diff --git a/gfx/layers/Layers.h b/gfx/layers/Layers.h
index 128c0eae656a..a31428b5779a 100644
--- a/gfx/layers/Layers.h
+++ b/gfx/layers/Layers.h
@@ -301,10 +301,8 @@ public:
    * returns false, and the caller must proceed with a normal layer tree
    * update and EndTransaction.
    */
-  virtual bool EndEmptyTransaction()
-  {
-    return false;
-  }
+  virtual bool EndEmptyTransaction() = 0;
+
   /**
    * Function called to draw the contents of each ThebesLayer.
    * aRegionToDraw contains the region that needs to be drawn.
diff --git a/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.cpp b/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.cpp
index 3f0166c07849..21f33c723883 100644
--- a/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.cpp
+++ b/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.cpp
@@ -392,6 +392,16 @@ LayerManagerOGL::BeginTransactionWithTarget(gfxContext *aTarget)
   mTarget = aTarget;
 }
 
+bool
+LayerManagerOGL::EndEmptyTransaction()
+{
+  if (!mRoot)
+    return false;
+
+  EndTransaction(nsnull, nsnull);
+  return true;
+}
+
 void
 LayerManagerOGL::EndTransaction(DrawThebesLayerCallback aCallback,
                                 void* aCallbackData)
@@ -413,10 +423,7 @@ LayerManagerOGL::EndTransaction(DrawThebesLayerCallback aCallback,
   mThebesLayerCallback = aCallback;
   mThebesLayerCallbackData = aCallbackData;
 
-  // NULL callback means "non-painting transaction"
-  if (aCallback) {
-    Render();
-  }
+  Render();
 
   mThebesLayerCallback = nsnull;
   mThebesLayerCallbackData = nsnull;
diff --git a/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.h b/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.h
index 3f2d2c74c58a..15d2da39642f 100644
--- a/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.h
+++ b/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.h
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ public:
 
   void EndConstruction();
 
+  virtual bool EndEmptyTransaction();
   virtual void EndTransaction(DrawThebesLayerCallback aCallback,
                               void* aCallbackData);
 
diff --git a/gfx/layers/opengl/ThebesLayerOGL.cpp b/gfx/layers/opengl/ThebesLayerOGL.cpp
index f2038b53c060..a923540f09a9 100644
--- a/gfx/layers/opengl/ThebesLayerOGL.cpp
+++ b/gfx/layers/opengl/ThebesLayerOGL.cpp
@@ -693,14 +693,18 @@ ThebesLayerOGL::RenderLayer(int aPreviousFrameBuffer,
 
     LayerManager::DrawThebesLayerCallback callback =
       mOGLManager->GetThebesLayerCallback();
-    void* callbackData = mOGLManager->GetThebesLayerCallbackData();
-    callback(this, state.mContext, state.mRegionToDraw,
-             state.mRegionToInvalidate, callbackData);
-    // Everything that's visible has been validated. Do this instead of
-    // OR-ing with aRegionToDraw, since that can lead to a very complex region
-    // here (OR doesn't automatically simplify to the simplest possible
-    // representation of a region.)
-    mValidRegion.Or(mValidRegion, mVisibleRegion);
+    if (!callback) {
+      NS_ERROR("GL should never need to update ThebesLayers in an empty transaction");
+    } else {
+      void* callbackData = mOGLManager->GetThebesLayerCallbackData();
+      callback(this, state.mContext, state.mRegionToDraw,
+               state.mRegionToInvalidate, callbackData);
+      // Everything that's visible has been validated. Do this instead of
+      // OR-ing with aRegionToDraw, since that can lead to a very complex region
+      // here (OR doesn't automatically simplify to the simplest possible
+      // representation of a region.)
+      mValidRegion.Or(mValidRegion, mVisibleRegion);
+    }
   }
 
   DEBUG_GL_ERROR_CHECK(gl());