diff --git a/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c b/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c
index 5580136fc..27c9d7300 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@ align_cursor_position (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
 }
 
 static void
-queue_redraw (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
-              MetaCursorSprite   *cursor_sprite)
+update_stage_overlay (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
+                      MetaCursorSprite   *cursor_sprite)
 {
   MetaCursorRendererPrivate *priv = meta_cursor_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
   ClutterActor *stage = meta_backend_get_stage (priv->backend);
@@ -145,11 +145,12 @@ queue_redraw (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
   if (!priv->stage_overlay)
     priv->stage_overlay = meta_stage_create_cursor_overlay (META_STAGE (stage));
 
-  if (cursor_sprite && !priv->handled_by_backend)
+  if (cursor_sprite)
     texture = meta_cursor_sprite_get_cogl_texture (cursor_sprite);
   else
     texture = NULL;
 
+  meta_overlay_set_visible (priv->stage_overlay, !priv->handled_by_backend);
   meta_stage_update_cursor_overlay (META_STAGE (stage), priv->stage_overlay,
                                     texture, &rect);
 }
@@ -334,7 +335,6 @@ meta_cursor_renderer_update_cursor (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
 {
   MetaCursorRendererPrivate *priv = meta_cursor_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
   gboolean handled_by_backend;
-  gboolean should_redraw = FALSE;
 
   if (cursor_sprite)
     meta_cursor_sprite_prepare_at (cursor_sprite,
@@ -345,16 +345,9 @@ meta_cursor_renderer_update_cursor (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
     META_CURSOR_RENDERER_GET_CLASS (renderer)->update_cursor (renderer,
                                                               cursor_sprite);
   if (handled_by_backend != priv->handled_by_backend)
-    {
-      priv->handled_by_backend = handled_by_backend;
-      should_redraw = TRUE;
-    }
+    priv->handled_by_backend = handled_by_backend;
 
-  if (!handled_by_backend)
-    should_redraw = TRUE;
-
-  if (should_redraw)
-    queue_redraw (renderer, cursor_sprite);
+  update_stage_overlay (renderer, cursor_sprite);
 }
 
 MetaCursorRenderer *
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-stage-private.h b/src/backends/meta-stage-private.h
index 6a264637c..03214218f 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-stage-private.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-stage-private.h
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ void              meta_stage_update_cursor_overlay   (MetaStage       *stage,
                                                       CoglTexture     *texture,
                                                       graphene_rect_t *rect);
 
+void meta_overlay_set_visible (MetaOverlay *overlay,
+                               gboolean     is_visible);
+
+gboolean meta_overlay_is_visible (MetaOverlay *overlay);
+
 void meta_stage_set_active (MetaStage *stage,
                             gboolean   is_active);
 
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-stage.c b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
index 7d5a5c172..af56a18f5 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-stage.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ struct _MetaStageWatch
 
 struct _MetaOverlay
 {
-  gboolean enabled;
+  MetaStage *stage;
+
+  gboolean is_visible;
 
   CoglPipeline *pipeline;
   CoglTexture *texture;
@@ -75,12 +77,15 @@ struct _MetaStage
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (MetaStage, meta_stage, CLUTTER_TYPE_STAGE);
 
 static MetaOverlay *
-meta_overlay_new (void)
+meta_overlay_new (MetaStage *stage)
 {
+  ClutterBackend *clutter_backend =
+    meta_backend_get_clutter_backend (stage->backend);
+  CoglContext *ctx = clutter_backend_get_cogl_context (clutter_backend);
   MetaOverlay *overlay;
-  CoglContext *ctx = clutter_backend_get_cogl_context (clutter_get_default_backend ());
 
   overlay = g_slice_new0 (MetaOverlay);
+  overlay->stage = stage;
   overlay->pipeline = cogl_pipeline_new (ctx);
 
   return overlay;
@@ -105,15 +110,9 @@ meta_overlay_set (MetaOverlay     *overlay,
       overlay->texture = texture;
 
       if (texture)
-        {
-          cogl_pipeline_set_layer_texture (overlay->pipeline, 0, texture);
-          overlay->enabled = TRUE;
-        }
+        cogl_pipeline_set_layer_texture (overlay->pipeline, 0, texture);
       else
-        {
-          cogl_pipeline_set_layer_texture (overlay->pipeline, 0, NULL);
-          overlay->enabled = FALSE;
-        }
+        cogl_pipeline_set_layer_texture (overlay->pipeline, 0, NULL);
     }
 
   overlay->current_rect = *rect;
@@ -125,10 +124,11 @@ meta_overlay_paint (MetaOverlay         *overlay,
 {
   CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer;
 
-  if (!overlay->enabled)
+  if (!overlay->texture)
     return;
 
-  g_assert (meta_is_wayland_compositor ());
+  if (!overlay->is_visible)
+    return;
 
   framebuffer = clutter_paint_context_get_framebuffer (paint_context);
   cogl_framebuffer_draw_rectangle (framebuffer,
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ queue_redraw_for_overlay (MetaStage   *stage,
     }
 
   /* Draw the overlay at the new position */
-  if (overlay->enabled)
+  if (overlay->is_visible && overlay->texture)
     queue_redraw_clutter_rect (stage, overlay, &overlay->current_rect);
 }
 
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ meta_stage_create_cursor_overlay (MetaStage *stage)
 {
   MetaOverlay *overlay;
 
-  overlay = meta_overlay_new ();
+  overlay = meta_overlay_new (stage);
   stage->overlays = g_list_prepend (stage->overlays, overlay);
 
   return overlay;
@@ -380,12 +380,27 @@ meta_stage_update_cursor_overlay (MetaStage       *stage,
                                   CoglTexture     *texture,
                                   graphene_rect_t *rect)
 {
-  g_assert (meta_is_wayland_compositor () || texture == NULL);
-
   meta_overlay_set (overlay, texture, rect);
   queue_redraw_for_overlay (stage, overlay);
 }
 
+void
+meta_overlay_set_visible (MetaOverlay *overlay,
+                          gboolean     is_visible)
+{
+  if (overlay->is_visible == is_visible)
+    return;
+
+  overlay->is_visible = is_visible;
+  queue_redraw_for_overlay (overlay->stage, overlay);
+}
+
+gboolean
+meta_overlay_is_visible (MetaOverlay *overlay)
+{
+  return overlay->is_visible;
+}
+
 void
 meta_stage_set_active (MetaStage *stage,
                        gboolean   is_active)
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-cursor-renderer-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-cursor-renderer-x11.c
index 1f198c130..4d81f8027 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-cursor-renderer-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-cursor-renderer-x11.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ meta_cursor_renderer_x11_update_cursor (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
       priv->server_cursor_visible = has_server_cursor;
     }
 
-  if (!priv->server_cursor_visible && cursor_sprite)
+  if (cursor_sprite)
     meta_cursor_sprite_realize_texture (cursor_sprite);
 
   return priv->server_cursor_visible;