diff --git a/gsk/gskcairorenderer.c b/gsk/gskcairorenderer.c
index 3fb394a5de..3a83b65924 100644
--- a/gsk/gskcairorenderer.c
+++ b/gsk/gskcairorenderer.c
@@ -59,13 +59,9 @@ gsk_cairo_renderer_render (GskRenderer   *renderer,
 
   cairo_t *cr;
 
-  if (context != NULL)
-    cr = gdk_drawing_context_get_cairo_context (context);
-  else
-    cr = gsk_renderer_get_cairo_context (renderer);
+  cr = gdk_drawing_context_get_cairo_context (context);
 
-  if (cr == NULL)
-    return;
+  g_return_if_fail (cr != NULL);
 
   gsk_renderer_get_viewport (renderer, &self->viewport);
 
diff --git a/gsk/gskrenderer.c b/gsk/gskrenderer.c
index 7d5a949360..5c22d1b31c 100644
--- a/gsk/gskrenderer.c
+++ b/gsk/gskrenderer.c
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ typedef struct
   GdkDrawingContext *drawing_context;
   GskRenderNode *root_node;
   GdkDisplay *display;
-  cairo_t *cairo_context;
 
   GskProfiler *profiler;
 
@@ -168,8 +167,6 @@ gsk_renderer_dispose (GObject *gobject)
 
   gsk_renderer_unrealize (self);
 
-  g_clear_pointer (&priv->cairo_context, cairo_destroy);
-
   g_clear_object (&priv->profiler);
   g_clear_object (&priv->display);
 
@@ -634,19 +631,9 @@ gsk_renderer_render (GskRenderer       *renderer,
   g_return_if_fail (priv->is_realized);
   g_return_if_fail (GSK_IS_RENDER_NODE (root));
   g_return_if_fail (priv->root_node == NULL);
+  g_return_if_fail (GDK_IS_DRAWING_CONTEXT (context));
   g_return_if_fail (context == priv->drawing_context);
 
-  if (priv->drawing_context == NULL)
-    {
-      if (priv->cairo_context == NULL)
-        {
-          g_critical ("The given GskRenderer instance was not created using "
-                      "gsk_renderer_create_fallback(), but you forgot to call "
-                      "gsk_renderer_begin_draw_frame().");
-          return;
-        }
-    }
-
   priv->root_node = gsk_render_node_ref (root);
   gsk_render_node_make_immutable (priv->root_node);
 
@@ -841,26 +828,6 @@ gsk_renderer_create_cairo_surface (GskRenderer    *renderer,
   return GSK_RENDERER_GET_CLASS (renderer)->create_cairo_surface (renderer, format, width, height);
 }
 
-static void
-gsk_renderer_set_cairo_context (GskRenderer *renderer,
-                                cairo_t     *cr)
-{
-  GskRendererPrivate *priv = gsk_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
-
-  g_clear_pointer (&priv->cairo_context, cairo_destroy);
-
-  if (cr != NULL)
-    priv->cairo_context = cairo_reference (cr);
-}
-
-cairo_t *
-gsk_renderer_get_cairo_context (GskRenderer *renderer)
-{
-  GskRendererPrivate *priv = gsk_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
-
-  return priv->cairo_context;
-}
-
 GdkDrawingContext *
 gsk_renderer_begin_draw_frame (GskRenderer          *renderer,
                                const cairo_region_t *region)
@@ -891,43 +858,3 @@ gsk_renderer_end_draw_frame (GskRenderer       *renderer,
   GSK_RENDERER_GET_CLASS (renderer)->end_draw_frame (renderer, context);
 }
 
-/**
- * gsk_renderer_create_fallback:
- * @renderer: a #GskRenderer
- * @viewport: the viewport for the fallback renderer
- * @cr: a Cairo context
- *
- * Creates a fallback #GskRenderer using the same display and window of
- * the given @renderer, and instructs it to render to a given Cairo
- * context.
- *
- * Typically, you'll use this function to implement fallback rendering
- * of #GskRenderNodes on an intermediate Cairo context, instead of using
- * the drawing context associated to a #GdkWindow's rendering buffer.
- *
- * Returns: (transfer full): a newly created fallback #GskRenderer instance
- *
- * Since: 3.90
- */
-GskRenderer *
-gsk_renderer_create_fallback (GskRenderer           *renderer,
-                              const graphene_rect_t *viewport,
-                              cairo_t               *cr)
-{
-  GskRendererPrivate *priv = gsk_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
-  GskRenderer *res;
-
-  g_return_val_if_fail (GSK_IS_RENDERER (renderer), NULL);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (cr != NULL, NULL);
-
-  res = g_object_new (GSK_TYPE_CAIRO_RENDERER,
-                      "display", priv->display,
-                      "scale-factor", priv->scale_factor,
-                      "viewport", viewport,
-                      NULL);
-
-  gsk_renderer_set_cairo_context (res, cr);
-  gsk_renderer_realize (res, priv->window, NULL);
-
-  return res;
-}
diff --git a/gsk/gskrendererprivate.h b/gsk/gskrendererprivate.h
index 027229c693..cad512782f 100644
--- a/gsk/gskrendererprivate.h
+++ b/gsk/gskrendererprivate.h
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ gboolean gsk_renderer_is_realized (GskRenderer *renderer);
 
 GskRenderNode *         gsk_renderer_get_root_node              (GskRenderer    *renderer);
 GdkDrawingContext *     gsk_renderer_get_drawing_context        (GskRenderer    *renderer);
-cairo_t *               gsk_renderer_get_cairo_context          (GskRenderer    *renderer);
 cairo_surface_t *       gsk_renderer_create_cairo_surface       (GskRenderer    *renderer,
                                                                  cairo_format_t  format,
                                                                  int             width,
diff --git a/gtk/gtkwidget.c b/gtk/gtkwidget.c
index cd32ff7283..cf2b96156e 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkwidget.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkwidget.c
@@ -6322,33 +6322,24 @@ gtk_widget_draw_internal (GtkWidget *widget,
         {
           GskRenderer *renderer = gtk_widget_get_renderer (widget);
           GtkSnapshot snapshot;
-          GskRenderer *fallback;
-          graphene_rect_t viewport;
           cairo_region_t *clip;
           GskRenderNode *node;
 
-          graphene_rect_init (&viewport,
-                              widget->priv->clip.x - widget->priv->allocation.x,
-                              widget->priv->clip.y - widget->priv->allocation.y,
-                              widget->priv->clip.width,
-                              widget->priv->clip.height);
           clip = cairo_region_create_rectangle (&(cairo_rectangle_int_t) {
                                                 widget->priv->clip.x - widget->priv->allocation.x,
                                                 widget->priv->clip.y - widget->priv->allocation.y,
                                                 widget->priv->clip.width,
                                                 widget->priv->clip.height});
-          fallback = gsk_renderer_create_fallback (renderer, &viewport, cr);
           gtk_snapshot_init (&snapshot, renderer, clip, "Fallback<%s>", G_OBJECT_TYPE_NAME (widget));
           gtk_widget_snapshot (widget, &snapshot);
           node = gtk_snapshot_finish (&snapshot);
           if (node != NULL)
             {
-              gsk_renderer_render (fallback, node, NULL);
+              gsk_render_node_draw (node, cr);
               gsk_render_node_unref (node);
             }
 
           cairo_region_destroy (clip);
-          g_object_unref (fallback);
         }
       else
         {