diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-feature-private.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-feature-private.c
index 3b2a9be98..99cff4bb3 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-feature-private.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-feature-private.c
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ _cogl_feature_check (CoglRenderer *renderer,
   const char *suffix = NULL;
   int func_num;
   CoglExtGlesAvailability gles_availability = 0;
-  gboolean in_core;
 
   switch (driver)
     {
@@ -79,7 +78,6 @@ _cogl_feature_check (CoglRenderer *renderer,
       (data->gles_availability & gles_availability))
     {
       suffix = "";
-      in_core = TRUE;
     }
   else
     {
@@ -132,8 +130,6 @@ _cogl_feature_check (CoglRenderer *renderer,
               break;
             }
         }
-
-      in_core = FALSE;
     }
 
   /* If we couldn't find anything that provides the functions then
@@ -150,8 +146,7 @@ _cogl_feature_check (CoglRenderer *renderer,
       full_function_name = g_strconcat (data->functions[func_num].name,
                                         suffix, NULL);
       func = _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (renderer,
-                                              full_function_name,
-                                              in_core);
+                                              full_function_name);
       g_free (full_function_name);
 
       if (func == NULL)
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
index 66634c075..62e99fdb0 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ _cogl_renderer_remove_native_filter (CoglRenderer *renderer,
 
 void *
 _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (CoglRenderer *renderer,
-                                 const char *name,
-                                 gboolean in_core);
+                                 const char   *name);
 
 #endif /* __COGL_RENDERER_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
index b99662da4..925548a08 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
@@ -701,12 +701,11 @@ cogl_renderer_get_winsys_id (CoglRenderer *renderer)
 
 void *
 _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (CoglRenderer *renderer,
-                                 const char *name,
-                                 gboolean in_core)
+                                 const char   *name)
 {
   const CoglWinsysVtable *winsys = _cogl_renderer_get_winsys (renderer);
 
-  return winsys->renderer_get_proc_address (renderer, name, in_core);
+  return winsys->renderer_get_proc_address (renderer, name);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
index 2cf0dbe21..ceac0a466 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ cogl_get_proc_address (const char* name)
 {
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NULL);
 
-  return _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (ctx->display->renderer, name, FALSE);
+  return _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (ctx->display->renderer, name);
 }
 
 gboolean
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gl/cogl-driver-gl.c b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gl/cogl-driver-gl.c
index bb780cec5..e15c172eb 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gl/cogl-driver-gl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gl/cogl-driver-gl.c
@@ -383,16 +383,13 @@ _cogl_driver_update_features (CoglContext *ctx,
      we can expect */
   ctx->glGetString =
     (void *) _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (ctx->display->renderer,
-                                              "glGetString",
-                                              TRUE);
+                                              "glGetString");
   ctx->glGetStringi =
     (void *) _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (ctx->display->renderer,
-                                              "glGetStringi",
-                                              TRUE);
+                                              "glGetStringi");
   ctx->glGetIntegerv =
     (void *) _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (ctx->display->renderer,
-                                              "glGetIntegerv",
-                                              TRUE);
+                                              "glGetIntegerv");
 
   gl_extensions = _cogl_context_get_gl_extensions (ctx);
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gles/cogl-driver-gles.c b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gles/cogl-driver-gles.c
index ca98823e8..f0ecc6585 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gles/cogl-driver-gles.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/gles/cogl-driver-gles.c
@@ -251,12 +251,10 @@ _cogl_driver_update_features (CoglContext *context,
      can expect */
   context->glGetString =
     (void *) _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (context->display->renderer,
-                                              "glGetString",
-                                              TRUE);
+                                              "glGetString");
   context->glGetStringi =
     (void *) _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (context->display->renderer,
-                                              "glGetStringi",
-                                              TRUE);
+                                              "glGetStringi");
 
   gl_extensions = _cogl_context_get_gl_extensions (context);
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c b/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
index 5dd106d1b..0d24824d8 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-egl.c
@@ -112,20 +112,14 @@ static const CoglFeatureData winsys_feature_data[] =
 
 static GCallback
 _cogl_winsys_renderer_get_proc_address (CoglRenderer *renderer,
-                                        const char *name,
-                                        gboolean in_core)
+                                        const char   *name)
 {
-  void *ptr = NULL;
+  GCallback result = eglGetProcAddress (name);
 
-  if (!in_core)
-    ptr = eglGetProcAddress (name);
+  if (result == NULL)
+    g_module_symbol (renderer->libgl_module, name, (gpointer *)&result);
 
-  /* eglGetProcAddress doesn't support fetching core API so we need to
-     get that separately with GModule */
-  if (ptr == NULL)
-    g_module_symbol (renderer->libgl_module, name, &ptr);
-
-  return ptr;
+  return result;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c b/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
index c2deaeb8b..f5d537f38 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-glx.c
@@ -156,15 +156,10 @@ static const CoglFeatureData winsys_feature_data[] =
 
 static GCallback
 _cogl_winsys_renderer_get_proc_address (CoglRenderer *renderer,
-                                        const char *name,
-                                        gboolean in_core)
+                                        const char   *name)
 {
   CoglGLXRenderer *glx_renderer = renderer->winsys;
 
-  /* The GLX_ARB_get_proc_address extension documents that this should
-   * work for core functions too so we don't need to do anything
-   * special with in_core */
-
   return glx_renderer->glXGetProcAddress ((const GLubyte *) name);
 }
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h b/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
index d849ef705..7781f9004 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h
@@ -73,8 +73,7 @@ typedef struct _CoglWinsysVtable
 
   GCallback
   (*renderer_get_proc_address) (CoglRenderer *renderer,
-                                const char *name,
-                                gboolean in_core);
+                                const char   *name);
 
   gboolean
   (*renderer_connect) (CoglRenderer *renderer, GError **error);