diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 9455331a0..edb122d36 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -918,8 +918,6 @@ meta_display_open (void)
 
   enable_compositor (the_display);
    
-  meta_display_grab (the_display);
-  
   /* Now manage all existing windows */
   tmp = the_display->screens;
   while (tmp != NULL)
@@ -971,8 +969,6 @@ meta_display_open (void)
 
   meta_idle_monitor_init_dbus ();
 
-  meta_display_ungrab (the_display);
-
   /* Done opening new display */
   the_display->display_opening = FALSE;
 
diff --git a/src/core/screen.c b/src/core/screen.c
index efd6f4101..1143f554c 100644
--- a/src/core/screen.c
+++ b/src/core/screen.c
@@ -887,8 +887,6 @@ meta_screen_manage_all_windows (MetaScreen *screen)
   Window *children;
   int n_children, i;
 
-  meta_display_grab (screen->display);
-
   if (screen->guard_window == None)
     screen->guard_window = create_guard_window (screen->display->xdisplay,
                                                 screen);
@@ -907,8 +905,6 @@ meta_screen_manage_all_windows (MetaScreen *screen)
 
   g_free (children);
   meta_stack_thaw (screen->stack);
-
-  meta_display_ungrab (screen->display);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index 05f7dcfa2..a2f04aa27 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -792,11 +792,14 @@ meta_window_new (MetaDisplay   *display,
       return NULL;
     }
 
-  /* Grab server */
-  meta_display_grab (display);
   meta_error_trap_push (display); /* Push a trap over all of window
                                    * creation, to reduce XSync() calls
                                    */
+  /*
+   * This function executes without any server grabs held. This means that
+   * the window could have already gone away, or could go away at any point,
+   * so we must be careful with X error handling.
+   */
 
   if (!XGetWindowAttributes (display->xdisplay, xwindow, &attrs))
     {
@@ -1437,7 +1440,6 @@ meta_window_new (MetaDisplay   *display,
     unminimize_window_and_all_transient_parents (window);
 
   meta_error_trap_pop (display); /* pop the XSync()-reducing trap */
-  meta_display_ungrab (display);
 
   window->constructing = FALSE;
 
@@ -1453,7 +1455,6 @@ meta_window_new (MetaDisplay   *display,
 
 error:
   meta_error_trap_pop (display);
-  meta_display_ungrab (display);
   return NULL;
 }