diff --git a/glamor/glamor.c b/glamor/glamor.c
index 9fd110ed2..4a41fe783 100644
--- a/glamor/glamor.c
+++ b/glamor/glamor.c
@@ -579,6 +579,12 @@ glamor_init(ScreenPtr screen, unsigned int flags)
         }
     }
 
+    if (!epoxy_has_gl_extension("GL_ARB_vertex_array_object") &&
+        !epoxy_has_gl_extension("GL_OES_vertex_array_object")) {
+        ErrorF("GL_{ARB,OES}_vertex_array_object required\n");
+        goto fail;
+    }
+
     glamor_priv->has_rw_pbo = FALSE;
     if (glamor_priv->gl_flavor == GLAMOR_GL_DESKTOP)
         glamor_priv->has_rw_pbo = TRUE;
@@ -605,8 +611,6 @@ glamor_init(ScreenPtr screen, unsigned int flags)
         glamor_priv->gl_flavor == GLAMOR_GL_DESKTOP ||
         epoxy_gl_version() >= 30 ||
         epoxy_has_gl_extension("GL_NV_pack_subimage");
-    glamor_priv->has_vertex_array_object =
-        epoxy_has_gl_extension("GL_ARB_vertex_array_object");
     glamor_priv->has_dual_blend =
         epoxy_has_gl_extension("GL_ARB_blend_func_extended");
 
diff --git a/glamor/glamor_priv.h b/glamor/glamor_priv.h
index ce50abd04..2344066cb 100644
--- a/glamor/glamor_priv.h
+++ b/glamor/glamor_priv.h
@@ -197,7 +197,6 @@ typedef struct glamor_screen_private {
     Bool has_unpack_subimage;
     Bool has_rw_pbo;
     Bool use_quads;
-    Bool has_vertex_array_object;
     Bool has_dual_blend;
     Bool has_texture_swizzle;
     Bool is_core_profile;
diff --git a/glamor/glamor_vbo.c b/glamor/glamor_vbo.c
index 2799e1b63..734189fa2 100644
--- a/glamor/glamor_vbo.c
+++ b/glamor/glamor_vbo.c
@@ -174,11 +174,8 @@ glamor_init_vbo(ScreenPtr screen)
     glamor_make_current(glamor_priv);
 
     glGenBuffers(1, &glamor_priv->vbo);
-    if (glamor_priv->has_vertex_array_object) {
-        glGenVertexArrays(1, &glamor_priv->vao);
-        glBindVertexArray(glamor_priv->vao);
-    } else
-        glamor_priv->vao = 0;
+    glGenVertexArrays(1, &glamor_priv->vao);
+    glBindVertexArray(glamor_priv->vao);
 }
 
 void
@@ -188,10 +185,8 @@ glamor_fini_vbo(ScreenPtr screen)
 
     glamor_make_current(glamor_priv);
 
-    if (glamor_priv->vao != 0) {
-        glDeleteVertexArrays(1, &glamor_priv->vao);
-        glamor_priv->vao = 0;
-    }
+    glDeleteVertexArrays(1, &glamor_priv->vao);
+    glamor_priv->vao = 0;
     if (!glamor_priv->has_map_buffer_range)
         free(glamor_priv->vb);
 }
diff --git a/hw/kdrive/ephyr/ephyr_glamor_glx.c b/hw/kdrive/ephyr/ephyr_glamor_glx.c
index 007123c31..3fdc6663c 100644
--- a/hw/kdrive/ephyr/ephyr_glamor_glx.c
+++ b/hw/kdrive/ephyr/ephyr_glamor_glx.c
@@ -208,13 +208,6 @@ ephyr_glamor_set_vertices(struct ephyr_glamor *glamor)
     glEnableVertexAttribArray(glamor->texture_shader_texcoord_loc);
 }
 
-static void
-ephyr_glamor_clear_vertices(struct ephyr_glamor *glamor)
-{
-    glDisableVertexAttribArray(glamor->texture_shader_position_loc);
-    glDisableVertexAttribArray(glamor->texture_shader_texcoord_loc);
-}
-
 void
 ephyr_glamor_damage_redisplay(struct ephyr_glamor *glamor,
                               struct pixman_region16 *damage)
@@ -230,13 +223,8 @@ ephyr_glamor_damage_redisplay(struct ephyr_glamor *glamor,
 
     glXMakeCurrent(dpy, glamor->glx_win, glamor->ctx);
 
-    if (glamor->vao) {
-        glGetIntegerv(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_BINDING, &old_vao);
-        glBindVertexArray(glamor->vao);
-    } else {
-        glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, glamor->vbo);
-        ephyr_glamor_set_vertices(glamor);
-    }
+    glGetIntegerv(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_BINDING, &old_vao);
+    glBindVertexArray(glamor->vao);
 
     glBindFramebuffer(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, 0);
     glUseProgram(glamor->texture_shader);
@@ -248,10 +236,7 @@ ephyr_glamor_damage_redisplay(struct ephyr_glamor *glamor,
     glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, glamor->tex);
     glDrawArrays(GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, 0, 4);
 
-    if (glamor->vao)
-        glBindVertexArray(old_vao);
-    else
-        ephyr_glamor_clear_vertices(glamor);
+    glBindVertexArray(old_vao);
 
     glXSwapBuffers(dpy, glamor->glx_win);
 }
@@ -374,23 +359,17 @@ ephyr_glamor_glx_screen_init(xcb_window_t win)
     glamor->glx_win = glx_win;
     ephyr_glamor_setup_texturing_shader(glamor);
 
-    if (epoxy_has_gl_extension("GL_ARB_vertex_array_object")) {
-        glGenVertexArrays(1, &glamor->vao);
-        glGetIntegerv(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_BINDING, &old_vao);
-        glBindVertexArray(glamor->vao);
-    } else
-        glamor->vao = 0;
+    glGenVertexArrays(1, &glamor->vao);
+    glGetIntegerv(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_BINDING, &old_vao);
+    glBindVertexArray(glamor->vao);
 
     glGenBuffers(1, &glamor->vbo);
 
     glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, glamor->vbo);
     glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, sizeof (position), position, GL_STATIC_DRAW);
 
-    if (glamor->vao) {
-        ephyr_glamor_set_vertices(glamor);
-        glBindVertexArray(old_vao);
-    } else
-        glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, 0);
+    ephyr_glamor_set_vertices(glamor);
+    glBindVertexArray(old_vao);
 
     return glamor;
 }