diff --git a/render/egl.c b/render/egl.c
index 3003c9c5..275ef6f9 100644
--- a/render/egl.c
+++ b/render/egl.c
@@ -289,12 +289,6 @@ bool wlr_egl_init(struct wlr_egl *egl, EGLenum platform, void *remote_display,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!eglMakeCurrent(egl->display, EGL_NO_SURFACE, EGL_NO_SURFACE,
-			egl->context)) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to make EGL context current");
-		goto error;
-	}
-
 	return true;
 
 error:
diff --git a/render/gles2/renderer.c b/render/gles2/renderer.c
index e6ec881a..59c970c3 100644
--- a/render/gles2/renderer.c
+++ b/render/gles2/renderer.c
@@ -558,6 +558,10 @@ extern const GLchar tex_fragment_src_rgbx[];
 extern const GLchar tex_fragment_src_external[];
 
 struct wlr_renderer *wlr_gles2_renderer_create(struct wlr_egl *egl) {
+	if (!wlr_egl_make_current(egl, EGL_NO_SURFACE, NULL)) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	const char *exts_str = (const char *)glGetString(GL_EXTENSIONS);
 	if (exts_str == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to get GL_EXTENSIONS");
@@ -572,11 +576,6 @@ struct wlr_renderer *wlr_gles2_renderer_create(struct wlr_egl *egl) {
 	wlr_renderer_init(&renderer->wlr_renderer, &renderer_impl);
 
 	renderer->egl = egl;
-	if (!wlr_egl_make_current(renderer->egl, EGL_NO_SURFACE, NULL)) {
-		free(renderer);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
 	renderer->exts_str = exts_str;
 
 	wlr_log(WLR_INFO, "Using %s", glGetString(GL_VERSION));