diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.c
index 056a16ad7..969b64ddd 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.c
@@ -821,6 +821,7 @@ meta_backend_x11_initable_init (GInitable    *initable,
                                 GCancellable *cancellable,
                                 GError      **error)
 {
+  MetaContext *context = meta_backend_get_context (META_BACKEND (initable));
   MetaBackendX11 *x11 = META_BACKEND_X11 (initable);
   MetaBackendX11Private *priv = meta_backend_x11_get_instance_private (x11);
   Display *xdisplay;
@@ -842,6 +843,8 @@ meta_backend_x11_initable_init (GInitable    *initable,
       return FALSE;
     }
 
+  XSynchronize (xdisplay, meta_context_is_x11_sync (context));
+
   priv->xdisplay = xdisplay;
   priv->xscreen = DefaultScreenOfDisplay (xdisplay);
   priv->xcb = XGetXCBConnection (priv->xdisplay);
diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 2145fde0d..ee1c372bf 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -2117,47 +2117,6 @@ meta_display_queue_retheme_all_windows (MetaDisplay *display)
   g_slist_free (windows);
 }
 
-/*
- * Stores whether syncing is currently enabled.
- */
-static gboolean is_syncing = FALSE;
-
-/**
- * meta_is_syncing:
- *
- * Returns whether X synchronisation is currently enabled.
- *
- * FIXME: This is *only* called by meta_display_open(), but by that time
- * we have already turned syncing on or off on startup, and we don't
- * have any way to do so while Mutter is running, so it's rather
- * pointless.
- *
- * Returns: %TRUE if we must wait for events whenever we send X requests;
- * %FALSE otherwise.
- */
-gboolean
-meta_is_syncing (void)
-{
-  return is_syncing;
-}
-
-/**
- * meta_set_syncing:
- * @setting: whether to turn syncing on or off
- *
- * A handy way to turn on synchronisation on or off for every display.
- */
-void
-meta_set_syncing (gboolean setting)
-{
-  if (setting != is_syncing)
-    {
-      is_syncing = setting;
-      if (meta_get_display ())
-        XSynchronize (meta_get_display ()->x11_display->xdisplay, is_syncing);
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * meta_display_ping_timeout:
  * @data: All the information about this ping. It is a #MetaPingData
diff --git a/src/core/meta-context-main.c b/src/core/meta-context-main.c
index d2445e369..5baa7c9f5 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-context-main.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-context-main.c
@@ -391,7 +391,6 @@ meta_context_main_setup (MetaContext  *context,
     return FALSE;
 
   meta_context_set_unsafe_mode (context, context_main->options.unsafe_mode);
-  meta_set_syncing (context_main->options.x11.sync || g_getenv ("MUTTER_SYNC"));
 
 #ifdef HAVE_NATIVE_BACKEND
   if (!add_persistent_virtual_monitors (context_main, error))
@@ -503,6 +502,16 @@ meta_context_main_notify_ready (MetaContext *context)
   g_clear_pointer (&context_main->options.sm.save_file, g_free);
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+static gboolean
+meta_context_main_is_x11_sync (MetaContext *context)
+{
+  MetaContextMain *context_main = META_CONTEXT_MAIN (context);
+
+  return context_main->options.x11.sync || g_getenv ("MUTTER_SYNC");
+}
+#endif
+
 #ifdef HAVE_NATIVE_BACKEND
 static gboolean
 add_virtual_monitor_cb (const char  *option_name,
@@ -706,6 +715,9 @@ meta_context_main_class_init (MetaContextMainClass *klass)
   context_class->setup = meta_context_main_setup;
   context_class->create_backend = meta_context_main_create_backend;
   context_class->notify_ready = meta_context_main_notify_ready;
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+  context_class->is_x11_sync = meta_context_main_is_x11_sync;
+#endif
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/core/meta-context-private.h b/src/core/meta-context-private.h
index 87f5261f5..c8b9066a7 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-context-private.h
+++ b/src/core/meta-context-private.h
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ struct _MetaContextClass
                                     GError      **error);
 
   void (* notify_ready) (MetaContext *context);
+
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+  gboolean (* is_x11_sync) (MetaContext *context);
+#endif
 };
 
 const char * meta_context_get_name (MetaContext *context);
@@ -64,4 +68,9 @@ MetaWaylandCompositor * meta_context_get_wayland_compositor (MetaContext *contex
 
