diff --git a/clutter/clutter-backend.c b/clutter/clutter-backend.c
index 62ae5b159..6e8dac0a2 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-backend.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-backend.c
@@ -263,17 +263,14 @@ _clutter_backend_create_stage (ClutterBackend  *backend,
                                ClutterStage    *wrapper,
                                GError         **error)
 {
-  ClutterMainContext  *context;
   ClutterBackendClass *klass;
+  ClutterStageManager *stage_manager;
   ClutterActor        *stage = NULL;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_BACKEND (backend), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_STAGE (wrapper), FALSE);
 
-  context = _clutter_context_get_default ();
-
-  if (!context->stage_manager)
-    context->stage_manager = clutter_stage_manager_get_default ();
+  stage_manager = clutter_stage_manager_get_default ();
 
   klass = CLUTTER_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend);
   if (klass->create_stage)
@@ -284,7 +281,7 @@ _clutter_backend_create_stage (ClutterBackend  *backend,
 
   g_assert (CLUTTER_IS_STAGE_WINDOW (stage));
   _clutter_stage_set_window (wrapper, CLUTTER_STAGE_WINDOW (stage));
-  _clutter_stage_manager_add_stage (context->stage_manager, wrapper);
+  _clutter_stage_manager_add_stage (stage_manager, wrapper);
 
   return stage;
 }
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-private.h b/clutter/clutter-private.h
index db2c0cd7c..2a6e651b6 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-private.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-private.h
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ struct _ClutterMainContext
 {
   ClutterBackend  *backend;            /* holds a pointer to the windowing 
                                           system backend */
-  ClutterStageManager *stage_manager;  /* stages */
   GQueue          *events_queue;       /* the main event queue */
 
   guint            is_initialized : 1;  
diff --git a/clutter/x11/clutter-backend-x11.c b/clutter/x11/clutter-backend-x11.c
index 4d174045d..f1fbca618 100644
--- a/clutter/x11/clutter-backend-x11.c
+++ b/clutter/x11/clutter-backend-x11.c
@@ -284,13 +284,10 @@ static void
 clutter_backend_x11_dispose (GObject *gobject)
 {
   ClutterBackendX11   *backend_x11 = CLUTTER_BACKEND_X11 (gobject);
-  ClutterMainContext  *context;
   ClutterStageManager *stage_manager;
 
   CLUTTER_NOTE (BACKEND, "Disposing the of stages");
-
-  context = _clutter_context_get_default ();
-  stage_manager = context->stage_manager;
+  stage_manager = clutter_stage_manager_get_default ();
 
   /* Destroy all of the stages. g_slist_foreach is used because the
      finalizer for the stages will remove the stage from the