diff --git a/src/cairo-xlib-surface.c b/src/cairo-xlib-surface.c
index ec66c4d..a80a265 100644
--- a/src/cairo-xlib-surface.c
+++ b/src/cairo-xlib-surface.c
@@ -1475,9 +1475,6 @@ _cairo_xlib_surface_composite (cairo_operator_t		op,
 
     _cairo_xlib_display_notify (dst->screen_info->display);
 
-    if (!CAIRO_SURFACE_RENDER_HAS_COMPOSITE (dst))
-	return CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED;
-
     operation = _categorize_composite_operation (dst, op, src_pattern,
 						 mask_pattern != NULL);
     if (operation == DO_UNSUPPORTED)
@@ -1514,6 +1511,11 @@ _cairo_xlib_surface_composite (cairo_operator_t		op,
     switch (operation)
     {
     case DO_RENDER:
+	if (!CAIRO_SURFACE_RENDER_HAS_COMPOSITE (dst)) {
+	    status = CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED;
+	    goto BAIL;
+	}
+
 	status = _cairo_xlib_surface_set_attributes (src, &src_attr);
 	if (status)
 	    goto BAIL;
@@ -1629,8 +1631,60 @@ _cairo_xlib_surface_fill_rectangles (void		     *abstract_surface,
 
     _cairo_xlib_display_notify (surface->screen_info->display);
 
-    if (!CAIRO_SURFACE_RENDER_HAS_FILL_RECTANGLE (surface))
+    if (!CAIRO_SURFACE_RENDER_HAS_FILL_RECTANGLE (surface)) {
+	if (op == CAIRO_OPERATOR_CLEAR ||
+	   ((op == CAIRO_OPERATOR_SOURCE || op == CAIRO_OPERATOR_OVER) &&
+	    (color->alpha_short >= 0xff00))) {
+
+	    XGCValues gcv;
+	    int a_width=0, r_width=0, g_width=0, b_width=0;
+	    int a_shift=0, r_shift=0, g_shift=0, b_shift=0;
+	    int a = color->alpha_short >> 8;
+	    int r = color->red_short >> 8;
+	    int g = color->green_short >> 8;
+	    int b = color->blue_short >> 8;
+
+	    if (surface->visual->class == TrueColor) {
+		_characterize_field (surface->a_mask, &a_width, &a_shift);
+		_characterize_field (surface->r_mask, &r_width, &r_shift);
+		_characterize_field (surface->g_mask, &g_width, &g_shift);
+		_characterize_field (surface->b_mask, &b_width, &b_shift);
+		gcv.foreground = (_field_from_8 (a, a_width, a_shift) |
+				  _field_from_8 (r, r_width, r_shift) |
+				  _field_from_8 (g, g_width, g_shift) |
+				  _field_from_8 (b, b_width, b_shift));
+	    } else {
+		cairo_xlib_visual_info_t *visual_info;
+		cairo_int_status_t status;
+
+		status = _cairo_xlib_screen_get_visual_info (surface->screen_info,
+							     surface->visual,
+							     &visual_info);
+		if (status)
+		    return CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED;
+
+		gcv.foreground =
+		    visual_info->rgb333_to_pseudocolor[_field_from_8 (r, 3, 6) |
+						       _field_from_8 (g, 3, 3) |
+						       _field_from_8 (b, 3, 0)];
+	    }
+	    GC xgc = XCreateGC (surface->dpy, surface->drawable, GCForeground,
+				&gcv);
+ 	    if (!xgc)
+		return _cairo_error (CAIRO_STATUS_NO_MEMORY);
+
+ 	    for (i = 0; i < num_rects; i++) {
+		XFillRectangle (surface->dpy, surface->drawable, xgc,
+				rects[i].x, rects[i].y,
+				rects[i].width, rects[i].height);
+	    }
+
+	    XFreeGC(surface->dpy, xgc);
+	    return CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+	}
+
 	return CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED;
+    }
 
     render_color.red   = color->red_short;
     render_color.green = color->green_short;