diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h
index 69d7ebd4a..c6a00ca0e 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ struct _CoglTexture
   CoglContext *context;
   CoglTextureLoader *loader;
   GList *framebuffers;
-  int max_level;
+  int max_level_set;
   int width;
   int height;
   gboolean allocated;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-texture.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-texture.c
index 587088c97..5c9848d68 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-texture.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-texture.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ _cogl_texture_init (CoglTexture *texture,
                     const CoglTextureVtable *vtable)
 {
   texture->context = context;
-  texture->max_level = 0;
+  texture->max_level_set = 0;
   texture->width = width;
   texture->height = height;
   texture->allocated = FALSE;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-2d-gl.c b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-2d-gl.c
index 749c9941f..d602de2c8 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-2d-gl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-2d-gl.c
@@ -567,7 +567,8 @@ _cogl_texture_2d_gl_copy_from_bitmap (CoglTexture2D *tex_2d,
                                           &gl_format,
                                           &gl_type);
 
-  _cogl_texture_gl_maybe_update_max_level (tex, level);
+  if (tex->max_level_set < level)
+    cogl_texture_gl_set_max_level (tex, level);
 
   status = ctx->texture_driver->upload_subregion_to_gl (ctx,
                                                         tex,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-gl-private.h b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-gl-private.h
index 70e79998d..a8fbd2866 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-gl-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-gl-private.h
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ _cogl_texture_gl_flush_legacy_texobj_filters (CoglTexture *texture,
                                               unsigned int mag_filter);
 
 void
-_cogl_texture_gl_maybe_update_max_level (CoglTexture *texture,
-                                         int max_level);
+cogl_texture_gl_set_max_level (CoglTexture *texture,
+                               int max_level);
 
 void
 _cogl_texture_gl_generate_mipmaps (CoglTexture *texture);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-gl.c b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-gl.c
index f365fc90b..25a8537c9 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-gl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-texture-gl.c
@@ -107,26 +107,25 @@ _cogl_texture_gl_flush_legacy_texobj_filters (CoglTexture *texture,
 #endif
 
 void
-_cogl_texture_gl_maybe_update_max_level (CoglTexture *texture,
-                                         int max_level)
+cogl_texture_gl_set_max_level (CoglTexture *texture,
+                               int max_level)
 {
   CoglContext *ctx = texture->context;
 
-  if (_cogl_has_private_feature (ctx, COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_TEXTURE_MAX_LEVEL) &&
-      texture->max_level < max_level)
+  if (_cogl_has_private_feature (ctx, COGL_PRIVATE_FEATURE_TEXTURE_MAX_LEVEL))
     {
       GLuint gl_handle;
       GLenum gl_target;
 
       cogl_texture_get_gl_texture (texture, &gl_handle, &gl_target);
 
-      texture->max_level = max_level;
+      texture->max_level_set = max_level;
 
       _cogl_bind_gl_texture_transient (gl_target,
                                        gl_handle);
 
       GE( ctx, glTexParameteri (gl_target,
-                                GL_TEXTURE_MAX_LEVEL, texture->max_level));
+                                GL_TEXTURE_MAX_LEVEL, texture->max_level_set));
     }
 }
 
@@ -138,7 +137,8 @@ _cogl_texture_gl_generate_mipmaps (CoglTexture *texture)
   GLuint gl_handle;
   GLenum gl_target;
 
-  _cogl_texture_gl_maybe_update_max_level (texture, n_levels - 1);
+  if (texture->max_level_set < n_levels - 1)
+    cogl_texture_gl_set_max_level (texture, n_levels - 1);
 
   cogl_texture_get_gl_texture (texture, &gl_handle, &gl_target);
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gl/cogl-texture-driver-gl.c b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gl/cogl-texture-driver-gl.c
index 5b33a0a25..35c10c2d6 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gl/cogl-texture-driver-gl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gl/cogl-texture-driver-gl.c
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ _cogl_texture_driver_upload_subregion_to_gl (CoglContext *ctx,
        * glTexImage2D first to assert that the storage for this
        * level exists.
        */
-      if (texture->max_level < level)
+      if (texture->max_level_set < level)
         {
           ctx->glTexImage2D (gl_target,
                              level,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gles/cogl-texture-driver-gles.c b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gles/cogl-texture-driver-gles.c
index 01653bc87..f3cf3831e 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gles/cogl-texture-driver-gles.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gles/cogl-texture-driver-gles.c
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ _cogl_texture_driver_upload_subregion_to_gl (CoglContext *ctx,
        * glTexImage2D first to assert that the storage for this
        * level exists.
        */
-      if (texture->max_level < level)
+      if (texture->max_level_set < level)
         {
           ctx->glTexImage2D (gl_target,
                              level,