diff --git a/effects/coverswitch.cpp b/effects/coverswitch.cpp
index e8a79ef37c..f538638b79 100644
--- a/effects/coverswitch.cpp
+++ b/effects/coverswitch.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ namespace KWin
 {
 
 KWIN_EFFECT( coverswitch, CoverSwitchEffect )
+KWIN_EFFECT_SUPPORTED( coverswitch, CoverSwitchEffect::supported() )
 
 CoverSwitchEffect::CoverSwitchEffect()
     : mActivated( 0 )
@@ -59,6 +60,14 @@ CoverSwitchEffect::~CoverSwitchEffect()
     {
     }
 
+bool CoverSwitchEffect::supported()
+    {
+    if( effects->compositingType() == OpenGLCompositing )
+        return true;
+    else
+        return false;
+    }
+
 void CoverSwitchEffect::reconfigure( ReconfigureFlags )
     {
     KConfigGroup conf = effects->effectConfig( "CoverSwitch" );
diff --git a/effects/coverswitch.h b/effects/coverswitch.h
index 75fbf9c9fc..1ee04e6dfb 100644
--- a/effects/coverswitch.h
+++ b/effects/coverswitch.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ class CoverSwitchEffect
         virtual void tabBoxUpdated();
         virtual void windowInputMouseEvent( Window w, QEvent* e );
 
+        static bool supported();
     private:
         void paintScene( EffectWindow* frontWindow, QList< EffectWindow* >* leftWindows, QList< EffectWindow* >* rightWindows,
         bool reflectedWindows = false );
diff --git a/effects/cube.cpp b/effects/cube.cpp
index 0007276d51..f5282d8b4c 100644
--- a/effects/cube.cpp
+++ b/effects/cube.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ namespace KWin
 {
 
 KWIN_EFFECT( cube, CubeEffect )
+KWIN_EFFECT_SUPPORTED( cube, CubeEffect::supported() )
 
 CubeEffect::CubeEffect()
     : activated( false )
@@ -91,6 +92,14 @@ CubeEffect::CubeEffect()
     connect( a, SIGNAL( triggered( bool )), this, SLOT( toggle()));
     }
 
+bool CubeEffect::supported()
+    {
+    if( effects->compositingType() == OpenGLCompositing )
+        return true;
+    else
+        return false;
+    }
+
 void CubeEffect::reconfigure( ReconfigureFlags )
     {
     loadConfig( "Cube" );
diff --git a/effects/cube.h b/effects/cube.h
index f860fa97e2..eb4b72a32d 100644
--- a/effects/cube.h
+++ b/effects/cube.h
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ class CubeEffect
         virtual void tabBoxAdded( int mode );
         virtual void tabBoxUpdated();
         virtual void tabBoxClosed();
+
+        static bool supported();
     protected slots:
         void toggle();
     protected:
diff --git a/effects/flipswitch.cpp b/effects/flipswitch.cpp
index d2bbd05b11..7fb8d4012c 100644
--- a/effects/flipswitch.cpp
+++ b/effects/flipswitch.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ namespace KWin
 {
 
 KWIN_EFFECT( flipswitch, FlipSwitchEffect )
+KWIN_EFFECT_SUPPORTED( flipswitch, FlipSwitchEffect::supported() )
 
 FlipSwitchEffect::FlipSwitchEffect()
     : mActivated( 0 )
@@ -55,6 +56,14 @@ FlipSwitchEffect::~FlipSwitchEffect()
     {
     }
 
+bool FlipSwitchEffect::supported()
+    {
+    if( effects->compositingType() == OpenGLCompositing )
+        return true;
+    else
+        return false;
+    }
+
 void FlipSwitchEffect::reconfigure( ReconfigureFlags )
     {
     KConfigGroup conf = effects->effectConfig( "FlipSwitch" );
diff --git a/effects/flipswitch.h b/effects/flipswitch.h
index e2b6b665e7..b74890f6bc 100644
--- a/effects/flipswitch.h
+++ b/effects/flipswitch.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ class FlipSwitchEffect
         virtual void tabBoxAdded( int mode );
         virtual void tabBoxClosed();
         virtual void tabBoxUpdated();
+
+        static bool supported();
     private:
         void paintWindowFlip( EffectWindow* w, bool draw = true, float opacity = 0.8  );
         bool mActivated;
diff --git a/effects/snow.cpp b/effects/snow.cpp
index a9d4dada9d..dc2a6e0887 100644
--- a/effects/snow.cpp
+++ b/effects/snow.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ namespace KWin
 {
 
 KWIN_EFFECT( snow, SnowEffect )
+KWIN_EFFECT_SUPPORTED( snow, SnowEffect::supported() )
 
 SnowEffect::SnowEffect()
     : texture( NULL )
@@ -69,6 +70,14 @@ SnowEffect::~SnowEffect()
         delete mShader;
     }
 
+bool SnowEffect::supported()
+    {
+    if( effects->compositingType() == OpenGLCompositing )
+        return true;
+    else
+        return false;
+    }
+
 void SnowEffect::reconfigure( ReconfigureFlags )
     {
     KConfigGroup conf = effects->effectConfig("Snow");
diff --git a/effects/snow.h b/effects/snow.h
index d11bc60e3d..e8a96cedfb 100644
--- a/effects/snow.h
+++ b/effects/snow.h
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ class SnowEffect
         virtual void postPaintScreen();
         virtual void paintWindow( EffectWindow* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data );
 
+        static bool supported();
     private slots:
         void toggle();
     private: