diff --git a/src/cairo-gl-composite.c b/src/cairo-gl-composite.c
index 1dcc6a134..68c9b80ca 100644
--- a/src/cairo-gl-composite.c
+++ b/src/cairo-gl-composite.c
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ static void
 _cairo_gl_composite_bind_to_shader (cairo_gl_context_t   *ctx,
 				    cairo_gl_composite_t *setup)
 {
-    _cairo_gl_shader_bind_matrix4f(ctx, "ModelViewProjectionMatrix",
+    _cairo_gl_shader_bind_matrix4f(ctx, ctx->current_shader->mvp_location,
 				   ctx->modelviewprojection_matrix);
     _cairo_gl_operand_bind_to_shader (ctx, &setup->src,  CAIRO_GL_TEX_SOURCE);
     _cairo_gl_operand_bind_to_shader (ctx, &setup->mask, CAIRO_GL_TEX_MASK);
diff --git a/src/cairo-gl-operand.c b/src/cairo-gl-operand.c
index 7b5b404de..401574717 100644
--- a/src/cairo-gl-operand.c
+++ b/src/cairo-gl-operand.c
@@ -613,14 +613,8 @@ _cairo_gl_operand_bind_to_shader (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
                                   cairo_gl_operand_t *operand,
                                   cairo_gl_tex_t      tex_unit)
 {
-    char uniform_name[50];
-    char *custom_part;
-    static const char *names[] = { "source", "mask" };
     const cairo_matrix_t *texgen = NULL;
 
-    strcpy (uniform_name, names[tex_unit]);
-    custom_part = uniform_name + strlen (names[tex_unit]);
-
     switch (operand->type) {
     default:
     case CAIRO_GL_OPERAND_COUNT:
@@ -629,9 +623,8 @@ _cairo_gl_operand_bind_to_shader (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 	return;
 
     case CAIRO_GL_OPERAND_CONSTANT:
-        strcpy (custom_part, "_constant");
 	_cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec4 (ctx,
-                                    uniform_name,
+                                    ctx->current_shader->constant_location[tex_unit],
                                     operand->constant.color[0],
                                     operand->constant.color[1],
                                     operand->constant.color[2],
@@ -640,21 +633,18 @@ _cairo_gl_operand_bind_to_shader (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 
     case CAIRO_GL_OPERAND_RADIAL_GRADIENT_NONE:
     case CAIRO_GL_OPERAND_RADIAL_GRADIENT_EXT:
-	strcpy (custom_part, "_a");
 	_cairo_gl_shader_bind_float  (ctx,
-				      uniform_name,
+				      ctx->current_shader->a_location[tex_unit],
 				      operand->gradient.a);
 	/* fall through */
     case CAIRO_GL_OPERAND_RADIAL_GRADIENT_A0:
-	strcpy (custom_part, "_circle_d");
 	_cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec3   (ctx,
-				      uniform_name,
+				      ctx->current_shader->circle_d_location[tex_unit],
 				      operand->gradient.circle_d.center.x,
 				      operand->gradient.circle_d.center.y,
 				      operand->gradient.circle_d.radius);
-	strcpy (custom_part, "_radius_0");
 	_cairo_gl_shader_bind_float  (ctx,
-				      uniform_name,
+				      ctx->current_shader->radius_0_location[tex_unit],
 				      operand->gradient.radius_0);
         /* fall through */
     case CAIRO_GL_OPERAND_LINEAR_GRADIENT:
@@ -677,8 +667,9 @@ _cairo_gl_operand_bind_to_shader (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 		width = operand->gradient.gradient->cache_entry.size,
 		height = 1;
 	    }
-	    strcpy (custom_part, "_texdims");
-	    _cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec2 (ctx, uniform_name, width, height);
+	    _cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec2 (ctx,
+					ctx->current_shader->texdims_location[tex_unit],
+					width, height);
 	}
 	break;
     }
@@ -691,10 +682,9 @@ _cairo_gl_operand_bind_to_shader (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 		    texgen = &operand->gradient.m;
     }
     if (texgen) {
-	    char name[20];
-
-	    sprintf (name, "%s_texgen", names[tex_unit]);
-	    _cairo_gl_shader_bind_matrix(ctx, name, texgen);
+	    _cairo_gl_shader_bind_matrix(ctx,
+					 ctx->current_shader->texgen_location[tex_unit],
+					 texgen);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cairo-gl-private.h b/src/cairo-gl-private.h
index d49e3d93f..8379abc95 100644
--- a/src/cairo-gl-private.h
+++ b/src/cairo-gl-private.h
@@ -201,6 +201,13 @@ typedef enum cairo_gl_tex {
 typedef struct cairo_gl_shader {
     GLuint fragment_shader;
     GLuint program;
+    GLint mvp_location;
+    GLint constant_location[2];
+    GLint a_location[2];
+    GLint circle_d_location[2];
+    GLint radius_0_location[2];
+    GLint texdims_location[2];
+    GLint texgen_location[2];
 } cairo_gl_shader_t;
 
