diff --git a/clutter/clutter-private.h b/clutter/clutter-private.h
index 017d54e7a..8c8f602f3 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-private.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-private.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "clutter-layout-manager.h"
 #include "clutter-master-clock.h"
 #include "clutter-settings.h"
+#include "clutter-stage-manager.h"
 #include "clutter-stage.h"
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
@@ -124,6 +125,9 @@ struct _ClutterMainContext
   /* the main windowing system backend */
   ClutterBackend *backend;
 
+  /* the object holding all the stage instances */
+  ClutterStageManager *stage_manager;
+
   /* the main event queue */
   GQueue *events_queue;
 
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-stage-manager.c b/clutter/clutter-stage-manager.c
index 26e58ccd9..a6005944f 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-stage-manager.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-stage-manager.c
@@ -178,12 +178,12 @@ clutter_stage_manager_init (ClutterStageManager *stage_manager)
 ClutterStageManager *
 clutter_stage_manager_get_default (void)
 {
-  static ClutterStageManager *stage_manager = NULL;
+  ClutterMainContext *context = _clutter_context_get_default ();
 
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (stage_manager == NULL))
-    stage_manager = g_object_new (CLUTTER_TYPE_STAGE_MANAGER, NULL);
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (context->stage_manager == NULL))
+    context->stage_manager = g_object_new (CLUTTER_TYPE_STAGE_MANAGER, NULL);
 
-  return stage_manager;
+  return context->stage_manager;
 }
 
 /**