diff --git a/rtgui/thumbbrowserentrybase.cc b/rtgui/thumbbrowserentrybase.cc
index 6fa8eac52..378e8d63b 100644
--- a/rtgui/thumbbrowserentrybase.cc
+++ b/rtgui/thumbbrowserentrybase.cc
@@ -56,20 +56,12 @@ void ThumbBrowserEntryBase::updateBackBuffer ()
 
     Gtk::Widget* w = parent->getDrawingArea ();
 
-    Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::Window> win = w->get_window();
-
-    if (!win)
-        // Nothing to draw on, so we return
-    {
-        return;
-    }
-
     if (backBuffer && (backBuffer->getWidth() != exp_width || backBuffer->getHeight() != exp_height )) {
         // deleting the existing BackBuffer
         backBuffer.reset();
     }
     if (!backBuffer) {
-        backBuffer = Glib::RefPtr<BackBuffer> ( new BackBuffer (exp_width, exp_height, win) );
+        backBuffer = Glib::RefPtr<BackBuffer> ( new BackBuffer (exp_width, exp_height, Cairo::FORMAT_RGB24) );
     }
 
     // If thumbnail is hidden by a filter, drawing to it will crash