diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index ccd1749e8..79b7cb3e9 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -1498,6 +1498,9 @@ meta_window_unmanage (MetaWindow  *window,
 
   meta_verbose ("Unmanaging 0x%lx\n", window->xwindow);
 
+  if (window->surface)
+    meta_wayland_surface_window_unmanaged (window->surface);
+
   if (window->client_type == META_WINDOW_CLIENT_TYPE_WAYLAND)
     {
       MetaStackWindow stack_window;
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
index 496a6bf18..b8fc0e793 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
@@ -574,10 +574,48 @@ const struct wl_surface_interface meta_wayland_surface_interface = {
 };
 
 static void
-meta_wayland_surface_free (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
+unparent_actor (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
 {
+  ClutterActor *parent_actor;
+
+  parent_actor = clutter_actor_get_parent (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor));
+  clutter_actor_remove_child (parent_actor, CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor));
+}
+
+void
+meta_wayland_surface_window_unmanaged (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
+{
+  /* The window is being unmanaged. Unparent our surface actor
+   * before the window actor is destroyed, as we need to hold
+   * onto it... */
+  unparent_actor (surface);
+
+  surface->window = NULL;
+}
+
+static void
+destroy_window (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
+{
+  MetaDisplay *display = meta_get_display ();
+  guint32 timestamp = meta_display_get_current_time_roundtrip (display);
+
+  g_assert (surface->window != NULL);
+  meta_window_unmanage (surface->window, timestamp);
+  g_assert (surface->window == NULL);
+}
+
+static void
+wl_surface_destructor (struct wl_resource *resource)
+{
+  MetaWaylandSurface *surface = wl_resource_get_user_data (resource);
   MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor = surface->compositor;
 
+  /* At the time when the wl_surface is destroyed, we should
+   * no longer have a window, unless we're an XWayland window
+   * in which case we received the wl_surface.destroy before
+   * the UnmapNotify/DestroyNotify. */
+  g_assert (surface->window == NULL || surface->window->client_type == META_WINDOW_CLIENT_TYPE_X11);
+
   compositor->surfaces = g_list_remove (compositor->surfaces, surface);
 
   surface_set_buffer (surface, NULL);
@@ -590,57 +628,6 @@ meta_wayland_surface_free (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
   meta_wayland_compositor_repick (compositor);
 }
 
-static void
-unparent_actor (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
-{
-  ClutterActor *parent_actor;
-
-  parent_actor = clutter_actor_get_parent (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor));
-  clutter_actor_remove_child (parent_actor, CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor));
-}
-
-static void
-destroy_window (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
-{
-  MetaDisplay *display = meta_get_display ();
-  guint32 timestamp = meta_display_get_current_time_roundtrip (display);
-
-  /* Remove our actor from the parent, so it doesn't get destroyed when
-   * the MetaWindowActor is destroyed. */
-  unparent_actor (surface);
-
-  g_assert (surface->window != NULL);
-  meta_window_unmanage (surface->window, timestamp);
-  surface->window = NULL;
-}
-
-static void
-wl_surface_destructor (struct wl_resource *resource)
-{
-  MetaWaylandSurface *surface = wl_resource_get_user_data (resource);
-
-  /* There are four cases here:
-     - An X11 unmanaged window -> surface is NULL, nothing to do
-     - An X11 unmanaged window, but we got the wayland event first ->
-       just clear the resource pointer
-     - A wayland surface without window (destroyed before set_toplevel) ->
-       need to free the surface itself
-     - A wayland window -> need to unmanage
-  */
-
-  if (surface)
-    {
-      surface->resource = NULL;
-
-      /* NB: If the surface corresponds to an X window then we will be
-       * sure to free the MetaWindow according to some X event. */
-      if (surface->window && surface->window->client_type == META_WINDOW_CLIENT_TYPE_WAYLAND)
-        destroy_window (surface);
-
-      meta_wayland_surface_free (surface);
-    }
-}
-
 MetaWaylandSurface *
 meta_wayland_surface_create (MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor,
 			     struct wl_client      *client,
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h
index df725db13..0fafb8c57 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ MetaWaylandSurface *meta_wayland_surface_create (MetaWaylandCompositor *composit
 						 struct wl_client      *client,
 						 guint32                id,
 						 guint32                version);
+
+void                meta_wayland_surface_window_unmanaged (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);
+
 void                meta_wayland_surface_configure_notify (MetaWaylandSurface *surface,
 							   int                 width,
 							   int                 height);