 typedef enum cairo_gl_shader_in {
@@ -651,35 +658,35 @@ _cairo_gl_get_shader_by_type (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 
 cairo_private void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_float (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			     const char *name,
+			     GLint location,
 			     float value);
 
 cairo_private void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec2 (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			    const char *name,
+			    GLint location,
 			    float value0, float value1);
 
 cairo_private void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec3 (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			    const char *name,
+			    GLint location,
 			    float value0,
 			    float value1,
 			    float value2);
 
 cairo_private void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec4 (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			    const char *name,
+			    GLint location,
 			    float value0, float value1,
 			    float value2, float value3);
 
 cairo_private void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_matrix (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			      const char *name,
+			      GLint location,
 			      const cairo_matrix_t* m);
 
 cairo_private void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_matrix4f (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-				const char *name,
+				GLint location,
 				GLfloat* gl_m);
 
 cairo_private void
diff --git a/src/cairo-gl-shaders.c b/src/cairo-gl-shaders.c
index d8de71252..cc22cea41 100644
--- a/src/cairo-gl-shaders.c
+++ b/src/cairo-gl-shaders.c
@@ -805,6 +805,22 @@ link_shader_program (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
     ASSERT_NOT_REACHED;
 }
 
+static GLint
+_cairo_gl_get_op_uniform_location(cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
+				  cairo_gl_shader_t  *shader,
+				  cairo_gl_tex_t      tex_unit,
+				  const char         *suffix)
+{
+    cairo_gl_dispatch_t *dispatch = &ctx->dispatch;
+    char uniform_name[100];
+    const char *unit_name[2] = { "source", "mask" };
+
+    snprintf (uniform_name, sizeof (uniform_name), "%s_%s",
+	      unit_name[tex_unit], suffix);
+
+    return dispatch->GetUniformLocation (shader->program, uniform_name);
+}
+
 static cairo_status_t
 _cairo_gl_shader_compile_and_link (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 				   cairo_gl_shader_t *shader,
@@ -813,8 +829,10 @@ _cairo_gl_shader_compile_and_link (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 				   cairo_bool_t use_coverage,
 				   const char *fragment_text)
 {
+    cairo_gl_dispatch_t *dispatch = &ctx->dispatch;
     unsigned int vertex_shader;
     cairo_status_t status;
+    int i;
 
     assert (shader->program == 0);
 
@@ -828,12 +846,12 @@ _cairo_gl_shader_compile_and_link (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 						    use_coverage,
 						    CAIRO_GL_VAR_NONE,
 						    &source);
-        if (unlikely (status))
-            goto FAILURE;
+	if (unlikely (status))
+	    goto FAILURE;
 
 	compile_shader (ctx, &ctx->vertex_shaders[vertex_shader],
 			GL_VERTEX_SHADER, source);
-        free (source);
+	free (source);
     }
 
     compile_shader (ctx, &shader->fragment_shader,
@@ -843,6 +861,25 @@ _cairo_gl_shader_compile_and_link (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 			 ctx->vertex_shaders[vertex_shader],
 			 shader->fragment_shader);
 
