diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererDX.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererDX.cpp
index cb7aa8f24a..d356cbdb35 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererDX.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererDX.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ void GSRendererDX::EmulateAtst(const int pass, const GSTextureCache::Source* tex
 	static const uint32 inverted_atst[] = { ATST_ALWAYS, ATST_NEVER, ATST_GEQUAL, ATST_GREATER, ATST_NOTEQUAL, ATST_LESS, ATST_LEQUAL, ATST_EQUAL };
 	int atst = (pass == 2) ? inverted_atst[m_context->TEST.ATST] : m_context->TEST.ATST;
 
-	if (!m_context->TEST.ATE) return;
+	if (!m_ATE) return;
 
 	switch (atst) {
 	case ATST_LESS:
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ void GSRendererDX::EmulateAtst(const int pass, const GSTextureCache::Source* tex
 	// to only draw pixels which would cause the destination alpha test to fail in the future once.
 	// Unfortunately this also means only drawing those pixels at all, which is why this is a hack.
 	// The interaction with FBA in D3D9 is probably less than ideal.
-	if (UserHacks_AlphaStencil && DATE && dev->HasStencil() && om_bsel.wa && (!m_context->TEST.ATE || m_context->TEST.ATST == 1))
+	if (UserHacks_AlphaStencil && DATE && dev->HasStencil() && om_bsel.wa && !m_ATE)
 	{
 		if (!m_context->FBA.FBA)
 		{
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererHW.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererHW.cpp
index 889f913e35..d7a5cf2725 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererHW.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererHW.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ GSRendererHW::GSRendererHW(GSTextureCache* tc)
 	, m_tc(tc)
 	, m_channel_shuffle(false)
 	, m_double_downscale(false)
+	, m_ATE(false)
 {
 	m_upscale_multiplier = theApp.GetConfigI("upscale_multiplier");
 	m_large_framebuffer  = theApp.GetConfigB("large_framebuffer");
@@ -683,13 +684,8 @@ void GSRendererHW::Draw()
 	uint32 fm = context->FRAME.FBMSK;
 	uint32 zm = context->ZBUF.ZMSK || context->TEST.ZTE == 0 ? 0xffffffff : 0;
 
-	if(context->TEST.ATE && context->TEST.ATST != ATST_ALWAYS)
-	{
-		if(GSRenderer::TryAlphaTest(fm, zm))
-		{
-			context->TEST.ATST = ATST_ALWAYS;
-		}
-	}
+	//  Test if we can optimize Alpha Test as a NOP
+	m_ATE = context->TEST.ATE && !GSRenderer::TryAlphaTest(fm, zm);
 
 	context->FRAME.FBMSK = fm;
 	context->ZBUF.ZMSK = zm != 0;
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererHW.h b/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererHW.h
index 09e2ea5c4c..5aca0e951d 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererHW.h
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererHW.h
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ protected:
 
 	bool m_channel_shuffle;
 	bool m_double_downscale;
+	bool m_ATE;
 
 public:
 	GSRendererHW(GSTextureCache* tc);
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererOGL.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererOGL.cpp
index e5b6504b8c..a585cdbf03 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererOGL.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GSRendererOGL.cpp
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ void GSRendererOGL::EmulateAtst(const int pass, const GSTextureCache::Source* te
 	static const uint32 inverted_atst[] = {ATST_ALWAYS, ATST_NEVER, ATST_GEQUAL, ATST_GREATER, ATST_NOTEQUAL, ATST_LESS, ATST_LEQUAL, ATST_EQUAL};
 	int atst = (pass == 2) ? inverted_atst[m_context->TEST.ATST] : m_context->TEST.ATST;
 
-	if (!m_context->TEST.ATE) return;
+	if (!m_ATE) return;
 
 	switch (atst) {
 		case ATST_LESS:
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ void GSRendererOGL::DrawPrims(GSTexture* rt, GSTexture* ds, GSTextureCache::Sour
 			m_require_full_barrier = true;
 			DATE_GL45 = true;
 			DATE = false;
-		} else if (m_om_csel.wa && (!m_context->TEST.ATE || m_context->TEST.ATST == ATST_ALWAYS)) {
+		} else if (m_om_csel.wa && !m_ATE) {
 			// Performance note: check alpha range with GetAlphaMinMax()
 			// Note: all my dump are already above 120fps, but it seems to reduce GPU load
 			// with big upscaling
@@ -1211,7 +1211,7 @@ void GSRendererOGL::DrawPrims(GSTexture* rt, GSTexture* ds, GSTextureCache::Sour
 					DATE = false;
 				}
 			}
-		} else if (!m_om_csel.wa && (!m_context->TEST.ATE || m_context->TEST.ATST == ATST_ALWAYS)) {
+		} else if (!m_om_csel.wa && !m_ATE) {
 			// TODO: is it legal ? Likely but it need to be tested carefully
 			// DATE_GL45 = true;
 			// m_require_one_barrier = true; << replace it with a cheap barrier