diff --git a/src/cairo-xlib-xcb-surface.c b/src/cairo-xlib-xcb-surface.c
index 16fabd876..b48cb9293 100644
--- a/src/cairo-xlib-xcb-surface.c
+++ b/src/cairo-xlib-xcb-surface.c
@@ -485,6 +485,12 @@ cairo_xlib_surface_get_drawable (cairo_surface_t *abstract_surface)
 	_cairo_error_throw (CAIRO_STATUS_SURFACE_TYPE_MISMATCH);
 	return 0;
     }
+    /* This can happen when e.g. create_similar falls back to an image surface
+     * because we don't have the RENDER extension. */
+    if (surface->xcb->base.type != CAIRO_SURFACE_TYPE_XCB) {
+	_cairo_error_throw (CAIRO_STATUS_SURFACE_TYPE_MISMATCH);
+	return 0;
+    }
 
     return surface->xcb->drawable;
 }
@@ -524,6 +530,12 @@ cairo_xlib_surface_get_depth (cairo_surface_t *abstract_surface)
 	_cairo_error_throw (CAIRO_STATUS_SURFACE_TYPE_MISMATCH);
 	return 0;
     }
+    /* This can happen when e.g. create_similar falls back to an image surface
+     * because we don't have the RENDER extension. */
+    if (surface->xcb->base.type != CAIRO_SURFACE_TYPE_XCB) {
+	_cairo_error_throw (CAIRO_STATUS_SURFACE_TYPE_MISMATCH);
+	return 0;
+    }
 
     return surface->xcb->depth;
 }
@@ -537,6 +549,12 @@ cairo_xlib_surface_get_width (cairo_surface_t *abstract_surface)
 	_cairo_error_throw (CAIRO_STATUS_SURFACE_TYPE_MISMATCH);
 	return 0;
     }
+    /* This can happen when e.g. create_similar falls back to an image surface
+     * because we don't have the RENDER extension. */
+    if (surface->xcb->base.type != CAIRO_SURFACE_TYPE_XCB) {
+	_cairo_error_throw (CAIRO_STATUS_SURFACE_TYPE_MISMATCH);
+	return 0;
+    }
 
     return surface->xcb->width;
 }
@@ -550,6 +568,12 @@ cairo_xlib_surface_get_height (cairo_surface_t *abstract_surface)
 	_cairo_error_throw (CAIRO_STATUS_SURFACE_TYPE_MISMATCH);
 	return 0;
     }
+    /* This can happen when e.g. create_similar falls back to an image surface
+     * because we don't have the RENDER extension. */
+    if (surface->xcb->base.type != CAIRO_SURFACE_TYPE_XCB) {
+	_cairo_error_throw (CAIRO_STATUS_SURFACE_TYPE_MISMATCH);
+	return 0;
+    }
 
     return surface->xcb->height;
 }