diff --git a/src/x11_opengl.c b/src/x11_opengl.c
index 5ec47ee5..35dc6d0f 100644
--- a/src/x11_opengl.c
+++ b/src/x11_opengl.c
@@ -637,6 +637,12 @@ int _glfwCreateContext(_GLFWwindow* window,
 
 void _glfwDestroyContext(_GLFWwindow* window)
 {
+    if (window->GLX.visual)
+    {
+        XFree(window->GLX.visual);
+        window->GLX.visual = NULL;
+    }
+
     if (window->GLX.context)
     {
         // Release and destroy the context
@@ -647,6 +653,16 @@ void _glfwDestroyContext(_GLFWwindow* window)
 }
 
 
+//========================================================================
+// Return the X visual associated with the specified context
+//========================================================================
+
+XVisualInfo* _glfwGetContextVisual(_GLFWwindow* window)
+{
+    return window->GLX.visual;
+}
+
+
 //========================================================================
 // Make the OpenGL context associated with the specified window current
 //========================================================================
diff --git a/src/x11_platform.h b/src/x11_platform.h
index d45ad9a3..4d432f80 100644
--- a/src/x11_platform.h
+++ b/src/x11_platform.h
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ int _glfwCreateContext(_GLFWwindow* window,
                        const _GLFWwndconfig* wndconfig,
                        const _GLFWfbconfig* fbconfig);
 void _glfwDestroyContext(_GLFWwindow* window);
+XVisualInfo* _glfwGetContextVisual(_GLFWwindow* window);
 
 // Fullscreen support
 int  _glfwGetClosestVideoMode(int* width, int* height, int* rate);
diff --git a/src/x11_window.c b/src/x11_window.c
index a5e7b0d8..9ec54493 100644
--- a/src/x11_window.c
+++ b/src/x11_window.c
@@ -97,13 +97,14 @@ static GLboolean createWindow(_GLFWwindow* window,
     XEvent event;
     unsigned long wamask;
     XSetWindowAttributes wa;
+    XVisualInfo* visual = _glfwGetContextVisual(window);
 
     // Every window needs a colormap
     // Create one based on the visual used by the current context
 
     window->X11.colormap = XCreateColormap(_glfwLibrary.X11.display,
                                            _glfwLibrary.X11.root,
-                                           window->GLX.visual->visual,
+                                           visual->visual,
                                            AllocNone);
 
     // Create the actual window
@@ -133,9 +134,9 @@ static GLboolean createWindow(_GLFWwindow* window,
             0, 0,                            // Upper left corner of this window on root
             window->width, window->height,
             0,                               // Border width
-            window->GLX.visual->depth,          // Color depth
+            visual->depth,                   // Color depth
             InputOutput,
-            window->GLX.visual->visual,
+            visual->visual,
             wamask,
             &wa
         );
@@ -979,12 +980,6 @@ void _glfwPlatformCloseWindow(_GLFWwindow* window)
 
     _glfwDestroyContext(window);
 
-    if (window->GLX.visual)
-    {
-        XFree(window->GLX.visual);
-        window->GLX.visual = NULL;
-    }
-
     if (window->X11.handle)
     {
         XUnmapWindow(_glfwLibrary.X11.display, window->X11.handle);