diff --git a/dlls/user/painting.c b/dlls/user/painting.c
index 41638d9b9b3..927f886cebd 100644
--- a/dlls/user/painting.c
+++ b/dlls/user/painting.c
@@ -321,9 +321,6 @@ static void update_now( HWND hwnd, UINT rdw_flags )
 {
     HWND prev = 0, child;
 
-    /* process pending expose events before painting */
-    MsgWaitForMultipleObjects( 0, NULL, FALSE, 0, QS_PAINT );
-
     /* desktop window never gets WM_PAINT, only WM_ERASEBKGND */
     if (hwnd == GetDesktopWindow()) erase_now( hwnd, rdw_flags | RDW_NOCHILDREN );
 
@@ -564,6 +561,9 @@ BOOL WINAPI RedrawWindow( HWND hwnd, const RECT *rect, HRGN hrgn, UINT flags )
         dump_rdw_flags(flags);
     }
 
+    /* process pending expose events before painting */
+    if (flags & RDW_UPDATENOW) MsgWaitForMultipleObjects( 0, NULL, FALSE, 0, QS_PAINT );
+
     if (rect && !hrgn)
     {
         ret = redraw_window_rects( hwnd, flags, rect, 1 );