 MetaX11DisplayPolicy meta_context_get_x11_display_policy (MetaContext *context);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+META_EXPORT_TEST
+gboolean meta_context_is_x11_sync (MetaContext *context);
+#endif
+
 #endif /* META_CONTEXT_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/src/core/meta-context.c b/src/core/meta-context.c
index 4363e14e1..d50956b9c 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-context.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-context.c
@@ -245,6 +245,14 @@ meta_context_get_x11_display_policy (MetaContext *context)
   return META_CONTEXT_GET_CLASS (context)->get_x11_display_policy (context);
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+gboolean
+meta_context_is_x11_sync (MetaContext *context)
+{
+  return META_CONTEXT_GET_CLASS (context)->is_x11_sync (context);
+}
+#endif
+
 static gboolean
 meta_context_real_configure (MetaContext   *context,
                              int           *argc,
diff --git a/src/core/util-private.h b/src/core/util-private.h
index ff9d7ce42..fa9f2be4b 100644
--- a/src/core/util-private.h
+++ b/src/core/util-private.h
@@ -37,9 +37,6 @@
 void     meta_set_verbose (gboolean setting);
 void     meta_set_debugging (gboolean setting);
 
-META_EXPORT_TEST
-void     meta_set_syncing (gboolean setting);
-
 void     meta_set_replace_current_wm (gboolean setting);
 void     meta_set_is_wayland_compositor (gboolean setting);
 
diff --git a/src/meta/util.h b/src/meta/util.h
index 79de380d8..6c54f5579 100644
--- a/src/meta/util.h
+++ b/src/meta/util.h
@@ -32,9 +32,6 @@
 META_EXPORT
 gboolean meta_is_verbose  (void);
 
-META_EXPORT
-gboolean meta_is_syncing (void);
-
 META_EXPORT
 gboolean meta_is_wayland_compositor (void);
 
diff --git a/src/tests/meta-context-test.c b/src/tests/meta-context-test.c
index c07a66b7b..5a4e48876 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-context-test.c
+++ b/src/tests/meta-context-test.c
@@ -136,8 +136,6 @@ meta_context_test_setup (MetaContext  *context,
     settings,
     META_EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURE_SCALE_MONITOR_FRAMEBUFFER);
 
-  meta_set_syncing (!!g_getenv ("MUTTER_SYNC"));
-
   return TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -203,6 +201,14 @@ meta_context_test_notify_ready (MetaContext *context)
 {
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+static gboolean
+meta_context_test_is_x11_sync (MetaContext *context)
+{
+  return !!g_getenv ("MUTTER_SYNC");
+}
+#endif
+
 static gboolean
 run_tests_idle (gpointer user_data)
 {
@@ -329,6 +335,9 @@ meta_context_test_class_init (MetaContextTestClass *klass)
   context_class->setup = meta_context_test_setup;
   context_class->create_backend = meta_context_test_create_backend;
   context_class->notify_ready = meta_context_test_notify_ready;
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+  context_class->is_x11_sync = meta_context_test_is_x11_sync;
+#endif
 
   signals[BEFORE_TESTS] =
     g_signal_new ("before-tests",
diff --git a/src/x11/meta-x11-display.c b/src/x11/meta-x11-display.c
index 9a2f02e9e..bb5f4bf50 100644
--- a/src/x11/meta-x11-display.c
+++ b/src/x11/meta-x11-display.c
@@ -1136,6 +1136,7 @@ on_window_visibility_updated (MetaDisplay    *display,
 MetaX11Display *
 meta_x11_display_new (MetaDisplay *display, GError **error)
 {
+  MetaContext *context = meta_display_get_context (display);
   MetaX11Display *x11_display;
   Display *xdisplay;
   Screen *xscreen;
@@ -1168,10 +1169,11 @@ meta_x11_display_new (MetaDisplay *display, GError **error)
   gdk_display = g_steal_pointer (&prepared_gdk_display);
   xdisplay = GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (gdk_display);
 
+  XSynchronize (xdisplay, meta_context_is_x11_sync (context));
+
 #ifdef HAVE_WAYLAND
   if (meta_is_wayland_compositor ())
     {
-      MetaContext *context = meta_display_get_context (display);
       MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor =
         meta_context_get_wayland_compositor (context);
 
@@ -1179,9 +1181,6 @@ meta_x11_display_new (MetaDisplay *display, GError **error)
     }
 #endif
 
-  if (meta_is_syncing ())
-    XSynchronize (xdisplay, True);
-
   replace_current_wm =
     meta_context_is_replacing (meta_backend_get_context (backend));