diff --git a/src/cairo-xcb-private.h b/src/cairo-xcb-private.h
index c99f1177b..e87f0e88c 100644
--- a/src/cairo-xcb-private.h
+++ b/src/cairo-xcb-private.h
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ struct _cairo_xcb_shm_info {
     cairo_xcb_connection_t *connection;
     uint32_t shm;
     uint32_t offset;
+    size_t size;
     void *mem;
     cairo_xcb_shm_mem_pool_t *pool;
     xcb_get_input_focus_cookie_t sync;
@@ -307,6 +308,7 @@ _cairo_xcb_connection_destroy (cairo_xcb_connection_t *connection)
 cairo_private cairo_int_status_t
 _cairo_xcb_connection_allocate_shm_info (cairo_xcb_connection_t *display,
 					 size_t size,
+					 cairo_bool_t might_reuse,
 					 cairo_xcb_shm_info_t **shm_info_out);
 
 cairo_private void
diff --git a/src/cairo-xcb-shm.c b/src/cairo-xcb-shm.c
index ffcaec8f1..6972720b0 100644
--- a/src/cairo-xcb-shm.c
+++ b/src/cairo-xcb-shm.c
@@ -492,6 +492,7 @@ _cairo_xcb_shm_process_pending (cairo_xcb_connection_t *connection, shm_wait_typ
 cairo_int_status_t
 _cairo_xcb_connection_allocate_shm_info (cairo_xcb_connection_t *connection,
 					 size_t size,
+					 cairo_bool_t might_reuse,
 					 cairo_xcb_shm_info_t **shm_info_out)
 {
     cairo_xcb_shm_info_t *shm_info;
@@ -506,6 +507,22 @@ _cairo_xcb_connection_allocate_shm_info (cairo_xcb_connection_t *connection,
     CAIRO_MUTEX_LOCK (connection->shm_mutex);
     _cairo_xcb_shm_process_pending (connection, PENDING_POLL);
 
+    if (might_reuse) {
+	cairo_list_foreach_entry (shm_info, cairo_xcb_shm_info_t,
+		&connection->shm_pending, pending) {
+	    if (shm_info->size >= size) {
+		cairo_list_del (&shm_info->pending);
+		CAIRO_MUTEX_UNLOCK (connection->shm_mutex);
+
+		xcb_discard_reply (connection->xcb_connection, shm_info->sync.sequence);
+		shm_info->sync.sequence = XCB_NONE;
+
+		*shm_info_out = shm_info;
+		return CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+	    }
+	}
+    }
+
     cairo_list_foreach_entry_safe (pool, next, cairo_xcb_shm_mem_pool_t,
 				   &connection->shm_pools, link)
     {
@@ -599,6 +616,7 @@ _cairo_xcb_connection_allocate_shm_info (cairo_xcb_connection_t *connection,
     shm_info->connection = connection;
     shm_info->pool = pool;
     shm_info->shm = pool->shmseg;
+    shm_info->size = size;
     shm_info->offset = (char *) mem - (char *) pool->base;
     shm_info->mem = mem;
     shm_info->sync.sequence = XCB_NONE;
diff --git a/src/cairo-xcb-surface-core.c b/src/cairo-xcb-surface-core.c
index 20cb5d37d..c28857500 100644
--- a/src/cairo-xcb-surface-core.c
+++ b/src/cairo-xcb-surface-core.c
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@ _cairo_xcb_shm_image_create_shm (cairo_xcb_connection_t *connection,
     if (size <= CAIRO_XCB_SHM_SMALL_IMAGE)
 	return CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED;
 
-    status = _cairo_xcb_connection_allocate_shm_info (connection,
-						      size, &shm_info);
+    status = _cairo_xcb_connection_allocate_shm_info (connection, size,
+						      FALSE, &shm_info);
     if (unlikely (status))
 	return status;
 
diff --git a/src/cairo-xcb-surface.c b/src/cairo-xcb-surface.c
index ebea5ff7b..9639f9162 100644
--- a/src/cairo-xcb-surface.c
+++ b/src/cairo-xcb-surface.c
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ static cairo_surface_t *
 _cairo_xcb_surface_create_shm_image (cairo_xcb_connection_t *connection,
 				     pixman_format_code_t pixman_format,
 				     int width, int height,
+				     cairo_bool_t might_reuse,
 				     cairo_xcb_shm_info_t **shm_info_out)
 {
     cairo_surface_t *image;
@@ -234,6 +235,7 @@ _cairo_xcb_surface_create_shm_image (cairo_xcb_connection_t *connection,
 					 PIXMAN_FORMAT_BPP (pixman_format));
     status = _cairo_xcb_connection_allocate_shm_info (connection,
 						      stride * height,
+						      might_reuse,
 						      &shm_info);
     if (unlikely (status))
 	return _cairo_surface_create_in_error (status);
@@ -278,6 +280,7 @@ _get_shm_image (cairo_xcb_surface_t *surface,
     image = _cairo_xcb_surface_create_shm_image (surface->connection,
 						 surface->pixman_format,
 						 width, height,
+						 TRUE,
 						 &shm_info);
     if (unlikely (image == NULL || image->status))
 	goto done;