diff --git a/cogl/cogl-types.h b/cogl/cogl-types.h
index 0d17b9326..df9a2866a 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-types.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-types.h
@@ -668,6 +668,10 @@ typedef enum _CoglWinsysFeature
    * to the vblank frequency. */
   COGL_WINSYS_FEATURE_SWAP_REGION_THROTTLE,
 
+  /* Available if the swap region implementation won't tear and thus
+   * only needs to be throttled to the framerate */
+  COGL_WINSYS_FEATURE_SWAP_REGION_SYNCHRONIZED,
+
   COGL_WINSYS_FEATURE_N_FEATURES
 } CoglWinsysFeature;
 
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx-feature-functions.h b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx-feature-functions.h
index 50df56284..b903ebdc7 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx-feature-functions.h
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx-feature-functions.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ COGL_WINSYS_FEATURE_BEGIN (copy_sub_buffer,
                            "copy_sub_buffer\0",
                            0,
                            0,
-                           0)
+                           COGL_WINSYS_FEATURE_SWAP_REGION_SYNCHRONIZED)
 COGL_WINSYS_FEATURE_FUNCTION (void, glXCopySubBuffer,
                               (Display *dpy,
                                GLXDrawable drawable,
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
index 80e262c3c..0eda135d3 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
@@ -1127,6 +1127,16 @@ _cogl_winsys_onscreen_swap_region (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
   guint32 end_frame_vsync_counter = 0;
   gboolean have_counter;
   gboolean can_wait;
+
+  /*
+   * We assume that glXCopySubBuffer is synchronized which means it won't prevent multiple
+   * blits per retrace if they can all be performed in the blanking period. If that's the
+   * case then we still want to use the vblank sync menchanism but
+   * we only need it to throttle redraws.
+   */
+  gboolean blit_sub_buffer_is_synchronized =
+     _cogl_winsys_has_feature (COGL_WINSYS_FEATURE_SWAP_REGION_SYNCHRONIZED);
+
   int framebuffer_height =  cogl_framebuffer_get_height (framebuffer);
   int *rectangles = g_alloca (sizeof (int) * n_rectangles * 4);
   int i;
@@ -1194,7 +1204,7 @@ _cogl_winsys_onscreen_swap_region (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
    */
   context->glFinish ();
 
-  if (have_counter && can_wait)
+  if (blit_sub_buffer_is_synchronized && have_counter && can_wait)
     {
       end_frame_vsync_counter = _cogl_winsys_get_vsync_counter ();