diff --git a/app/widgets/gimpcellrendererviewable.c b/app/widgets/gimpcellrendererviewable.c
index 07b6911c22..3003a95ef7 100644
--- a/app/widgets/gimpcellrendererviewable.c
+++ b/app/widgets/gimpcellrendererviewable.c
@@ -293,9 +293,11 @@ gimp_cell_renderer_viewable_render (GtkCellRenderer      *cell,
       if (! (flags & GTK_CELL_RENDERER_SELECTED))
         {
           /* this is an ugly hack. The cell state should be passed to
-           * the view renderer, so that it can adjust its border.
-           * (or something like this) */
-          if (cellviewable->renderer->border_type == GIMP_VIEW_BORDER_WHITE)
+           * the view renderer, so that it can adjust its border.  (or
+           * something like this)
+           */
+          if (gimp_view_renderer_get_border_type (cellviewable->renderer) ==
+              GIMP_VIEW_BORDER_WHITE)
             gimp_view_renderer_set_border_type (cellviewable->renderer,
                                                 GIMP_VIEW_BORDER_BLACK);
 
diff --git a/app/widgets/gimpviewrenderer.c b/app/widgets/gimpviewrenderer.c
index 50cd03f89a..f9ebd308e4 100644
--- a/app/widgets/gimpviewrenderer.c
+++ b/app/widgets/gimpviewrenderer.c
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ enum
 
 struct _GimpViewRendererPrivate
 {
+  GimpViewBorderType  border_type;
+  GeglColor          *border_color;
+
   cairo_pattern_t    *pattern;
   gchar              *bg_icon_name;
 
@@ -163,13 +166,11 @@ gimp_view_renderer_init (GimpViewRenderer *renderer)
 {
   renderer->priv = gimp_view_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
 
-  renderer->dot_for_dot  = TRUE;
-
-  renderer->border_type  = GIMP_VIEW_BORDER_STYLE_FG;
-
-  renderer->surface_bg   = GIMP_VIEW_BG_STYLE;
-  renderer->size         = -1;
+  renderer->dot_for_dot = TRUE;
+  renderer->surface_bg  = GIMP_VIEW_BG_STYLE;
+  renderer->size        = -1;
 
+  renderer->priv->border_type  = GIMP_VIEW_BORDER_STYLE_FG;
   renderer->priv->needs_render = TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -178,14 +179,14 @@ gimp_view_renderer_dispose (GObject *object)
 {
   GimpViewRenderer *renderer = GIMP_VIEW_RENDERER (object);
 
-  g_clear_object (&renderer->border_color);
-
   if (renderer->viewable)
     gimp_view_renderer_set_viewable (renderer, NULL);
 
   if (renderer->context)
     gimp_view_renderer_set_context (renderer, NULL);
 
+  g_clear_object (&renderer->priv->border_color);
+
   if (renderer->priv->color_config)
     gimp_view_renderer_set_color_config (renderer, NULL);
 
@@ -199,10 +200,10 @@ gimp_view_renderer_finalize (GObject *object)
 {
   GimpViewRenderer *renderer = GIMP_VIEW_RENDERER (object);
 
-  g_clear_pointer (&renderer->priv->pattern, cairo_pattern_destroy);
   g_clear_pointer (&renderer->surface, cairo_surface_destroy);
+  g_clear_pointer (&renderer->priv->pattern, cairo_pattern_destroy);
   g_clear_pointer (&renderer->priv->bg_icon_name, g_free);
-  g_clear_object  (&renderer->border_color);
+  g_clear_object  (&renderer->priv->border_color);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->finalize (object);
 }
@@ -496,7 +497,7 @@ gimp_view_renderer_set_border_type (GimpViewRenderer   *renderer,
 
   g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_VIEW_RENDERER (renderer));
 
-  renderer->border_type = border_type;
+  renderer->priv->border_type = border_type;
 
   switch (border_type)
     {
@@ -521,11 +522,20 @@ gimp_view_renderer_set_border_type (GimpViewRenderer   *renderer,
       break;
     }
 
-  g_set_object (&renderer->border_color, border_color);
+  g_set_object (&renderer->priv->border_color, border_color);
 
   gimp_view_renderer_update_idle (renderer);
 }
 
+GimpViewBorderType
+gimp_view_renderer_get_border_type (GimpViewRenderer *renderer)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_VIEW_RENDERER (renderer),
+                        GIMP_VIEW_BORDER_STYLE_FG);
+
+  return renderer->priv->border_type;
+}
+
 void
 gimp_view_renderer_set_background (GimpViewRenderer *renderer,
                                    const gchar      *icon_name)
@@ -686,8 +696,8 @@ gimp_view_renderer_draw (GimpViewRenderer *renderer,
       gint       height = renderer->height + renderer->border_width;
       gdouble    x, y;
 
-      if (renderer->border_color)
-        color = g_object_ref (renderer->border_color);
+      if (renderer->priv->border_color)
+        color = g_object_ref (renderer->priv->border_color);
       else
         color = gimp_get_style_color (widget, GTK_STYLE_PROPERTY_COLOR);
 
diff --git a/app/widgets/gimpviewrenderer.h b/app/widgets/gimpviewrenderer.h
index 794906f5ad..2cf597fb4e 100644
--- a/app/widgets/gimpviewrenderer.h
+++ b/app/widgets/gimpviewrenderer.h
@@ -50,9 +50,6 @@ struct _GimpViewRenderer
   guint               dot_for_dot : 1;
   guint               is_popup    : 1;
 
-  GimpViewBorderType  border_type;
-  GeglColor          *border_color;
-
   /*< protected >*/
   cairo_surface_t    *surface;
   GimpViewBG          surface_bg;
@@ -120,8 +117,12 @@ void   gimp_view_renderer_set_size_full    (GimpViewRenderer   *renderer,
                                             gint                border_width);
 void   gimp_view_renderer_set_dot_for_dot  (GimpViewRenderer   *renderer,
                                             gboolean            dot_for_dot);
+
 void   gimp_view_renderer_set_border_type  (GimpViewRenderer   *renderer,
                                             GimpViewBorderType  border_type);
+GimpViewBorderType
+       gimp_view_renderer_get_border_type  (GimpViewRenderer   *renderer);
+
 void   gimp_view_renderer_set_background   (GimpViewRenderer   *renderer,
                                             const gchar        *icon_name);
 void   gimp_view_renderer_set_color_config (GimpViewRenderer   *renderer,