diff --git a/gl/cogl-context.c b/gl/cogl-context.c
index 50196a7dc..ce5b792c9 100644
--- a/gl/cogl-context.c
+++ b/gl/cogl-context.c
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ cogl_create_context ()
   
   _context->fbo_handles = NULL;
   _context->draw_buffer = COGL_WINDOW_BUFFER;
+  
+  _context->blend_src_factor = CGL_SRC_ALPHA;
+  _context->blend_dst_factor = CGL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA;
 
   _context->shader_handles = NULL;
 
@@ -91,8 +94,9 @@ cogl_create_context ()
   _context->pf_glUniform1fARB = NULL;
   
   /* Init OpenGL state */
-  glTexEnvi (GL_TEXTURE_ENV, GL_TEXTURE_ENV_MODE, GL_MODULATE);
-  glColorMask (TRUE, TRUE, TRUE, FALSE);
+  GE( glTexEnvi (GL_TEXTURE_ENV, GL_TEXTURE_ENV_MODE, GL_MODULATE) );
+  GE( glColorMask (TRUE, TRUE, TRUE, FALSE) );
+  GE( glBlendFunc (GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA) );
   cogl_enable (0);
   
   return TRUE;
diff --git a/gl/cogl-context.h b/gl/cogl-context.h
index 1704e8f4c..26c090ac5 100644
--- a/gl/cogl-context.h
+++ b/gl/cogl-context.h
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ typedef struct
   /* Enable cache */
   gulong            enable_flags;
   guint8            color_alpha;
+  COGLenum          blend_src_factor;
+  COGLenum          blend_dst_factor;
   
   /* Primitives */
   CoglFixedVec2     path_start;
diff --git a/gl/cogl.c b/gl/cogl.c
index 8b0e27cf7..2104e175c 100644
--- a/gl/cogl.c
+++ b/gl/cogl.c
@@ -306,12 +306,9 @@ cogl_enable (gulong flags)
   */
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NO_RETVAL);
   
-  if (cogl_toggle_flag (ctx, flags,
-			COGL_ENABLE_BLEND,
-			GL_BLEND))
-    {
-      glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
-    }
+  cogl_toggle_flag (ctx, flags,
+                    COGL_ENABLE_BLEND,
+                    GL_BLEND);
   
   cogl_toggle_flag (ctx, flags,
 		    COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_2D,
@@ -340,59 +337,23 @@ cogl_get_enable ()
   return ctx->enable_flags;
 }
 
-/*
 void
-cogl_enable (gulong flags)
+cogl_blend_func (COGLenum src_factor, COGLenum dst_factor)
 {
+  /* This function caches the blending setup in the
+   * hope of lessening GL traffic.
+   */
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NO_RETVAL);
   
-  if (flags & COGL_ENABLE_BLEND)
+  if (ctx->blend_src_factor != src_factor ||
+      ctx->blend_dst_factor != dst_factor)
     {
-      if (!(ctx->enable_flags & COGL_ENABLE_BLEND))
-	{
-	  glEnable (GL_BLEND);
-	  glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
-	
-          ctx->enable_flags |= COGL_ENABLE_BLEND;
-        }
+      glBlendFunc (src_factor, dst_factor);
+      ctx->blend_src_factor = src_factor;
+      ctx->blend_dst_factor = dst_factor;
     }
-  else if (ctx->enable_flags & COGL_ENABLE_BLEND)
-    {
-      glDisable (GL_BLEND);
-      ctx->enable_flags &= ~COGL_ENABLE_BLEND;
-    }
-
-  if (flags & COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_2D)
-    {
-      if (!(ctx->enable_flags & COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_2D))
-        {
-	  glEnable (GL_TEXTURE_2D);
-          ctx->enable_flags |= COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_2D;
-        }
-    }
-  else if (ctx->enable_flags & COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_2D)
-    {
-      glDisable (GL_TEXTURE_2D);
-       ctx->enable_flags &= ~COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_2D;
-    }
-  
-#ifdef GL_TEXTURE_RECTANGLE_ARB
-  if (flags & COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_RECT)
-    {
-      if (!(ctx->enable_flags & COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_RECT))
-        {
-	  glEnable (GL_TEXTURE_RECTANGLE_ARB);
-          ctx->enable_flags |= COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_RECT;
-        }
-    }
-  else if (ctx->enable_flags & COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_RECT)
-    {
-      glDisable (GL_TEXTURE_RECTANGLE_ARB);
-      ctx->enable_flags &= ~COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_RECT;
-    }
-#endif
 }
-*/
+
 void
 cogl_enable_depth_test (gboolean setting)
 {
diff --git a/gles/cogl-context.c b/gles/cogl-context.c
index 0027e96df..a2e5c9ee6 100644
--- a/gles/cogl-context.c
+++ b/gles/cogl-context.c
@@ -65,9 +65,13 @@ cogl_create_context ()
   _context->fbo_handles = NULL;
   _context->draw_buffer = COGL_WINDOW_BUFFER;
   
