diff --git a/gsk/gpu/gskgpubufferwriter.c b/gsk/gpu/gskgpubufferwriter.c
index 3f72122526..cc3eb39de9 100644
--- a/gsk/gpu/gskgpubufferwriter.c
+++ b/gsk/gpu/gskgpubufferwriter.c
@@ -116,3 +116,12 @@ gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_rect (GskGpuBufferWriter     *self,
 
   gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append (self, G_ALIGNOF (float), (guchar *) f, sizeof (f));
 }
+
+void
+gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_rgba (GskGpuBufferWriter *self,
+                                   const GdkRGBA      *rgba)
+{
+  float f[4] = { rgba->red, rgba->green, rgba->blue, rgba->alpha };
+
+  gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append (self, G_ALIGNOF (float), (guchar *) f, sizeof (f));
+}
diff --git a/gsk/gpu/gskgpubufferwriterprivate.h b/gsk/gpu/gskgpubufferwriterprivate.h
index 0134c1c8d6..5c915f43ce 100644
--- a/gsk/gpu/gskgpubufferwriterprivate.h
+++ b/gsk/gpu/gskgpubufferwriterprivate.h
@@ -47,5 +47,7 @@ void                    gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_vec4               (GskGpuB
 void                    gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_rect               (GskGpuBufferWriter             *self,
                                                                          const graphene_rect_t          *rect,
                                                                          const graphene_point_t         *offset);
+void                    gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_rgba               (GskGpuBufferWriter             *self,
+                                                                         const GdkRGBA                  *rgba);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/gsk/gpu/gskgpunodeprocessor.c b/gsk/gpu/gskgpunodeprocessor.c
index 64b44c95ac..1a54fe36b0 100644
--- a/gsk/gpu/gskgpunodeprocessor.c
+++ b/gsk/gpu/gskgpunodeprocessor.c
@@ -690,15 +690,8 @@ gsk_gpu_node_processor_create_color_pattern (GskGpuNodeProcessor *self,
                                              gsize                n_images,
                                              gsize               *out_n_images)
 {
-  const GdkRGBA *rgba;
-
-  rgba = gsk_color_node_get_color (node);
-
   gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_uint (writer, GSK_GPU_PATTERN_COLOR);
-  gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_float (writer, rgba->red);
-  gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_float (writer, rgba->green);
-  gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_float (writer, rgba->blue);
-  gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_float (writer, rgba->alpha);
+  gsk_gpu_buffer_writer_append_rgba (writer, gsk_color_node_get_color (node));
 
   return TRUE;
 }