diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index bbc36e8623..9e98b51442 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -620,6 +620,8 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, QElapsedTimer& startupTimer) :
 
     // enable mouse tracking; otherwise, we only get drag events
     _glWidget->setMouseTracking(true);
+    _glWidget->makeCurrent();
+    _glWidget->initializeGL();
 
     _offscreenContext = new OffscreenGLCanvas();
     _offscreenContext->create(_glWidget->context()->contextHandle());
@@ -1194,6 +1196,9 @@ void Application::paintGL() {
         QSize size = getDeviceSize();
         renderArgs._viewport = glm::ivec4(0, 0, size.width(), size.height());
         _applicationOverlay.renderOverlay(&renderArgs);
+        gpu::FramebufferPointer overlayFramebuffer = _applicationOverlay.getOverlayFramebuffer();
+
+
     }
 
     {
diff --git a/interface/src/PluginContainerProxy.cpp b/interface/src/PluginContainerProxy.cpp
index aae94162ad..048f079653 100644
--- a/interface/src/PluginContainerProxy.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/PluginContainerProxy.cpp
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ void PluginContainerProxy::showDisplayPluginsTools() {
     DependencyManager::get<DialogsManager>()->hmdTools(true);
 }
 
-QGLWidget* PluginContainerProxy::getPrimaryWidget() {
+GLWidget* PluginContainerProxy::getPrimaryWidget() {
     return qApp->_glWidget;
 }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/PluginContainerProxy.h b/interface/src/PluginContainerProxy.h
index 5d974f0a0c..3adc696ba9 100644
--- a/interface/src/PluginContainerProxy.h
+++ b/interface/src/PluginContainerProxy.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class PluginContainerProxy : public QObject, PluginContainer {
     virtual bool makeRenderingContextCurrent() override;
     virtual void releaseSceneTexture(uint32_t texture) override;
     virtual void releaseOverlayTexture(uint32_t texture) override;
-    virtual QGLWidget* getPrimaryWidget() override;
+    virtual GLWidget* getPrimaryWidget() override;
     virtual QWindow* getPrimaryWindow() override;
     virtual QOpenGLContext* getPrimaryContext() override;
     virtual bool isForeground() override;
diff --git a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp
index 12aa37cd56..cec84c74d4 100644
--- a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp
+++ b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <QtGui/QOpenGLContext>
 #include <QtGui/QImage>
 
+#include <gl/GLWidget.h>
 #include <NumericalConstants.h>
 #include <DependencyManager.h>
 #include <plugins/PluginContainer.h>
@@ -145,8 +146,6 @@ private:
     QGLContext* _context { nullptr };
 };
 
-bool OpenGLDisplayPlugin::_vsyncSupported = false;
-
 OpenGLDisplayPlugin::OpenGLDisplayPlugin() {
     _sceneTextureEscrow.setRecycler([this](GLuint texture){
         cleanupForSceneTexture(texture);
@@ -172,19 +171,14 @@ void OpenGLDisplayPlugin::cleanupForSceneTexture(uint32_t sceneTexture) {
 
 
 void OpenGLDisplayPlugin::activate() {
-    _timer.start(2);
+    _timer.start(1);
+    _vsyncSupported = _container->getPrimaryWidget()->isVsyncSupported();
 
     // Start the present thread if necessary
     auto presentThread = DependencyManager::get<PresentThread>();
     if (!presentThread) {
         auto widget = _container->getPrimaryWidget();
 
-        // TODO: write the proper code for linux
-#if defined(Q_OS_WIN)
-        widget->makeCurrent();
-        _vsyncSupported = wglewGetExtension("WGL_EXT_swap_control");
-        widget->doneCurrent();
-#endif
 
         DependencyManager::set<PresentThread>();
         presentThread = DependencyManager::get<PresentThread>();
@@ -195,7 +189,6 @@ void OpenGLDisplayPlugin::activate() {
     }
     presentThread->setNewDisplayPlugin(this);
     DisplayPlugin::activate();
-    emit requestRender();
 }
 
 void OpenGLDisplayPlugin::stop() {
diff --git a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.h b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.h
index 747d8b810b..ef78374994 100644
--- a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.h
+++ b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ protected:
     GLTextureEscrow _overlayTextureEscrow;
     GLTextureEscrow _sceneTextureEscrow;
 