+  _context->blend_src_factor = CGL_SRC_ALPHA;
+  _context->blend_dst_factor = CGL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA;
+  
   /* Init OpenGL state */
-  glTexEnvx (GL_TEXTURE_ENV, GL_TEXTURE_ENV_MODE, GL_MODULATE);
-  glColorMask (TRUE, TRUE, TRUE, FALSE);
+  GE( glTexEnvx (GL_TEXTURE_ENV, GL_TEXTURE_ENV_MODE, GL_MODULATE) );
+  GE( glColorMask (TRUE, TRUE, TRUE, FALSE) );
+  GE( glBlendFunc (GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA) );
   cogl_enable (0);
   
   return TRUE;
diff --git a/gles/cogl-context.h b/gles/cogl-context.h
index c5117a9f5..f9654600c 100644
--- a/gles/cogl-context.h
+++ b/gles/cogl-context.h
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ typedef struct
   /* Enable cache */
   gulong               enable_flags;
   guint8               color_alpha;
+  COGLenum             blend_src_factor;
+  COGLenum             blend_dst_factor;
   
   /* Primitives */
   CoglFixedVec2        path_start;
diff --git a/gles/cogl-texture.c b/gles/cogl-texture.c
index 1dcb882fe..992f1b6d6 100644
--- a/gles/cogl-texture.c
+++ b/gles/cogl-texture.c
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ _cogl_texture_download_from_gl (CoglTexture *tex,
          for direct copy to framebuffer */
       cogl_paint_init (&cback);
       cogl_color (&cwhite);
+      cogl_blend_func (CGL_ONE, CGL_ZERO);
       
       /* Draw the texture image */
       cogl_texture_rectangle (handle,
@@ -349,6 +350,7 @@ _cogl_texture_download_from_gl (CoglTexture *tex,
 		 for direct copy to framebuffer */
 	      cogl_paint_init (&cback);
 	      cogl_color (&cwhite);
+              cogl_blend_func (CGL_ONE, CGL_ZERO);
 	      
 	      /* Draw a portion of texture */
 	      cogl_texture_rectangle (handle,
diff --git a/gles/cogl.c b/gles/cogl.c
index 15889b9b4..bcbf4a06a 100644
--- a/gles/cogl.c
+++ b/gles/cogl.c
@@ -214,12 +214,9 @@ cogl_enable (gulong flags)
   */
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NO_RETVAL);
   
-  if (cogl_toggle_flag (ctx, flags,
-			COGL_ENABLE_BLEND,
-			GL_BLEND))
-    {
-      glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
-    }
+  cogl_toggle_flag (ctx, flags,
+                    COGL_ENABLE_BLEND,
+                    GL_BLEND);
   
   cogl_toggle_flag (ctx, flags,
 		    COGL_ENABLE_TEXTURE_2D,
@@ -246,6 +243,23 @@ cogl_get_enable ()
   return ctx->enable_flags;
 }
 
+void
+cogl_blend_func (COGLenum src_factor, COGLenum dst_factor)
+{
+  /* This function caches the blending setup in the
+   * hope of lessening GL traffic.
+   */
+  _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NO_RETVAL);
+  
+  if (ctx->blend_src_factor != src_factor ||
+      ctx->blend_dst_factor != dst_factor)
+    {
+      glBlendFunc (src_factor, dst_factor);
+      ctx->blend_src_factor = src_factor;
+      ctx->blend_dst_factor = dst_factor;
+    }
+}
+
 void
 cogl_enable_depth_test (gboolean setting)
 {