diff --git a/composite/compext.c b/composite/compext.c

index 4c25cc7..af05b4a 100644

--- a/composite/compext.c

+++ b/composite/compext.c

@@ -678,6 +678,25 @@ CompositeExtensionInit (void)

     ExtensionEntry  *extEntry;

     int		    s;

+    for (s = 0; s < screenInfo.numScreens; s++) {

+	ScreenPtr pScreen = screenInfo.screens[s];

+	VisualPtr vis;

+

+	/* Composite on 8bpp pseudocolor root windows appears to fail, so

+	 * just disable it on anything pseudocolor for safety.

+	 */

+	for (vis = pScreen->visuals; vis->vid != pScreen->rootVisual; vis++)

+	    ;

+	if ((vis->class | DynamicClass) == PseudoColor)

+	    return;

+

+	/* Ensure that Render is initialized, which is required for automatic

+	 * compositing.

+	 */

+	if (GetPictureScreenIfSet(pScreen) == NULL)

+	    return;

+    }

+

     CompositeClientWindowType = CreateNewResourceType (FreeCompositeClientWindow);

     if (!CompositeClientWindowType)

 	return;