diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/gl/wgl_hooks.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/gl/wgl_hooks.cpp
index 21b901182..df03e886f 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/gl/wgl_hooks.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/gl/wgl_hooks.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,15 @@ void WGLHook::PopulateFromContext(HDC dc, HGLRC rc)
     });
 
     // restore DC/context
-    WGL.wglMakeCurrent(prevDC, prevContext);
+    if(!WGL.wglMakeCurrent(prevDC, prevContext))
+    {
+      RDCWARN(
+          "Couldn't restore prev context %p with prev DC %p - possibly stale. Using new DC %p to "
+          "ensure context is rebound properly",
+          prevContext, prevDC, dc);
+
+      WGL.wglMakeCurrent(dc, prevContext);
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/gl/wgl_platform.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/gl/wgl_platform.cpp
index 752fa1c96..173867206 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/gl/wgl_platform.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/gl/wgl_platform.cpp
@@ -70,10 +70,16 @@ class WGLPlatform : public GLPlatform
   virtual void PopChildContext(GLWindowingData existing, GLWindowingData newChild,
                                GLWindowingData saved)
   {
-    MakeContextCurrent(saved);
-    // release the DC now, if we didn't use our own because theirs was invalid
-    if(saved.DC != newChild.DC)
-      ::ReleaseDC(saved.wnd, saved.DC);
+    // if possible we want to use the existing DC so that we have a valid DC for further work (the
+    // cloned one we're making is going to be destroyed). First try to rebind the existing as-is,
+    // and only if that fails - e.g. due to a stale DC - use our cloned one to rebind the context
+    if(!MakeContextCurrent(existing))
+    {
+      MakeContextCurrent(saved);
+      // release the DC now, if we didn't use our own because theirs was invalid
+      if(saved.DC != newChild.DC)
+        ::ReleaseDC(saved.wnd, saved.DC);
+    }
   }
   GLWindowingData CloneTemporaryContext(GLWindowingData share)
   {