diff --git a/3d-viewer/3d_canvas/eda_3d_canvas.cpp b/3d-viewer/3d_canvas/eda_3d_canvas.cpp
index 03ba99efd2..a95e2c29bf 100644
--- a/3d-viewer/3d_canvas/eda_3d_canvas.cpp
+++ b/3d-viewer/3d_canvas/eda_3d_canvas.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <GL/glew.h>    // Must be included first
+#include <gl_utils.h>
 #include <wx/tokenzr.h>
 
 #include "../common_ogl/ogl_utils.h"
diff --git a/common/gal/opengl/opengl_gal.cpp b/common/gal/opengl/opengl_gal.cpp
index ef6944a790..fe7f30b6ce 100644
--- a/common/gal/opengl/opengl_gal.cpp
+++ b/common/gal/opengl/opengl_gal.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 #define GL_SILENCE_DEPRECATION 1
 #endif
 
+#include <gl_utils.h>
+
 #include <gal/opengl/opengl_gal.h>
 #include <gal/opengl/utils.h>
 #include <gal/definitions.h>
@@ -2040,6 +2042,8 @@ void OPENGL_GAL::init()
         throw std::runtime_error( "Requested texture size is not supported" );
     }
 
+    GL_UTILS::SetSwapInterval( -1 );
+
     cachedManager = new VERTEX_MANAGER( true );
     nonCachedManager = new VERTEX_MANAGER( false );
     overlayManager = new VERTEX_MANAGER( false );
diff --git a/include/gal/opengl/opengl_gal.h b/include/gal/opengl/opengl_gal.h
index 5d0e97fee1..ad367289fa 100644
--- a/include/gal/opengl/opengl_gal.h
+++ b/include/gal/opengl/opengl_gal.h
@@ -478,7 +478,6 @@ private:
 
     VECTOR2D getScreenPixelSize() const;
 
-
     /**
      * @brief Basic OpenGL initialization.
      */
diff --git a/include/gl_utils.h b/include/gl_utils.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..30760d6b55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/gl_utils.h
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+/*
+ * This program source code file is part of KiCad, a free EDA CAD application.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2020 Kicad Developers, see AUTHORS.txt for contributors
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, you may find one here:
+ * http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-3.0.html
+ * or you may search the http://www.gnu.org website for the version 3 license,
+ * or you may write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef GL_UTILS_H
+#define GL_UTILS_H
+
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
+#include <GL/glxew.h>
+#endif
+
+#include <limits>
+
+class GL_UTILS
+{
+public:
+    /**
+     * Attempts to set the OpenGL swap interval
+     * @param aVal if -1 = try to set adaptive swapping, 0 = sync off, 1 = sync with VSYNC rate
+     * @return actual value set
+     */
+    static int SetSwapInterval( int aVal )
+    {
+        /// This routine is written for Linux only.  The equivalent functions under Windows would
+        /// include <wglext.h> and call wglSwapIntervalEXT
+    #ifndef __WINDOWS__
+        Display *dpy = glXGetCurrentDisplay();
+        GLXDrawable drawable = glXGetCurrentDrawable();
+
+        if( glXSwapIntervalEXT && glXQueryDrawable && dpy && drawable )
+        {
+            unsigned clampedInterval;
+            glXSwapIntervalEXT( dpy, drawable, aVal );
+            glXQueryDrawable( dpy, drawable, GLX_SWAP_INTERVAL_EXT, &clampedInterval );
+
+            return clampedInterval;
+        }
+
+        if( glXSwapIntervalMESA &&glXGetSwapIntervalMESA )
+        {
+            if( aVal < 0 )
+                aVal = 0;
+
+            glXSwapIntervalMESA( aVal );
+            return glXGetSwapIntervalMESA();
+        }
+
+        if( glXSwapIntervalSGI )
+        {
+            if( aVal < 1 )
+                aVal = 1;
+
+            if( glXSwapIntervalSGI( aVal ) )
+                glXSwapIntervalSGI( 1 );
+
+            return 1;
+        }
+
+        return std::numeric_limits<int>::max();
+    #else
+        return 0;
+    #endif
+    }
+};
+
+#endif /* GL_CONTEXT_MANAGER_H */
+