diff --git a/scene_opengl.cpp b/scene_opengl.cpp
index 2944b6ca58..201a3a6781 100644
--- a/scene_opengl.cpp
+++ b/scene_opengl.cpp
@@ -188,11 +188,7 @@ SceneOpenGL::SceneOpenGL( Workspace* ws )
     glXGetFBConfigAttrib( display(), fbcdrawable, GLX_VISUAL_ID, &vis_drawable );
     kDebug() << "Buffer visual: 0x" << QString::number( vis_buffer, 16 ) << ", drawable visual: 0x"
         << QString::number( vis_drawable, 16 ) << endl;
-    ctxbuffer = glXCreateNewContext( display(), fbcbuffer, GLX_RGBA_TYPE, NULL, GL_FALSE );
-    if( !tfp_mode && !shm_mode )
-        ctxdrawable = glXCreateNewContext( display(), fbcdrawable, GLX_RGBA_TYPE, ctxbuffer, GL_FALSE );
-    if( !glXMakeContextCurrent( display(), glxbuffer, glxbuffer, ctxbuffer ) )
-        assert( false );
+    initRenderingContext();
 
     // Initialize OpenGL
     initGL();
@@ -293,6 +289,31 @@ void SceneOpenGL::cleanupShm()
 #endif
     }
 
+void SceneOpenGL::initRenderingContext()
+    {
+    bool direct_rendering = true;
+    KXErrorHandler errs;
+    ctxbuffer = glXCreateNewContext( display(), fbcbuffer, GLX_RGBA_TYPE, NULL,
+        direct_rendering ? GL_TRUE : GL_FALSE );
+    if( ctxbuffer == NULL || !glXMakeContextCurrent( display(), glxbuffer, glxbuffer, ctxbuffer )
+        || errs.error( true ))
+        { // failed
+        if( !direct_rendering )
+            assert( false );
+        glXDestroyContext( display(), ctxbuffer );
+        direct_rendering = false; // try again
+        ctxbuffer = glXCreateNewContext( display(), fbcbuffer, GLX_RGBA_TYPE, NULL, GL_FALSE );
+        if( ctxbuffer == NULL || !glXMakeContextCurrent( display(), glxbuffer, glxbuffer, ctxbuffer ))
+            assert( false );
+        }
+    if( !tfp_mode && !shm_mode )
+        {
+        ctxdrawable = glXCreateNewContext( display(), fbcdrawable, GLX_RGBA_TYPE, ctxbuffer,
+            direct_rendering ? GL_TRUE : GL_FALSE );
+        }
+    kDebug() << "Direct rendering:" << direct_rendering << endl;
+    }
+
 // create destination buffer
 void SceneOpenGL::initBuffer()
     {
diff --git a/scene_opengl.h b/scene_opengl.h
index d45682c0ff..335a2698f4 100644
--- a/scene_opengl.h
+++ b/scene_opengl.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class SceneOpenGL
         bool initShm();
         void cleanupShm();
         void initBuffer();
+        void initRenderingContext();
         bool findConfig( const int* attrs, GLXFBConfig* config, VisualID visual = None );
         typedef GLuint Texture;
         GC gcroot;