diff --git a/docs/reference/gdk/gdk4-sections.txt b/docs/reference/gdk/gdk4-sections.txt
index 18ba178c77..ab95d6d6b5 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gdk/gdk4-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/reference/gdk/gdk4-sections.txt
@@ -1104,6 +1104,7 @@ gdk_draw_context_get_display
 gdk_draw_context_get_surface
 gdk_draw_context_begin_frame
 gdk_draw_context_end_frame
+gdk_draw_context_in_frame
 gdk_draw_context_get_frame_region
 
 <SUBSECTION Standard>
diff --git a/gdk/gdkcairocontext.c b/gdk/gdkcairocontext.c
index 34d3c7fa17..3e4a31274e 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkcairocontext.c
+++ b/gdk/gdkcairocontext.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ gdk_cairo_context_default_cairo_create (GdkCairoContext *self)
   g_return_val_if_fail (GDK_IS_CAIRO_CONTEXT (self), NULL);
 
   context = GDK_DRAW_CONTEXT (self);
-  if (!gdk_draw_context_is_drawing (context))
+  if (!gdk_draw_context_is_in_frame (context))
     return NULL;
 
   surface = gdk_draw_context_get_surface (context);
diff --git a/gdk/gdkdrawcontext.c b/gdk/gdkdrawcontext.c
index 7c5859e859..52728d6ac3 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkdrawcontext.c
+++ b/gdk/gdkdrawcontext.c
@@ -179,21 +179,25 @@ gdk_draw_context_init (GdkDrawContext *self)
 {
 }
 
-/*< private >
- * gdk_draw_context_is_drawing:
+/**
+ * gdk_draw_context_is_in_frame:
  * @context: a #GdkDrawContext
  *
- * Returns %TRUE if @context is in the process of drawing to its surface. In such
- * cases, it will have access to the surface's backbuffer to render the new frame
- * onto it.
+ * Returns %TRUE if @context is in the process of drawing to its surface
+ * after a call to gdk_draw_context_begin_frame() and not yet having called
+ * gdk_draw_context_end_frame().
+ * In this situation, drawing commands may be effecting the contents of a
+ * @context's surface.
  *
  * Returns: %TRUE if the context is between begin_frame() and end_frame() calls.
  */
 gboolean
-gdk_draw_context_is_drawing (GdkDrawContext *context)
+gdk_draw_context_is_in_frame (GdkDrawContext *context)
 {
   GdkDrawContextPrivate *priv = gdk_draw_context_get_instance_private (context);
 
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GDK_IS_DRAW_CONTEXT (context), FALSE);
+
   return priv->frame_region != NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/gdk/gdkdrawcontext.h b/gdk/gdkdrawcontext.h
index 4fdc2898d7..6a851d1951 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkdrawcontext.h
+++ b/gdk/gdkdrawcontext.h
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ void                    gdk_draw_context_begin_frame            (GdkDrawContext
 GDK_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 void                    gdk_draw_context_end_frame              (GdkDrawContext         *context);
 GDK_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
+gboolean                gdk_draw_context_is_in_frame            (GdkDrawContext         *context);
+GDK_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 const cairo_region_t *  gdk_draw_context_get_frame_region       (GdkDrawContext         *context);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/gdk/gdkdrawcontextprivate.h b/gdk/gdkdrawcontextprivate.h
index ef9efcf73b..9ea9eaed8c 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkdrawcontextprivate.h
+++ b/gdk/gdkdrawcontextprivate.h
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ struct _GdkDrawContextClass
   void                  (* surface_resized)                     (GdkDrawContext         *context);
 };
 
-gboolean                gdk_draw_context_is_drawing             (GdkDrawContext         *context);
-
 void                    gdk_draw_context_surface_resized        (GdkDrawContext         *context);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/gdk/gdkvulkancontext.c b/gdk/gdkvulkancontext.c
index dae1de9632..fca08fed95 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkvulkancontext.c
+++ b/gdk/gdkvulkancontext.c
@@ -718,7 +718,7 @@ gdk_vulkan_context_get_draw_index (GdkVulkanContext *context)
   GdkVulkanContextPrivate *priv = gdk_vulkan_context_get_instance_private (context);
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (GDK_IS_VULKAN_CONTEXT (context), 0);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (gdk_draw_context_is_drawing (GDK_DRAW_CONTEXT (context)), 0);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (gdk_draw_context_is_in_frame (GDK_DRAW_CONTEXT (context)), 0);
 
   return priv->draw_index;
 }
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ gdk_vulkan_context_get_draw_semaphore (GdkVulkanContext *context)
   GdkVulkanContextPrivate *priv = gdk_vulkan_context_get_instance_private (context);
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (GDK_IS_VULKAN_CONTEXT (context), VK_NULL_HANDLE);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (gdk_draw_context_is_drawing (GDK_DRAW_CONTEXT (context)), VK_NULL_HANDLE);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (gdk_draw_context_is_in_frame (GDK_DRAW_CONTEXT (context)), VK_NULL_HANDLE);
 
   return priv->draw_semaphore;
 }
diff --git a/gdk/wayland/gdkglcontext-wayland.c b/gdk/wayland/gdkglcontext-wayland.c
index 03fcea2843..18863c3c8a 100644
--- a/gdk/wayland/gdkglcontext-wayland.c
+++ b/gdk/wayland/gdkglcontext-wayland.c
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ gdk_wayland_display_make_gl_context_current (GdkDisplay   *display,
   context_wayland = GDK_WAYLAND_GL_CONTEXT (context);
   surface = gdk_gl_context_get_surface (context);
 
-  if (context_wayland->is_attached || gdk_draw_context_is_drawing (GDK_DRAW_CONTEXT (context)))
+  if (context_wayland->is_attached || gdk_draw_context_is_in_frame (GDK_DRAW_CONTEXT (context)))
     egl_surface = gdk_wayland_surface_get_egl_surface (surface->impl_surface, context_wayland->egl_config);
   else
     {
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkglcontext-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkglcontext-x11.c
index dc89483311..f5d00eeb27 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkglcontext-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkglcontext-x11.c
@@ -1250,7 +1250,7 @@ gdk_x11_display_make_gl_context_current (GdkDisplay   *display,
       return FALSE;
     }
 
-  if (context_x11->is_attached || gdk_draw_context_is_drawing (GDK_DRAW_CONTEXT (context)))
+  if (context_x11->is_attached || gdk_draw_context_is_in_frame (GDK_DRAW_CONTEXT (context)))
     drawable = context_x11->attached_drawable;
   else
     drawable = context_x11->unattached_drawable;