diff --git a/exa/exa_glyphs.c b/exa/exa_glyphs.c
index 169763f..a05e897 100644
--- a/exa/exa_glyphs.c
+++ b/exa/exa_glyphs.c
@@ -768,26 +777,26 @@ exaGlyphs (CARD8 	 op,
     CARD32	component_alpha;
     ExaGlyphBuffer buffer;
 
-    /* If we don't have a mask format but all the glyphs have the same format
-     * and don't intersect, use the glyph format as mask format for the full
-     * benefits of the glyph cache.
+    /* If we don't have a mask format or it doesn't match the glyph format, but
+     * all the glyphs have the same format and don't intersect, use the glyph
+     * format as mask format for the full benefits of the glyph cache.
      */
-    if (!maskFormat) {
+    if (!maskFormat || (NeedsComponent(maskFormat->format) &&
+			!NeedsComponent(list[0].format->format))) {
        Bool sameFormat = TRUE;
+       PictFormatPtr format = list[0].format;
        int i;
 
-       maskFormat = list[0].format;
-
        for (i = 0; i < nlist; i++) {
-           if (maskFormat->format != list[i].format->format) {
+           if (format->format != list[i].format->format) {
                sameFormat = FALSE;
                break;
            }
        }
 
-       if (!sameFormat || (maskFormat->depth != 1 &&
-			   exaGlyphsIntersect(nlist, list, glyphs))) {
-	   maskFormat = NULL;
+       if (sameFormat && (maskFormat || format->depth == 1 ||
+			  !exaGlyphsIntersect(nlist, list, glyphs))) {
+	   maskFormat = format;
        }
     }