diff --git a/gdk/win32/gdkglobals-win32.c b/gdk/win32/gdkglobals-win32.c
index 0c14a1e425..4b325b5946 100644
--- a/gdk/win32/gdkglobals-win32.c
+++ b/gdk/win32/gdkglobals-win32.c
@@ -80,5 +80,3 @@ gboolean	  _ignore_destroy_clipboard = FALSE;
 
 HGLOBAL           _delayed_rendering_data = NULL;
 GHashTable       *_format_atom_table = NULL;
-
-gboolean          _is_win8_or_later = FALSE;
diff --git a/gdk/win32/gdkmain-win32.c b/gdk/win32/gdkmain-win32.c
index c66b540909..a8a765063a 100644
--- a/gdk/win32/gdkmain-win32.c
+++ b/gdk/win32/gdkmain-win32.c
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ _gdk_win32_windowing_init (void)
   _cf_url = RegisterClipboardFormat ("UniformResourceLocatorW");
   _cf_html_format = RegisterClipboardFormat ("HTML Format");
   _cf_text_html = RegisterClipboardFormat ("text/html");
-  _is_win8_or_later = g_win32_check_windows_version (6, 2, 0, G_WIN32_OS_ANY);
 
   _gdk_win32_selection_init ();
 }
diff --git a/gdk/win32/gdkprivate-win32.h b/gdk/win32/gdkprivate-win32.h
index 4d1dc0166b..38d5dc2b42 100644
--- a/gdk/win32/gdkprivate-win32.h
+++ b/gdk/win32/gdkprivate-win32.h
@@ -552,6 +552,4 @@ void _gdk_events_init (void);
 void _gdk_input_init  (GdkDisplay *display);
 void _gdk_input_wintab_init_check (GdkDeviceManager *device_manager);
 
-extern gboolean _is_win8_or_later;
-
 #endif /* __GDK_PRIVATE_WIN32_H__ */
diff --git a/gdk/win32/gdkscreen-win32.c b/gdk/win32/gdkscreen-win32.c
index ad84d417d0..df89182c1d 100644
--- a/gdk/win32/gdkscreen-win32.c
+++ b/gdk/win32/gdkscreen-win32.c
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ struct _GdkWin32Screen
   GdkScreen parent_instance;
 
   GdkWindow *root_window;
+
+  gint always_composited : 1;
 };
 
 struct _GdkWin32ScreenClass
@@ -65,6 +67,9 @@ gdk_win32_screen_init (GdkWin32Screen *win32_screen)
 
   if (logpixelsx > 0)
     _gdk_screen_set_resolution (screen, logpixelsx);
+
+  /* On Windows 8 and later, DWM (composition) is always enabled */
+  win32_screen->always_composited = g_win32_check_windows_version (6, 2, 0, G_WIN32_OS_ANY);
 }
 
 void
@@ -245,14 +250,12 @@ gdk_win32_screen_get_window_stack (GdkScreen *screen)
 static gboolean
 gdk_win32_screen_is_composited (GdkScreen *screen)
 {
-  gboolean is_composited;
-  g_return_val_if_fail (GDK_IS_SCREEN (screen), FALSE);
-
-  /* On Windows 8 and later, DWM (composition) is always enabled */
-  if (_is_win8_or_later)
+  if (GDK_WIN32_SCREEN (screen)->always_composited)
     return TRUE;
   else
     {
+      gboolean is_composited;
+
       if (DwmIsCompositionEnabled (&is_composited) != S_OK)
         return FALSE;
       return is_composited;