diff --git a/source/blender/draw/DRW_engine.h b/source/blender/draw/DRW_engine.h
index b76f2c0bece..bd890e8c562 100644
--- a/source/blender/draw/DRW_engine.h
+++ b/source/blender/draw/DRW_engine.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ struct GPUViewport;
 struct ID;
 struct Main;
 struct Object;
+struct RegionView3D;
 struct Render;
 struct RenderEngine;
 struct RenderEngineType;
@@ -47,6 +48,8 @@ void DRW_engines_free(void);
 bool DRW_engine_render_support(struct DrawEngineType *draw_engine_type);
 void DRW_engine_register(struct DrawEngineType *draw_engine_type);
 
+void DRW_engine_external_free(struct RegionView3D *rv3d);
+
 typedef struct DRWUpdateContext {
   struct Main *bmain;
   struct Depsgraph *depsgraph;
diff --git a/source/blender/draw/engines/external/external_engine.cc b/source/blender/draw/engines/external/external_engine.cc
index e6bb74d8ed1..178c97791e1 100644
--- a/source/blender/draw/engines/external/external_engine.cc
+++ b/source/blender/draw/engines/external/external_engine.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  * We use it for depth and non-mesh objects.
  */
 
+#include "DRW_engine.h"
 #include "DRW_render.h"
 
 #include "DNA_modifier_types.h"
@@ -518,4 +519,16 @@ bool DRW_engine_external_acquire_for_image_editor()
   return RE_engine_draw_acquire(re);
 }
 
+void DRW_engine_external_free(RegionView3D *rv3d)
+{
+  if (rv3d->view_render) {
+    /* Free engine with DRW context enabled, as this may clean up per-context
+     * resources like VAOs. */
+    DRW_gpu_context_enable_ex(true);
+    RE_FreeViewRender(rv3d->view_render);
+    rv3d->view_render = nullptr;
+    DRW_gpu_context_disable_ex(true);
+  }
+}
+
 #undef EXTERNAL_ENGINE
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_view3d/space_view3d.cc b/source/blender/editors/space_view3d/space_view3d.cc
index b99e8dc3a81..ccbe66060fe 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_view3d/space_view3d.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_view3d/space_view3d.cc
@@ -230,8 +230,7 @@ void ED_view3d_stop_render_preview(wmWindowManager *wm, ARegion *region)
     BPy_END_ALLOW_THREADS;
 #endif
 
-    RE_FreeViewRender(rv3d->view_render);
-    rv3d->view_render = nullptr;
+    DRW_engine_external_free(rv3d);
   }
 
   /* A bit overkill but this make sure the viewport is reset completely. (fclem) */
@@ -1105,7 +1104,7 @@ static void view3d_main_region_free(ARegion *region)
     }
 
     if (rv3d->view_render) {
-      RE_FreeViewRender(rv3d->view_render);
+      DRW_engine_external_free(rv3d);
     }
 
     if (rv3d->sms) {