diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
index f145f54c3..4cdf8fe0e 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
@@ -91,17 +91,6 @@ meta_window_actor_wayland_rebuild_surface_tree (MetaWindowActor *actor)
                    actor);
 }
 
-MetaWindowActor *
-meta_window_actor_wayland_from_surface (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
-{
-  if (surface->window)
-    return meta_window_actor_from_window (surface->window);
-  else if (surface->sub.parent)
-    return meta_window_actor_wayland_from_surface (surface->sub.parent);
-  else
-    return NULL;
-}
-
 static void
 meta_window_actor_wayland_assign_surface_actor (MetaWindowActor  *actor,
                                                 MetaSurfaceActor *surface_actor)
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.h b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.h
index d7e1b7808..d94de8106 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.h
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.h
@@ -33,6 +33,5 @@ G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (MetaWindowActorWayland,
                       MetaWindowActor)
 
 void meta_window_actor_wayland_rebuild_surface_tree (MetaWindowActor *actor);
-MetaWindowActor * meta_window_actor_wayland_from_surface (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);
 
 #endif /*META_WINDOW_ACTOR_WAYLAND_H */
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-shell-surface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-shell-surface.c
index c2022a736..aa3e397ac 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-shell-surface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-shell-surface.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "wayland/meta-wayland-shell-surface.h"
 
 #include "compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.h"
+#include "compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.h"
 #include "wayland/meta-wayland-actor-surface.h"
 #include "wayland/meta-wayland-buffer.h"
 #include "wayland/meta-wayland-subsurface.h"
@@ -165,6 +166,22 @@ meta_wayland_shell_surface_surface_apply_state (MetaWaylandSurfaceRole  *surface
     meta_wayland_surface_get_height (surface) * geometry_scale;
 }
 
+static void
+meta_wayland_shell_surface_notify_subsurface_state_changed (MetaWaylandSurfaceRole *surface_role)
+{
+  MetaWaylandSurface *surface =
+    meta_wayland_surface_role_get_surface (surface_role);
+  MetaWindow *window;
+  MetaWindowActor *window_actor;
+
+  window = surface->window;
+  if (!window)
+    return;
+
+  window_actor = meta_window_actor_from_window (window);
+  meta_window_actor_wayland_rebuild_surface_tree (window_actor);
+}
+
 static double
 meta_wayland_shell_surface_get_geometry_scale (MetaWaylandActorSurface *actor_surface)
 {
@@ -246,6 +263,8 @@ meta_wayland_shell_surface_class_init (MetaWaylandShellSurfaceClass *klass)
 
   surface_role_class->apply_state =
     meta_wayland_shell_surface_surface_apply_state;
+  surface_role_class->notify_subsurface_state_changed =
+    meta_wayland_shell_surface_notify_subsurface_state_changed;
 
   actor_surface_class->get_geometry_scale =
     meta_wayland_shell_surface_get_geometry_scale;
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-subsurface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-subsurface.c
index 3e5632010..d3afcf8af 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-subsurface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-subsurface.c
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ meta_wayland_subsurface_parent_state_applied (MetaWaylandSubsurface *subsurface)
     {
       GSList *it;
       MetaWaylandSurface *parent;
-      MetaWindowActor *window_actor;
 
       parent = surface->sub.parent;
 
@@ -184,9 +183,7 @@ meta_wayland_subsurface_parent_state_applied (MetaWaylandSubsurface *subsurface)
       g_slist_free (surface->sub.pending_placement_ops);
       surface->sub.pending_placement_ops = NULL;
 
