diff --git a/libweston/compositor.c b/libweston/compositor.c
index f55833721..e886d93e6 100644
--- a/libweston/compositor.c
+++ b/libweston/compositor.c
@@ -221,9 +221,11 @@ paint_node_update_early(struct weston_paint_node *pnode)
 static void
 paint_node_update_late(struct weston_paint_node *pnode)
 {
+	struct weston_surface *surf = pnode->surface;
 	bool vis_dirty = pnode->status & PAINT_NODE_VISIBILITY_DIRTY;
 	bool plane_dirty = pnode->status & PAINT_NODE_PLANE_DIRTY;
 	bool content_dirty = pnode->status & PAINT_NODE_CONTENT_DIRTY;
+	bool buffer_dirty = pnode->status & PAINT_NODE_BUFFER_DIRTY;
 
 	/* The geoemtry may be shrinking, so we shouldn't just
 	 * add the old visible region to our damage region, because
@@ -264,6 +266,10 @@ paint_node_update_late(struct weston_paint_node *pnode)
 		pnode->plane_next = NULL;
 	}
 
+	if (buffer_dirty)
+		surf->compositor->renderer->attach(surf,
+						   surf->buffer_ref.buffer);
+
 	pnode->status &= ~(PAINT_NODE_VISIBILITY_DIRTY |
 			   PAINT_NODE_PLANE_DIRTY |
 			   PAINT_NODE_CONTENT_DIRTY |
@@ -2981,7 +2987,6 @@ weston_surface_attach_solid(struct weston_surface *surface,
 	assert(buffer->type == WESTON_BUFFER_SOLID);
 	weston_buffer_reference(&surface->buffer_ref, buffer,
 				BUFFER_MAY_BE_ACCESSED);
-	surface->compositor->renderer->attach(surface, buffer);
 
 	weston_surface_set_size(surface, w, h);
 
@@ -3117,7 +3122,6 @@ weston_surface_attach(struct weston_surface *surface,
 
 		weston_buffer_reference(&surface->buffer_ref, NULL,
 					BUFFER_WILL_NOT_BE_ACCESSED);
-		surface->compositor->renderer->attach(surface, buffer);
 
 		surface->width_from_buffer = 0;
 		surface->height_from_buffer = 0;
@@ -3162,7 +3166,6 @@ weston_surface_attach(struct weston_surface *surface,
 	old_buffer = NULL;
 	weston_buffer_reference(&surface->buffer_ref, buffer,
 				BUFFER_MAY_BE_ACCESSED);
-	surface->compositor->renderer->attach(surface, buffer);
 
 	return status;
 }
diff --git a/libweston/pixman-renderer.c b/libweston/pixman-renderer.c
index b9053ff68..5dfecdf67 100644
--- a/libweston/pixman-renderer.c
+++ b/libweston/pixman-renderer.c
@@ -897,6 +897,8 @@ pixman_renderer_surface_copy_content(struct weston_surface *surface,
 	if (!ps->image)
 		return -1;
 
+	pixman_renderer_attach(surface, surface->buffer_ref.buffer);
+
 	out_buf = pixman_image_create_bits(format, width, height,
 					   target, width * bytespp);
 
diff --git a/libweston/renderer-gl/gl-renderer.c b/libweston/renderer-gl/gl-renderer.c
index e59eee967..35910d3af 100644
--- a/libweston/renderer-gl/gl-renderer.c
+++ b/libweston/renderer-gl/gl-renderer.c
@@ -3487,8 +3487,6 @@ gl_renderer_attach(struct weston_surface *es, struct weston_buffer *buffer)
 {
 	struct gl_surface_state *gs = get_surface_state(es);
 
-	/* If get_surface_state called gl_renderer_create_surface, it did
-	 * attach the buffer */
 	if (gs->buffer_ref.buffer == buffer)
 		return;
 
@@ -3593,15 +3591,19 @@ gl_renderer_surface_copy_content(struct weston_surface *surface,
 	const size_t bytespp = 4; /* PIXMAN_a8b8g8r8 */
 	const GLenum gl_format = GL_RGBA; /* PIXMAN_a8b8g8r8 little-endian */
 	struct gl_renderer *gr = get_renderer(surface->compositor);
-	struct gl_surface_state *gs = get_surface_state(surface);
-	struct gl_buffer_state *gb = gs->buffer;
-	struct weston_buffer *buffer = gs->buffer_ref.buffer;
+	struct gl_surface_state *gs;
+	struct gl_buffer_state *gb;
+	struct weston_buffer *buffer;
 	int cw, ch;
 	GLuint fbo;
 	GLuint tex;
 	GLenum status;
 	int ret = -1;
 
+	gl_renderer_attach(surface, surface->buffer_ref.buffer);
+	gs = get_surface_state(surface);
+	gb = gs->buffer;
+	buffer = gs->buffer_ref.buffer;
 	assert(buffer);
 
 	cw = buffer->width;
@@ -3750,10 +3752,6 @@ gl_renderer_create_surface(struct weston_surface *surface)
 	wl_signal_add(&gr->destroy_signal,
 		      &gs->renderer_destroy_listener);
 
-	if (surface->buffer_ref.buffer) {
-		gl_renderer_attach(surface, surface->buffer_ref.buffer);
-	}
-
 	return 0;
 }