diff --git a/clutter/clutter-actor.c b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
index ac577ac48..3620ca87a 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-actor.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
@@ -1780,6 +1780,7 @@ clutter_actor_real_queue_redraw (ClutterActor *self,
                                  ClutterActor *origin)
 {
   ClutterActor *parent;
+  ClutterMainContext *context;
 
   CLUTTER_NOTE (PAINT, "Redraw queued on '%s' (from: '%s')",
                 get_actor_debug_name (self),
@@ -1797,6 +1798,17 @@ clutter_actor_real_queue_redraw (ClutterActor *self,
   if (!CLUTTER_ACTOR_IS_VISIBLE (self))
     return;
 
+  /* We have an optimization in _clutter_do_pick to detect when the scene is
+   * static so we can cache a full, un-clipped pick buffer to avoid continuous
+   * pick renders.
+   *
+   * Currently the assumption is that actors queue a redraw when some state
+   * changes that affects painting *or* picking so we can use this point
+   * to invalidate any currently cached pick buffer.
+   */
+  context = _clutter_context_get_default ();
+  context->have_complete_pick_buffer = FALSE;
+
   /* Although we could determine here that a full stage redraw
    * has already been queued and immediately bail out, we actually
    * guarantee that we will propagate a queue-redraw signal to our
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-main.c b/clutter/clutter-main.c
index 46fa1440e..06d58eb26 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-main.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-main.c
@@ -301,6 +301,13 @@ _clutter_do_redraw (ClutterStage *stage)
 
   ctx = _clutter_context_get_default ();
 
+  /* We have an optimization to avoid pick renders while scene is static.
+   * This is implied by seeing multiple picks per frame so we have to
+   * reset a pick counter each frame and also invalidate any current pick
+   * buffer. */
+  ctx->picks_per_frame = 0;
+  ctx->have_complete_pick_buffer = FALSE;
+
   /* Before we can paint, we have to be sure we have the latest layout */
   _clutter_stage_maybe_relayout (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage));
 
@@ -577,6 +584,7 @@ _clutter_do_pick (ClutterStage   *stage,
   guint32             id;
   GLboolean           dither_was_on;
   ClutterActor       *actor;
+  gboolean            is_clipped;
   CLUTTER_STATIC_COUNTER (do_pick_counter,
                           "_clutter_do_pick counter",
                           "Increments for each full pick run",
@@ -617,13 +625,52 @@ _clutter_do_pick (ClutterStage   *stage,
 
   context = _clutter_context_get_default ();
 
+  /* It's possible that we currently have a static scene and have renderered a
+   * full, unclipped pick buffer. If so we can simply continue to read from
+   * this cached buffer until the scene next changes. */
+  if (context->have_complete_pick_buffer)
+    {
+      CLUTTER_TIMER_START (_clutter_uprof_context, pick_read);
+      cogl_read_pixels (x, y, 1, 1,
+                        COGL_READ_PIXELS_COLOR_BUFFER,
+                        COGL_PIXEL_FORMAT_RGBA_8888_PRE,
+                        pixel);
+      CLUTTER_TIMER_STOP (_clutter_uprof_context, pick_read);
+
+      /* FIXME: This is a lazy copy and paste of the logic at the end of this
+       * function used when we actually do a pick render. It should be
+       * consolidated somehow.
+       */
+      if (pixel[0] == 0xff && pixel[1] == 0xff && pixel[2] == 0xff)
+        {
+          actor = CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage);
+          goto result;
+        }
+
+      id = _clutter_pixel_to_id (pixel);
+      actor = clutter_get_actor_by_gid (id);
+      goto result;
+    }
+
+  context->picks_per_frame++;
+
   _clutter_backend_ensure_context (context->backend, stage);
 
   /* needed for when a context switch happens */
   _clutter_stage_maybe_setup_viewport (stage);
 
-  if (G_LIKELY (!(clutter_pick_debug_flags & CLUTTER_DEBUG_DUMP_PICK_BUFFERS)))
-    cogl_clip_push_window_rectangle (x, y, 1, 1);
+  /* If we are seeing multiple picks per frame that means the scene is static
+   * so we promote to doing a non-scissored pick render so that all subsequent
+   * picks for the same static scene won't require additional renders */
+  if (context->picks_per_frame >= 2)
+    {
+      if (G_LIKELY (!(clutter_pick_debug_flags &
+                      CLUTTER_DEBUG_DUMP_PICK_BUFFERS)))
+        cogl_clip_push_window_rectangle (x, y, 1, 1);
+      is_clipped = TRUE;
+    }
+  else
+    is_clipped = FALSE;
 
   cogl_disable_fog ();
   cogl_color_set_from_4ub (&stage_pick_id, 255, 255, 255, 255);
@@ -647,8 +694,14 @@ _clutter_do_pick (ClutterStage   *stage,
   context->pick_mode = CLUTTER_PICK_NONE;
   CLUTTER_TIMER_STOP (_clutter_uprof_context, pick_paint);
 
-  if (G_LIKELY (!(clutter_pick_debug_flags & CLUTTER_DEBUG_DUMP_PICK_BUFFERS)))
-    cogl_clip_pop ();
+  if (is_clipped)
+    {
+      if (G_LIKELY (!(clutter_pick_debug_flags &
+                      CLUTTER_DEBUG_DUMP_PICK_BUFFERS)))
+        cogl_clip_pop ();
+    }
+  else
+    context->have_complete_pick_buffer = TRUE;
 
   /* Make sure Cogl flushes any batched geometry to the GPU driver */
   cogl_flush ();
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-private.h b/clutter/clutter-private.h
index fc50b0dc1..3f7277c80 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-private.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-private.h
@@ -188,6 +188,9 @@ struct _ClutterMainContext
   GList *repaint_funcs;
 
   ClutterSettings *settings;
+
+  gint picks_per_frame;
+  gboolean have_complete_pick_buffer;
 };
 
 #define CLUTTER_CONTEXT()	(_clutter_context_get_default ())