diff --git a/cairo/Fl_Cairo.cxx b/cairo/Fl_Cairo.cxx
index f627c1caa..6207d3c2e 100644
--- a/cairo/Fl_Cairo.cxx
+++ b/cairo/Fl_Cairo.cxx
@@ -106,13 +106,6 @@ static cairo_surface_t * cairo_create_surface(void * gc, int W, int H) {
 # elif   defined(WIN32)
     return cairo_win32_surface_create((HDC) gc);
 # elif defined(__APPLE_QUARTZ__)
-    CGAffineTransform mat = CGContextGetCTM((CGContextRef)gc);
-    if (mat.d > 0) { // necessary for layer-backed Cairo windows
-      CGContextRestoreGState((CGContextRef)gc);
-      CGContextRestoreGState((CGContextRef)gc);
-      CGContextSaveGState((CGContextRef)gc);
-      CGContextSaveGState((CGContextRef)gc);
-    }
     return cairo_quartz_surface_create_for_cg_context((CGContext*) gc, W, H);
 # else
 #  error Cairo is not supported under this platform.
diff --git a/src/Fl_cocoa.mm b/src/Fl_cocoa.mm
index d5e3804aa..7e3b41660 100644
--- a/src/Fl_cocoa.mm
+++ b/src/Fl_cocoa.mm
@@ -3537,6 +3537,14 @@ void Fl_Window::make_current()
 #if MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MAX_ALLOWED >= MAC_OS_X_VERSION_10_8
   if (views_use_CA) {
     i->gc = ((FLView*)[fl_window contentView])->layer_gc;
+#  ifdef FLTK_HAVE_CAIRO
+    // make sure the GC starts with an identity transformation matrix as do native Cocoa GC's
+    // because cairo may have changed it
+    CGAffineTransform mat = CGContextGetCTM(i->gc);
+    if (!CGAffineTransformIsIdentity(mat)) { // 10.4
+      CGContextConcatCTM(i->gc, CGAffineTransformInvert(mat));
+    }
+#  endif
   } else
 #endif
   {