diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/surface.c b/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/surface.c
index de092ecfe1b..46747f437e4 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/surface.c
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/surface.c
@@ -94,9 +94,14 @@ vlVdpVideoSurfaceCreate(VdpDevice device, VdpChromaType chroma_type,
    );
    if (p_surf->templat.buffer_format != PIPE_FORMAT_NONE)
       p_surf->video_buffer = pipe->create_video_buffer(pipe, &p_surf->templat);
-
    /* do not mandate early allocation of a video buffer */
-   vlVdpVideoSurfaceClear(p_surf);
+
+   if (!pipe->screen->get_video_param(pipe->screen,
+                                      PIPE_VIDEO_PROFILE_UNKNOWN,
+                                      PIPE_VIDEO_ENTRYPOINT_UNKNOWN,
+                                      PIPE_VIDEO_CAP_SKIP_CLEAR_SURFACE))
+      vlVdpVideoSurfaceClear(p_surf);
+
    mtx_unlock(&dev->mutex);
 
    *surface = vlAddDataHTAB(p_surf);