diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLGSRender.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLGSRender.cpp
index 0de8c586b6..d42512b2a2 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLGSRender.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLGSRender.cpp
@@ -194,12 +194,6 @@ void GLGSRender::begin()
 	if (!draw_fbo.check())
 		return;
 
-	if (surface_clear_flags)
-	{
-		clear_surface(surface_clear_flags);
-		surface_clear_flags = 0;
-	}
-
 	std::chrono::time_point<steady_clock> then = steady_clock::now();
 
 	bool color_mask_b = rsx::method_registers.color_mask_b();
@@ -664,9 +658,12 @@ bool GLGSRender::do_method(u32 cmd, u32 arg)
 	switch (cmd)
 	{
 	case NV4097_CLEAR_SURFACE:
+	{
 		init_buffers(true);
-		surface_clear_flags |= arg;
+		synchronize_buffers();
+		clear_surface(arg);
 		return true;
+	}
 	case NV4097_TEXTURE_READ_SEMAPHORE_RELEASE:
 	case NV4097_BACK_END_WRITE_SEMAPHORE_RELEASE:
 		flush_draw_buffers = true;
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLGSRender.h b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLGSRender.h
index ba879f64fd..c47eb815d1 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLGSRender.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLGSRender.h
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ private:
 	gcm_buffer_info surface_info[rsx::limits::color_buffers_count];
 	gcm_buffer_info depth_surface_info;
 
-	u32 surface_clear_flags = 0;
 	bool flush_draw_buffers = false;
 
 public:
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLRenderTargets.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLRenderTargets.cpp
index 7220a5be89..f2a1591191 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLRenderTargets.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLRenderTargets.cpp
@@ -153,16 +153,6 @@ namespace
 
 void GLGSRender::init_buffers(bool skip_reading)
 {
-	//NOTE 1: Sometimes, we process clear before sync flushing rsx buffers. Leads to downloading of blank data
-	//Clearing of surfaces is deferred to handle this
-	//NOTE 2: It is possible for a game to do:
-	//1. Bind buffer 1
-	//2. Clear
-	//3. Bind buffer 2 without touching 1
-	//4. Clear
-	//5. Bind buffer 1
-	//6. Draw without clear
-
 	if (draw_fbo && !m_rtts_dirty)
 	{
 		set_viewport();
@@ -173,13 +163,6 @@ void GLGSRender::init_buffers(bool skip_reading)
 	//LOG_WARNING(RSX, "Render targets have changed; checking for sync points (EID=%d)", m_draw_calls);
 	synchronize_buffers();
 
-	//If the old buffers were dirty, clear them before we bind new buffers
-	if (surface_clear_flags)
-	{
-		clear_surface(surface_clear_flags);
-		surface_clear_flags = 0;
-	}
-
 	m_rtts_dirty = false;
 
 	const u16 clip_horizontal = rsx::method_registers.surface_clip_width();
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLTextureCache.h b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLTextureCache.h
index bd608f6078..9c8c61db4c 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLTextureCache.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/GL/GLTextureCache.h
@@ -712,7 +712,15 @@ namespace gl
 				return;
 			}
 
-			verify(HERE), region->is_locked();
+			if (!region->is_locked())
+			{
+				verify(HERE), region->is_dirty();
+				LOG_WARNING(RSX, "Cell write to bound render target area");
+
+				region->protect(0, vm::page_writable | vm::page_readable);
+				region->set_dirty(false);
+			}
+
 			region->copy_texture();
 		}