diff --git a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-xlib.c b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-xlib.c
index 302035d38..615fc98fa 100644
--- a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-xlib.c
+++ b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-xlib.c
@@ -25,9 +25,11 @@
  */
 
 #include "cairo-boilerplate.h"
+#include "cairo-boilerplate-xlib.h"
 #include "cairo-boilerplate-xlib-private.h"
 
 #include <cairo-xlib-xrender.h>
+#include <cairo-xlib-surface-private.h>
 
 typedef struct _xlib_target_closure
 {
@@ -194,3 +196,16 @@ _cairo_boilerplate_xlib_cleanup (void *closure)
     XCloseDisplay (xtc->dpy);
     free (xtc);
 }
+
+cairo_status_t
+cairo_boilerplate_xlib_surface_disable_render (cairo_surface_t *abstract_surface)
+{
+    cairo_xlib_surface_t *surface = (cairo_xlib_surface_t*) abstract_surface;
+
+    if (cairo_surface_get_type (abstract_surface) != CAIRO_SURFACE_TYPE_XLIB)
+	return CAIRO_STATUS_SURFACE_TYPE_MISMATCH;
+
+    surface->render_major = surface->render_minor = -1;
+
+    return CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index eb8edbd94..83e0bca7d 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ endif
 if CAIRO_HAS_XLIB_SURFACE
 libcairo_xlib_headers = cairo-xlib.h cairo-xlib-xrender.h
 libcairo_xlib_sources = cairo-xlib-surface.c cairo-xlib-surface-private.h \
-			cairo-xlib-screen.c cairo-xlib-private.h cairo-xlib-test.h
+			cairo-xlib-screen.c cairo-xlib-private.h
 backend_pkgconfigs += cairo-xlib.pc
 endif
 
diff --git a/src/cairo-xlib-surface.c b/src/cairo-xlib-surface.c
index 4f0ae6d81..8d9d1073b 100644
--- a/src/cairo-xlib-surface.c
+++ b/src/cairo-xlib-surface.c
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 #include "cairoint.h"
 #include "cairo-xlib.h"
 #include "cairo-xlib-xrender.h"
-#include "cairo-xlib-test.h"
 #include "cairo-xlib-private.h"
 #include "cairo-xlib-surface-private.h"
 #include "cairo-clip-private.h"
@@ -109,25 +108,6 @@ static const XTransform identity = { {
 #define CAIRO_SURFACE_RENDER_HAS_PICTURE_TRANSFORM(surface)	CAIRO_SURFACE_RENDER_AT_LEAST((surface), 0, 6)
 #define CAIRO_SURFACE_RENDER_HAS_FILTERS(surface)	CAIRO_SURFACE_RENDER_AT_LEAST((surface), 0, 6)
 
-static cairo_bool_t cairo_xlib_render_disabled = FALSE;
-
-/**
- * _cairo_xlib_test_disable_render:
- *
- * Disables the use of the RENDER extension.
- *
- * <note>
- * This function is <emphasis>only</emphasis> intended for internal
- * testing use within the cairo distribution. It is not installed in
- * any public header file.
- * </note>
- **/
-void
-_cairo_xlib_test_disable_render (void)
-{
-    cairo_xlib_render_disabled = TRUE;
-}
-
 static int
 _CAIRO_FORMAT_DEPTH (cairo_format_t format)
 {
@@ -1848,8 +1828,7 @@ _cairo_xlib_surface_create_internal (Display		       *dpy,
 	;
     }
 
-    if (cairo_xlib_render_disabled ||
-	! XRenderQueryVersion (dpy, &surface->render_major, &surface->render_minor)) {
+    if (! XRenderQueryVersion (dpy, &surface->render_major, &surface->render_minor)) {
 	surface->render_major = -1;
 	surface->render_minor = -1;
     }
diff --git a/src/cairo-xlib-test.h b/src/cairo-xlib-test.h
deleted file mode 100644
index ec167c15c..000000000
--- a/src/cairo-xlib-test.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-/* cairo - a vector graphics library with display and print output
- *
- * Copyright © 2005 Red Hat, Inc.
- *
- * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
- * modify it either under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
- * License version 2.1 as published by the Free Software Foundation
- * (the "LGPL") or, at your option, under the terms of the Mozilla
- * Public License Version 1.1 (the "MPL"). If you do not alter this
- * notice, a recipient may use your version of this file under either
- * the MPL or the LGPL.
- *
- * You should have received a copy of the LGPL along with this library
- * in the file COPYING-LGPL-2.1; if not, write to the Free Software
- * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
- * You should have received a copy of the MPL along with this library
- * in the file COPYING-MPL-1.1
- *
- * The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License
- * Version 1.1 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in
- * compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
- * http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/
- *
- * This software is distributed on an "AS IS" basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY
- * OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the LGPL or the MPL for
- * the specific language governing rights and limitations.
- *
- * The Original Code is the cairo graphics library.
- *
- * The Initial Developer of the Original Code is University of Southern
- * California.
- *
- * Contributor(s):
- *	Carl D. Worth <cworth@cworth.org>
- */
-
-#ifndef CAIRO_XLIB_TEST_H
-#define CAIRO_XLIB_TEST_H
-
-#include <cairo.h>
-
-#if CAIRO_HAS_XLIB_SURFACE
-
-#include <cairo-xlib.h>
-
-CAIRO_BEGIN_DECLS
-
-cairo_public void
-_cairo_xlib_test_disable_render (void);
-
-CAIRO_END_DECLS
-
-#endif /* CAIRO_HAS_XLIB_SURFACE */
-#endif /* CAIRO_XLIB_H */
diff --git a/test/xlib-surface.c b/test/xlib-surface.c
index 3b6d1b503..a1578cdb3 100644
--- a/test/xlib-surface.c
+++ b/test/xlib-surface.c
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
 #include "cairo-xlib.h"
 #include "cairo-xlib-xrender.h"
 #include "cairo-test.h"
-#include "cairo-xlib-test.h"
+
+#include "cairo-boilerplate-xlib.h"
 
 #include "buffer-diff.h"
 
@@ -123,6 +124,9 @@ do_test (Display        *dpy,
 					 DefaultVisual (dpy, screen),
 					 SIZE, SIZE);
 
+    if (!use_render)
+	cairo_boilerplate_xlib_surface_disable_render (surface);
+
     if (set_size) {
 	cairo_xlib_surface_set_size (surface, SIZE, SIZE);
 
@@ -257,8 +261,6 @@ main (void)
 		    result = status;
 	    }
 
-    _cairo_xlib_test_disable_render ();
-
     for (set_size = 0; set_size <= 1; set_size++)
 	for (use_pixmap = 0; use_pixmap <= 1; use_pixmap++)
 	    for (offscreen = 0; offscreen <= 1; offscreen++) {