diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug-options.h b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug-options.h
index 972c69cfe..578568353 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug-options.h
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug-options.h
@@ -168,4 +168,9 @@ OPT (DISABLE_BLENDING,
      "disable-program-caches",
      "Disable program caches",
      "Disable fallback caches for arbfp and glsl programs")
-
+OPT (DISABLE_FAST_READ_PIXEL,
+     "Root Cause",
+     "disable-fast-read-pixel",
+     "Disable read pixel optimization",
+     "Disable optimization for reading 1px for simple "
+     "scenes of opaque rectangles")
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c
index 5c2b5c2fe..77e43bf19 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ static const GDebugKey cogl_behavioural_debug_keys[] = {
   { "disable-npot-textures", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_NPOT_TEXTURES},
   { "wireframe", COGL_DEBUG_WIREFRAME},
   { "disable-software-clip", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_SOFTWARE_CLIP},
-  { "disable-program-caches", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PROGRAM_CACHES}
+  { "disable-program-caches", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PROGRAM_CACHES},
+  { "disable-fast-read-pixel", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_FAST_READ_PIXEL}
 };
 static const int n_cogl_behavioural_debug_keys =
   G_N_ELEMENTS (cogl_behavioural_debug_keys);
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h
index 1a06bf734..51155edd8 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h
@@ -31,36 +31,37 @@
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 typedef enum {
-  COGL_DEBUG_SLICING          = 1 << 1,
-  COGL_DEBUG_OFFSCREEN        = 1 << 2,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DRAW             = 1 << 3,
-  COGL_DEBUG_PANGO            = 1 << 4,
-  COGL_DEBUG_RECTANGLES       = 1 << 5,
-  COGL_DEBUG_HANDLE           = 1 << 6,
-  COGL_DEBUG_BLEND_STRINGS    = 1 << 7,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_BATCHING = 1 << 8,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_VBOS     = 1 << 9,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PBOS     = 1 << 10,
-  COGL_DEBUG_JOURNAL          = 1 << 11,
-  COGL_DEBUG_BATCHING         = 1 << 12,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_SOFTWARE_TRANSFORM = 1 << 13,
-  COGL_DEBUG_MATRICES         = 1 << 14,
-  COGL_DEBUG_ATLAS            = 1 << 15,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DUMP_ATLAS_IMAGE = 1 << 16,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ATLAS    = 1 << 17,
-  COGL_DEBUG_OPENGL           = 1 << 18,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_TEXTURING = 1 << 19,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ARBFP    = 1 << 20,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_FIXED    = 1 << 21,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_GLSL     = 1 << 22,
-  COGL_DEBUG_SHOW_SOURCE      = 1 << 23,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_BLENDING = 1 << 24,
-  COGL_DEBUG_TEXTURE_PIXMAP   = 1 << 25,
-  COGL_DEBUG_BITMAP           = 1 << 26,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_NPOT_TEXTURES = 1 << 27,
-  COGL_DEBUG_WIREFRAME        = 1 << 28,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_SOFTWARE_CLIP = 1 << 29,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PROGRAM_CACHES = 1 << 30
+  COGL_DEBUG_SLICING          = 1 << 0,
+  COGL_DEBUG_OFFSCREEN        = 1 << 1,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DRAW             = 1 << 2,
+  COGL_DEBUG_PANGO            = 1 << 3,
+  COGL_DEBUG_RECTANGLES       = 1 << 4,
+  COGL_DEBUG_HANDLE           = 1 << 5,
+  COGL_DEBUG_BLEND_STRINGS    = 1 << 6,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_BATCHING = 1 << 7,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_VBOS     = 1 << 8,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PBOS     = 1 << 9,
+  COGL_DEBUG_JOURNAL          = 1 << 10,
+  COGL_DEBUG_BATCHING         = 1 << 11,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_SOFTWARE_TRANSFORM = 1 << 12,
+  COGL_DEBUG_MATRICES         = 1 << 13,
+  COGL_DEBUG_ATLAS            = 1 << 14,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DUMP_ATLAS_IMAGE = 1 << 15,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ATLAS    = 1 << 16,
+  COGL_DEBUG_OPENGL           = 1 << 17,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_TEXTURING = 1 << 18,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ARBFP    = 1 << 19,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_FIXED    = 1 << 20,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_GLSL     = 1 << 21,
+  COGL_DEBUG_SHOW_SOURCE      = 1 << 22,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_BLENDING = 1 << 23,
+  COGL_DEBUG_TEXTURE_PIXMAP   = 1 << 24,
+  COGL_DEBUG_BITMAP           = 1 << 25,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_NPOT_TEXTURES = 1 << 26,
+  COGL_DEBUG_WIREFRAME        = 1 << 27,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_SOFTWARE_CLIP = 1 << 28,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PROGRAM_CACHES = 1 << 29,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_FAST_READ_PIXEL = 1 << 30
 } CoglDebugFlags;
 
 #ifdef COGL_ENABLE_DEBUG
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
index 1519d58f3..1a63cda84 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
@@ -1237,6 +1237,9 @@ _cogl_framebuffer_try_fast_read_pixel (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer,
 {
   gboolean found_intersection;
 
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_FAST_READ_PIXEL))
+    return FALSE;
+
   if (source != COGL_READ_PIXELS_COLOR_BUFFER)
     return FALSE;
 
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
index f0e8f3896..e9f3a4cef 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
@@ -1689,6 +1689,9 @@ try_checking_point_hits_entry_after_clipping (CoglJournalEntry *entry,
       ClipBounds clip_bounds;
       float poly[16];
 
+      if (!can_software_clip)
+        return FALSE;
+
       if (!can_software_clip_entry (entry, NULL,
                                     entry->clip_stack, &clip_bounds))
         return FALSE;