-      window_actor = meta_window_actor_wayland_from_surface (surface);
-      if (window_actor)
-        meta_window_actor_wayland_rebuild_surface_tree (window_actor);
+      meta_wayland_surface_notify_subsurface_state_changed (parent);
     }
 
   if (is_surface_effectively_synchronized (surface))
@@ -258,6 +255,16 @@ meta_wayland_subsurface_should_cache_state (MetaWaylandSurfaceRole *surface_role
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+static void
+meta_wayland_subsurface_notify_subsurface_state_changed (MetaWaylandSurfaceRole *surface_role)
+{
+  MetaWaylandSurface *surface =
+    meta_wayland_surface_role_get_surface (surface_role);
+  MetaWaylandSurface *parent = surface->sub.parent;
+
+  return meta_wayland_surface_notify_subsurface_state_changed (parent);
+}
+
 static double
 meta_wayland_subsurface_get_geometry_scale (MetaWaylandActorSurface *actor_surface)
 {
@@ -313,6 +320,8 @@ meta_wayland_subsurface_class_init (MetaWaylandSubsurfaceClass *klass)
 
   surface_role_class->get_toplevel = meta_wayland_subsurface_get_toplevel;
   surface_role_class->should_cache_state = meta_wayland_subsurface_should_cache_state;
+  surface_role_class->notify_subsurface_state_changed =
+    meta_wayland_subsurface_notify_subsurface_state_changed;
 
   actor_surface_class->get_geometry_scale =
     meta_wayland_subsurface_get_geometry_scale;
@@ -519,7 +528,6 @@ wl_subcompositor_get_subsurface (struct wl_client   *client,
   MetaWaylandSurface *surface = wl_resource_get_user_data (surface_resource);
   MetaWaylandSurface *parent = wl_resource_get_user_data (parent_resource);
   MetaWindow *toplevel_window;
-  MetaWindowActor *window_actor;
 
   if (surface->wl_subsurface)
     {
@@ -564,9 +572,7 @@ wl_subcompositor_get_subsurface (struct wl_client   *client,
   g_node_append (parent->subsurface_branch_node,
                  surface->subsurface_branch_node);
 
-  window_actor = meta_window_actor_wayland_from_surface (surface);
-  if (window_actor)
-    meta_window_actor_wayland_rebuild_surface_tree (window_actor);
+  meta_wayland_surface_notify_subsurface_state_changed (parent);
 }
 
 static const struct wl_subcompositor_interface meta_wayland_subcompositor_interface = {
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
index 2b01a2acb..de3502b2e 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
@@ -1843,6 +1843,24 @@ meta_wayland_surface_should_cache_state (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
   return meta_wayland_surface_role_should_cache_state (surface->role);
 }
 
+static void
+meta_wayland_surface_role_notify_subsurface_state_changed (MetaWaylandSurfaceRole *surface_role)
+{
+  MetaWaylandSurfaceRoleClass *klass;
+
+  klass = META_WAYLAND_SURFACE_ROLE_GET_CLASS (surface_role);
+  g_return_if_fail (klass->notify_subsurface_state_changed);
+
+  klass->notify_subsurface_state_changed (surface_role);
+}
+
+void
+meta_wayland_surface_notify_subsurface_state_changed (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
+{
+  if (surface->role)
+    meta_wayland_surface_role_notify_subsurface_state_changed (surface->role);
+}
+
 MetaWaylandSurface *
 meta_wayland_surface_role_get_surface (MetaWaylandSurfaceRole *role)
 {
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h
index b75b0708d..b19a35832 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ struct _MetaWaylandSurfaceRoleClass
                                      MetaLogicalMonitor     *logical_monitor);
   MetaWaylandSurface * (*get_toplevel) (MetaWaylandSurfaceRole *surface_role);
   gboolean (*should_cache_state) (MetaWaylandSurfaceRole *surface_role);
+  void (*notify_subsurface_state_changed) (MetaWaylandSurfaceRole *surface_role);
 };
 
 struct _MetaWaylandSurfaceState
@@ -325,6 +326,8 @@ MetaSurfaceActor *  meta_wayland_surface_get_actor (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
 
 void                meta_wayland_surface_notify_geometry_changed (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);
 
+void                meta_wayland_surface_notify_subsurface_state_changed (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);
+
 int                 meta_wayland_surface_get_width (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);
 int                 meta_wayland_surface_get_height (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);