diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-layer.c b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-layer.c
index 86e075089..76d17e743 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-layer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-layer.c
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ _cogl_pipeline_layer_has_alpha (CoglPipelineLayer *layer)
                                         COGL_PIPELINE_LAYER_STATE_COMBINE);
   CoglPipelineLayerBigState *big_state = combine_authority->big_state;
   CoglPipelineLayer *tex_authority;
+  CoglPipelineLayer *snippets_authority;
 
   /* has_alpha maintains the alpha status for the GL_PREVIOUS layer */
 
@@ -112,6 +113,12 @@ _cogl_pipeline_layer_has_alpha (CoglPipelineLayer *layer)
       return TRUE;
     }
 
+  /* All bets are off if the layer contains any snippets */
+  snippets_authority = _cogl_pipeline_layer_get_authority
+    (layer, COGL_PIPELINE_LAYER_STATE_FRAGMENT_SNIPPETS);
+  if (!COGL_LIST_EMPTY (&snippets_authority->big_state->fragment_snippets))
+    return TRUE;
+
   return FALSE;
 }
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-state-private.h b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-state-private.h
index 9a38e1104..2bc162dcd 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-state-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-state-private.h
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ _cogl_pipeline_has_vertex_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline);
 gboolean
 _cogl_pipeline_has_fragment_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline);
 
+gboolean
+_cogl_pipeline_has_non_layer_vertex_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline);
+
+gboolean
+_cogl_pipeline_has_non_layer_fragment_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline);
+
 void
 _cogl_pipeline_set_fog_state (CoglPipeline *pipeline,
                               const CoglPipelineFogState *fog_state);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-state.c b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-state.c
index 04caa918c..3477820c8 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-state.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-state.c
@@ -1632,7 +1632,7 @@ cogl_pipeline_add_fragment_hook (CoglPipeline *pipeline,
 }
 
 gboolean
-_cogl_pipeline_has_vertex_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
+_cogl_pipeline_has_non_layer_vertex_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
 {
   CoglPipeline *authority =
     _cogl_pipeline_get_authority (pipeline,
@@ -1641,6 +1641,22 @@ _cogl_pipeline_has_vertex_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
   return !COGL_LIST_EMPTY (&authority->big_state->vertex_snippets);
 }
 
+gboolean
+_cogl_pipeline_has_vertex_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
+{
+  return _cogl_pipeline_has_non_layer_vertex_snippets (pipeline);
+}
+
+gboolean
+_cogl_pipeline_has_non_layer_fragment_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
+{
+  CoglPipeline *authority =
+    _cogl_pipeline_get_authority (pipeline,
+                                  COGL_PIPELINE_STATE_FRAGMENT_SNIPPETS);
+
+  return !COGL_LIST_EMPTY (&authority->big_state->fragment_snippets);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 check_layer_has_fragment_snippet (CoglPipelineLayer *layer,
                                   void *user_data)
@@ -1662,12 +1678,9 @@ check_layer_has_fragment_snippet (CoglPipelineLayer *layer,
 gboolean
 _cogl_pipeline_has_fragment_snippets (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
 {
-  CoglPipeline *authority =
-    _cogl_pipeline_get_authority (pipeline,
-                                  COGL_PIPELINE_STATE_FRAGMENT_SNIPPETS);
   gboolean found_fragment_snippet = FALSE;
 
-  if (!COGL_LIST_EMPTY (&authority->big_state->fragment_snippets))
+  if (_cogl_pipeline_has_non_layer_fragment_snippets (pipeline))
     return TRUE;
 
   _cogl_pipeline_foreach_layer_internal (pipeline,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c b/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
index 2831b55f7..026c9c65b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
@@ -761,6 +761,18 @@ _cogl_pipeline_needs_blending_enabled (CoglPipeline    *pipeline,
         return TRUE;
     }
 
+  if (changes & COGL_PIPELINE_STATE_FRAGMENT_SNIPPETS)
+    {
+      if (!_cogl_pipeline_has_non_layer_fragment_snippets (pipeline))
+        return TRUE;
+    }
+
+  if (changes & COGL_PIPELINE_STATE_VERTEX_SNIPPETS)
+    {
+      if (!_cogl_pipeline_has_non_layer_vertex_snippets (pipeline))
+        return TRUE;
+    }
+
   /* XXX: we should only need to look at these if lighting is enabled
    */
   if (changes & COGL_PIPELINE_STATE_LIGHTING)