-    static bool _vsyncSupported;
+    bool _vsyncSupported { false };
 };
 
 
diff --git a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/WindowOpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/WindowOpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp
index b215b19b15..c1922599a5 100644
--- a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/WindowOpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp
+++ b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/WindowOpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 //
 #include "WindowOpenGLDisplayPlugin.h"
 
-#include <QGLWidget>
+#include <gl/GLWidget.h>
 
 #include "plugins/PluginContainer.h"
 
diff --git a/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLWidget.cpp b/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLWidget.cpp
index 310675c01f..c67dec1e51 100644
--- a/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLWidget.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLWidget.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 //  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
 //  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
 //
+#include <QtGlobal>
 
 #include "GLWidget.h"
 
@@ -16,11 +17,14 @@
 #include <QtCore/QUrl>
 #include <QtCore/QCoreApplication>
 
+#include <QtGui/QOpenGLContext>
 #include <QtGui/QKeyEvent>
 #include <QtGui/QWindow>
 
+
 #include "GLHelpers.h"
 
+
 GLWidget::GLWidget() : QGLWidget(getDefaultGLFormat()) {
 #ifdef Q_OS_LINUX
     // Cause GLWidget::eventFilter to be called.
@@ -42,6 +46,12 @@ void GLWidget::initializeGL() {
     setAcceptDrops(true);
     // Note, we *DO NOT* want Qt to automatically swap buffers for us.  This results in the "ringing" bug mentioned in WL#19514 when we're throttling the framerate.
     setAutoBufferSwap(false);
+
+    // TODO: write the proper code for linux
+    makeCurrent();
+#if defined(Q_OS_WIN)
+    _vsyncSupported = context()->contextHandle()->hasExtension("WGL_EXT_swap_control");;
+#endif
 }
 
 void GLWidget::paintEvent(QPaintEvent* event) {
@@ -112,3 +122,8 @@ bool GLWidget::eventFilter(QObject*, QEvent* event) {
     }
     return false;
 }
+
+bool GLWidget::isVsyncSupported() const {
+    return _vsyncSupported;
+}
+
diff --git a/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLWidget.h b/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLWidget.h
index df4a73ac50..5b391aa6cd 100644
--- a/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLWidget.h
+++ b/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLWidget.h
@@ -21,15 +21,19 @@ public:
     int getDeviceWidth() const;
     int getDeviceHeight() const;
     QSize getDeviceSize() const { return QSize(getDeviceWidth(), getDeviceHeight()); }
+    bool isVsyncSupported() const;
+    virtual void initializeGL() override;
 
 protected:
-    virtual void initializeGL() override;
     virtual bool event(QEvent* event) override;
     virtual void paintEvent(QPaintEvent* event) override;
     virtual void resizeEvent(QResizeEvent* event) override;
 
 private slots:
     virtual bool eventFilter(QObject*, QEvent* event) override;
+
+private:
+    bool _vsyncSupported { false };
 };
 
 
diff --git a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginContainer.h b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginContainer.h
index 6732bc02ba..19859fd98b 100644
--- a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginContainer.h
+++ b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginContainer.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #include "Forward.h"
 
 class QAction;
-class QGLWidget;
+class GLWidget;
 class QScreen;
 class QOpenGLContext;
 class QWindow;
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public:
     virtual bool makeRenderingContextCurrent() = 0;
     virtual void releaseSceneTexture(uint32_t texture) = 0;
     virtual void releaseOverlayTexture(uint32_t texture) = 0;
-    virtual QGLWidget* getPrimaryWidget() = 0;
+    virtual GLWidget* getPrimaryWidget() = 0;
     virtual QWindow* getPrimaryWindow() = 0;
     virtual QOpenGLContext* getPrimaryContext() = 0;
     virtual bool isForeground() = 0;
diff --git a/tests/controllers/src/main.cpp b/tests/controllers/src/main.cpp
index 8514d33d2e..fe49c2b385 100644
--- a/tests/controllers/src/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/controllers/src/main.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public:
     virtual bool makeRenderingContextCurrent() override { return true; }
     virtual void releaseSceneTexture(uint32_t texture) override {}
     virtual void releaseOverlayTexture(uint32_t texture) override {}
-    virtual QGLWidget* getPrimaryWidget() override { return nullptr; }
+    virtual GLWidget* getPrimaryWidget() override { return nullptr; }
     virtual QWindow* getPrimaryWindow() override { return nullptr; }
     virtual QOpenGLContext* getPrimaryContext() override { return nullptr; }
     virtual bool isForeground() override { return true;  }