diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-x11.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-x11.c
index 0e935d9b1..0591ed8d4 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-x11.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl-x11.c
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ _cogl_winsys_egl_context_created (CoglDisplay *display,
         }
     }
 
-  XFree (xvisinfo);
+  xlib_renderer->xvisinfo = xvisinfo;
 
   if (!_cogl_winsys_egl_make_current (display,
                                       egl_display->dummy_surface,
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
index 34fb0711f..a37eb098d 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
@@ -1159,7 +1159,7 @@ create_context (CoglDisplay *display, CoglError **error)
                                        dummy_drawable,
                                        glx_display->glx_context);
 
-  XFree (xvisinfo);
+  xlib_renderer->xvisinfo = xvisinfo;
 
   if (_cogl_xlib_renderer_untrap_errors (display->renderer, &old_state))
     {