diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-crtc-kms.c b/src/backends/native/meta-crtc-kms.c
index d7c61bb8f..bf8eb5ba4 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-crtc-kms.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-crtc-kms.c
@@ -368,9 +368,15 @@ generate_crtc_connector_list (MetaGpu  *gpu,
   return connectors;
 }
 
+gboolean
+meta_crtc_kms_is_gamma_invalid (MetaCrtcKms *crtc_kms)
+{
+  return !crtc_kms->is_gamma_valid;
+}
+
 void
-meta_crtc_kms_maybe_set_gamma (MetaCrtcKms   *crtc_kms,
-                               MetaKmsDevice *kms_device)
+meta_crtc_kms_set_gamma (MetaCrtcKms   *crtc_kms,
+                         MetaKmsUpdate *kms_update)
 {
   MetaGpu *gpu = meta_crtc_get_gpu (META_CRTC (crtc_kms));
   MetaBackend *backend = meta_gpu_get_backend (gpu);
@@ -378,23 +384,16 @@ meta_crtc_kms_maybe_set_gamma (MetaCrtcKms   *crtc_kms,
     meta_backend_get_monitor_manager (backend);
   MetaMonitorManagerNative *monitor_manager_native =
     META_MONITOR_MANAGER_NATIVE (monitor_manager);
-  MetaKms *kms = meta_kms_device_get_kms (kms_device);
-  MetaKmsUpdate *kms_update;
   MetaKmsCrtcGamma *gamma;
   MetaKmsCrtc *kms_crtc = meta_crtc_kms_get_kms_crtc (crtc_kms);
 
-  if (crtc_kms->is_gamma_valid)
-    return;
-
-  if (!meta_kms_crtc_has_gamma (kms_crtc))
-    return;
+  g_return_if_fail (!crtc_kms->is_gamma_valid);
+  g_return_if_fail (meta_kms_crtc_has_gamma (kms_crtc));
 
   gamma = meta_monitor_manager_native_get_cached_crtc_gamma (monitor_manager_native,
                                                              crtc_kms);
-  if (!gamma)
-    return;
+  g_return_if_fail (gamma);
 
-  kms_update = meta_kms_ensure_pending_update (kms, kms_device);
   meta_kms_update_set_crtc_gamma (kms_update,
                                   kms_crtc,
                                   gamma->size,
@@ -531,6 +530,7 @@ meta_crtc_kms_new (MetaGpuKms  *gpu_kms,
 
   crtc_kms->kms_crtc = kms_crtc;
   crtc_kms->primary_plane = primary_plane;
+  crtc_kms->is_gamma_valid = TRUE;
 
   if (!kms_crtc_crtc_kms_quark)
     {
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-crtc-kms.h b/src/backends/native/meta-crtc-kms.h
index 6a9ce3d51..a8cd2d6f7 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-crtc-kms.h
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-crtc-kms.h
@@ -74,8 +74,10 @@ meta_crtc_kms_supports_format (MetaCrtcKms *crtc_kms,
 
 void meta_crtc_kms_invalidate_gamma (MetaCrtcKms *crtc_kms);
 
-void meta_crtc_kms_maybe_set_gamma (MetaCrtcKms   *crtc_kms,
-                                    MetaKmsDevice *kms_device);
+gboolean meta_crtc_kms_is_gamma_invalid (MetaCrtcKms *crtc_kms);
+
+void meta_crtc_kms_set_gamma (MetaCrtcKms   *crtc_kms,
+                              MetaKmsUpdate *kms_update);
 
 MetaCrtcKms * meta_crtc_kms_from_kms_crtc (MetaKmsCrtc *kms_crtc);
 
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-onscreen-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-onscreen-native.c
index 9cbb37c87..64b25cdd0 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-onscreen-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-onscreen-native.c
@@ -1395,8 +1395,16 @@ meta_onscreen_native_prepare_frame (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
   MetaOutputKms *output_kms = META_OUTPUT_KMS (onscreen_native->output);
   MetaKmsCrtc *kms_crtc = meta_crtc_kms_get_kms_crtc (crtc_kms);
   MetaKmsDevice *kms_device = meta_kms_crtc_get_device (kms_crtc);
+  MetaKms *kms = meta_kms_device_get_kms (kms_device);
+
+  if (meta_crtc_kms_is_gamma_invalid (crtc_kms))
+    {
+      MetaKmsUpdate *kms_update;
+
+      kms_update = meta_kms_ensure_pending_update (kms, kms_device);
+      meta_crtc_kms_set_gamma (crtc_kms, kms_update);
+    }
 
-  meta_crtc_kms_maybe_set_gamma (crtc_kms, kms_device);
   meta_output_kms_maybe_set_privacy_screen (output_kms, kms_device);
 }