diff --git a/src/st/st-theme-node-drawing.c b/src/st/st-theme-node-drawing.c
index 1f28ed9..4a6a234 100644
--- a/src/st/st-theme-node-drawing.c
+++ b/src/st/st-theme-node-drawing.c
@@ -2247,22 +2247,33 @@ st_theme_node_prerender_shadow (StThemeNodePaintState *state)
                                        COGL_TEXTURE_NO_SLICING,
                                        COGL_PIXEL_FORMAT_ANY);
   if (buffer != COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
-    offscreen = cogl_offscreen_new_with_texture (buffer);
-
-  if (offscreen != COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
     {
-      ClutterActorBox box = { 0, 0, state->box_shadow_width, state->box_shadow_height};
+      CoglError *error = NULL;
+
+      offscreen = cogl_offscreen_new_with_texture (buffer);
+
+      if (cogl_framebuffer_allocate (COGL_FRAMEBUFFER (offscreen), &error))
+        {
+          ClutterActorBox box = { 0, 0, state->box_shadow_width, state->box_shadow_height};
+
+          cogl_framebuffer_orthographic (offscreen, 0, 0,
+                                         state->box_shadow_width,
+                                         state->box_shadow_height, 0, 1.0);
+          cogl_framebuffer_clear4f (offscreen, COGL_BUFFER_BIT_COLOR, 0, 0, 0, 0);
 
-      cogl_framebuffer_orthographic (offscreen, 0, 0,
-                                     state->box_shadow_width,
-                                     state->box_shadow_height, 0, 1.0);
-      cogl_framebuffer_clear4f (offscreen, COGL_BUFFER_BIT_COLOR, 0, 0, 0, 0);
+          st_theme_node_paint_borders (state, offscreen, &box, 0xFF);
 
-      st_theme_node_paint_borders (state, offscreen, &box, 0xFF);
-      cogl_handle_unref (offscreen);
+          cogl_handle_unref (offscreen);
 
-      state->box_shadow_pipeline = _st_create_shadow_pipeline (st_theme_node_get_box_shadow (node),
-                                                               buffer);
+          state->box_shadow_pipeline = _st_create_shadow_pipeline (st_theme_node_get_box_shadow (node),
+                                                                   buffer);
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          cogl_handle_unref (offscreen);
+
+          cogl_error_free (error);
+        }
     }
 
   if (buffer != COGL_INVALID_HANDLE)
diff --git a/src/st/st-theme-node-transition.c b/src/st/st-theme-node-transition.c
index 1eef17b..3fef16d 100644
--- a/src/st/st-theme-node-transition.c
+++ b/src/st/st-theme-node-transition.c
@@ -242,6 +242,8 @@ setup_framebuffers (StThemeNodeTransition *transition,
   StThemeNodeTransitionPrivate *priv = transition->priv;
   guint width, height;
 
+  CoglError *catch_error = NULL;
+
   /* template material to avoid unnecessary shader compilation */
   static CoglHandle material_template = COGL_INVALID_HANDLE;
 
@@ -269,13 +271,25 @@ setup_framebuffers (StThemeNodeTransition *transition,
   if (priv->old_offscreen)
     cogl_handle_unref (priv->old_offscreen);
   priv->old_offscreen = cogl_offscreen_new_with_texture (priv->old_texture);
+  if (!cogl_framebuffer_allocate (COGL_FRAMEBUFFER (priv->old_offscreen), &catch_error))
+    {
+      cogl_object_unref (priv->old_offscreen);
+      cogl_error_free (catch_error);
+      priv->old_offscreen = COGL_INVALID_HANDLE;
+      g_return_val_if_fail (priv->old_offscreen != COGL_INVALID_HANDLE, FALSE);
+    }
 
   if (priv->new_offscreen)
     cogl_handle_unref (priv->new_offscreen);
   priv->new_offscreen = cogl_offscreen_new_with_texture (priv->new_texture);
 
-  g_return_val_if_fail (priv->old_offscreen != COGL_INVALID_HANDLE, FALSE);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (priv->new_offscreen != COGL_INVALID_HANDLE, FALSE);
+  if (!cogl_framebuffer_allocate (COGL_FRAMEBUFFER (priv->new_offscreen), &catch_error))
+    {
+      cogl_object_unref (priv->new_offscreen);
+      cogl_error_free (catch_error);
+      priv->old_offscreen = COGL_INVALID_HANDLE;
+      g_return_val_if_fail (priv->new_offscreen != COGL_INVALID_HANDLE, FALSE);
+    }
 
   if (priv->material == NULL)
     {