diff --git a/gfx/layers/basic/BasicCanvasLayer.cpp b/gfx/layers/basic/BasicCanvasLayer.cpp
index 2da7d42ac19..0408467faec 100644
--- a/gfx/layers/basic/BasicCanvasLayer.cpp
+++ b/gfx/layers/basic/BasicCanvasLayer.cpp
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ BasicCanvasLayer::Initialize(const Data& aData)
 void
 BasicCanvasLayer::UpdateSurface(gfxASurface* aDestSurface, Layer* aMaskLayer)
 {
+  if (!mDirty)
+    return;
+  mDirty = false;
+
   if (mDrawTarget) {
     mDrawTarget->Flush();
     // TODO Fix me before turning accelerated quartz canvas by default
@@ -133,10 +137,6 @@ BasicCanvasLayer::UpdateSurface(gfxASurface* aDestSurface, Layer* aMaskLayer)
     return;
   }
 
-  if (!mDirty)
-    return;
-  mDirty = false;
-
   if (mGLContext) {
     if (aDestSurface && aDestSurface->GetType() != gfxASurface::SurfaceTypeImage) {
       NS_ASSERTION(aDestSurface->GetType() == gfxASurface::SurfaceTypeImage,
@@ -229,6 +229,9 @@ BasicCanvasLayer::UpdateSurface(gfxASurface* aDestSurface, Layer* aMaskLayer)
 void
 BasicCanvasLayer::Paint(gfxContext* aContext, Layer* aMaskLayer)
 {
+  if (!mDirty)
+    return;
+
   if (IsHidden())
     return;
   UpdateSurface();
@@ -393,6 +396,9 @@ BasicShadowableCanvasLayer::Paint(gfxContext* aContext, Layer* aMaskLayer)
     return;
   }
 
+  if (!mDirty)
+    return;
+
   if (mGLContext &&
       !mForceReadback &&
       BasicManager()->GetParentBackendType() == mozilla::layers::LAYERS_OPENGL) {