+    shader->mvp_location =
+	dispatch->GetUniformLocation (shader->program,
+				      "ModelViewProjectionMatrix");
+
+    for (i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+	shader->constant_location[i] =
+	    _cairo_gl_get_op_uniform_location (ctx, shader, i, "constant");
+	shader->a_location[i] =
+	    _cairo_gl_get_op_uniform_location (ctx, shader, i, "a");
+	shader->circle_d_location[i] =
+	    _cairo_gl_get_op_uniform_location (ctx, shader, i, "circle_d");
+	shader->radius_0_location[i] =
+	    _cairo_gl_get_op_uniform_location (ctx, shader, i, "radius_0");
+	shader->texdims_location[i] =
+	    _cairo_gl_get_op_uniform_location (ctx, shader, i, "texdims");
+	shader->texgen_location[i] =
+	    _cairo_gl_get_op_uniform_location (ctx, shader, i, "texgen");
+    }
+
     return CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 
  FAILURE:
@@ -887,64 +924,54 @@ _cairo_gl_shader_set_samplers (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 
 void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_float (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			     const char *name,
+			     GLint location,
 			     float value)
 {
     cairo_gl_dispatch_t *dispatch = &ctx->dispatch;
-    GLint location = dispatch->GetUniformLocation (ctx->current_shader->program,
-						   name);
     assert (location != -1);
     dispatch->Uniform1f (location, value);
 }
 
 void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec2 (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			    const char *name,
+			    GLint location,
 			    float value0,
 			    float value1)
 {
     cairo_gl_dispatch_t *dispatch = &ctx->dispatch;
-    GLint location = dispatch->GetUniformLocation (ctx->current_shader->program,
-						   name);
     assert (location != -1);
     dispatch->Uniform2f (location, value0, value1);
 }
 
 void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec3 (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			    const char *name,
+			    GLint location,
 			    float value0,
 			    float value1,
 			    float value2)
 {
     cairo_gl_dispatch_t *dispatch = &ctx->dispatch;
-    GLint location = dispatch->GetUniformLocation (ctx->current_shader->program,
-						   name);
     assert (location != -1);
     dispatch->Uniform3f (location, value0, value1, value2);
 }
 
 void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_vec4 (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			    const char *name,
+			    GLint location,
 			    float value0, float value1,
 			    float value2, float value3)
 {
     cairo_gl_dispatch_t *dispatch = &ctx->dispatch;
-    GLint location = dispatch->GetUniformLocation (ctx->current_shader->program,
-						   name);
     assert (location != -1);
     dispatch->Uniform4f (location, value0, value1, value2, value3);
 }
 
 void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_matrix (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-			      const char *name,
+			      GLint location,
 			      const cairo_matrix_t* m)
 {
     cairo_gl_dispatch_t *dispatch = &ctx->dispatch;
-    GLint location = dispatch->GetUniformLocation (ctx->current_shader->program,
-						   name);
     float gl_m[9] = {
 	m->xx, m->xy, m->x0,
 	m->yx, m->yy, m->y0,
@@ -956,11 +983,9 @@ _cairo_gl_shader_bind_matrix (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
 
 void
 _cairo_gl_shader_bind_matrix4f (cairo_gl_context_t *ctx,
-				const char *name, GLfloat* gl_m)
+				GLint location, GLfloat* gl_m)
 {
     cairo_gl_dispatch_t *dispatch = &ctx->dispatch;
-    GLint location = dispatch->GetUniformLocation (ctx->current_shader->program,
-						   name);
     assert (location != -1);
     dispatch->UniformMatrix4fv (location, 1, GL_FALSE, gl_m);
 }