data);
 }
 
-/* OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2 have a GL_OES_mapbuffer extension that is able to map
- * VBOs for write only, we don't support that in CoglBuffer */
-#if defined (COGL_HAS_GLES)
-GLenum
-_cogl_buffer_access_to_gl_enum (CoglBufferAccess access)
-{
-  return 0;
-}
-
-#else
 GLenum
 _cogl_buffer_access_to_gl_enum (CoglBufferAccess access)
 {
@@ -326,7 +323,6 @@ _cogl_buffer_access_to_gl_enum (CoglBufferAccess access)
   else
     return GL_READ_ONLY;
 }
-#endif
 
 /* OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2 only know about STATIC_DRAW and DYNAMIC_DRAW */
 #if defined (COGL_HAS_GLES)
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-types.h b/cogl/cogl-types.h
index 1f493110b..48b3fc4ff 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-types.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-types.h
@@ -252,6 +252,10 @@ typedef enum { /*< prefix=COGL_PIXEL_FORMAT >*/
  * @COGL_FEATURE_POINT_SPRITE: Whether
  *     cogl_material_set_layer_point_sprite_coords_enabled() is supported.
  * @COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_3D: 3D texture support
+ * @COGL_FEATURE_MAP_BUFFER_FOR_READ: Whether cogl_buffer_map() is
+ *     supported with CoglBufferAccess including read support.
+ * @COGL_FEATURE_MAP_BUFFER_FOR_WRITE: Whether cogl_buffer_map() is
+ *     supported with CoglBufferAccess including write support.
  *
  * Flags for the supported features.
  *
@@ -278,7 +282,9 @@ typedef enum
   COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_NPOT_REPEAT    = (1 << 17),
   COGL_FEATURE_POINT_SPRITE           = (1 << 18),
   COGL_FEATURE_TEXTURE_3D             = (1 << 19),
-  COGL_FEATURE_SHADERS_ARBFP          = (1 << 20)
+  COGL_FEATURE_SHADERS_ARBFP          = (1 << 20),
+  COGL_FEATURE_MAP_BUFFER_FOR_READ    = (1 << 21),
+  COGL_FEATURE_MAP_BUFFER_FOR_WRITE   = (1 << 22)
 } CoglFeatureFlags;
 
 /**
diff --git a/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-feature-functions-gl.h b/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-feature-functions-gl.h
index bcbdd7fd1..e26e4e988 100644
--- a/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-feature-functions-gl.h
+++ b/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-feature-functions-gl.h
@@ -295,7 +295,9 @@ COGL_FEATURE_END ()
 COGL_FEATURE_BEGIN (vbos, 1, 5,
                     "ARB\0",
                     "vertex_buffer_object\0",
-                    COGL_FEATURE_VBOS,
+                    COGL_FEATURE_VBOS |
+                    COGL_FEATURE_MAP_BUFFER_FOR_READ |
+                    COGL_FEATURE_MAP_BUFFER_FOR_WRITE,
                     0)
 COGL_FEATURE_FUNCTION (void, glGenBuffers,
                        (GLuint		 n,
diff --git a/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-feature-functions-gles.h b/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-feature-functions-gles.h
index 8d0d8644d..408076ee8 100644
--- a/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-feature-functions-gles.h
+++ b/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-feature-functions-gles.h
@@ -109,3 +109,15 @@ COGL_FEATURE_FUNCTION (void, glTexSubImage3D,
                         GLsizei width, GLsizei height, GLsizei depth,
                         GLenum format, GLenum type, const GLvoid* pixels))
 COGL_FEATURE_END ()
+
+COGL_FEATURE_BEGIN (map_buffer, 255, 255,
+                    "OES\0",
+                    "mapbuffer\0",
+                    COGL_FEATURE_MAP_BUFFER_FOR_WRITE,
+                    0)
+COGL_FEATURE_FUNCTION (void *, glMapBuffer,
+                       (GLenum           target,
+                        GLenum           access))
+COGL_FEATURE_FUNCTION (GLboolean, glUnmapBuffer,
+                       (GLenum           target))
+COGL_FEATURE_END ()