diff --git a/src/compositor/compositor.c b/src/compositor/compositor.c
index a378ed805..f031bd151 100644
--- a/src/compositor/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/compositor.c
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@
 #include "clutter/clutter-mutter.h"
 #include "clutter/x11/clutter-x11.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-sync-ring.h"
+#include "compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.h"
+#include "compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-window-group-private.h"
 #include "core/core.h"
@@ -660,11 +662,39 @@ void
 meta_compositor_add_window (MetaCompositor    *compositor,
                             MetaWindow        *window)
 {
+  MetaWindowActor *window_actor;
+  ClutterActor *window_group;
   MetaDisplay *display = compositor->display;
+  GType window_actor_type;
 
   meta_x11_error_trap_push (display->x11_display);
 
-  meta_window_actor_new (window);
+  switch (window->client_type)
+    {
+    case META_WINDOW_CLIENT_TYPE_X11:
+      window_actor_type = META_TYPE_WINDOW_ACTOR_X11;
+      break;
+
+    case META_WINDOW_CLIENT_TYPE_WAYLAND:
+      window_actor_type = META_TYPE_WINDOW_ACTOR_WAYLAND;
+      break;
+    }
+
+  window_actor = g_object_new (window_actor_type,
+                               "meta-window", window,
+                               NULL);
+
+  if (window->layer == META_LAYER_OVERRIDE_REDIRECT)
+    window_group = compositor->top_window_group;
+  else
+    window_group = compositor->window_group;
+
+  clutter_actor_add_child (window_group, CLUTTER_ACTOR (window_actor));
+
+  /* Initial position in the stack is arbitrary; stacking will be synced
+   * before we first paint.
+   */
+  compositor->windows = g_list_append (compositor->windows, window_actor);
   sync_actor_stacking (compositor);
 
   meta_x11_error_trap_pop (display->x11_display);
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
index 955577792..714a49792 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ struct _MetaWindowActorClass
   void (*queue_destroy) (MetaWindowActor *actor);
 };
 
-MetaWindowActor *meta_window_actor_new (MetaWindow *window);
-
 void meta_window_actor_queue_destroy   (MetaWindowActor *self);
 
 void meta_window_actor_show (MetaWindowActor *self,
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index b2654e74e..08bc88c57 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@
 #include "compositor/meta-surface-actor.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-texture-rectangle.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h"
-#include "compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.h"
-#include "compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.h"
 #include "compositor/region-utils.h"
 #include "meta/meta-enum-types.h"
 #include "meta/meta-shadow-factory.h"
@@ -425,6 +423,20 @@ meta_window_actor_constructed (GObject *object)
   /* Start off with an empty shape region to maintain the invariant
    * that it's always set */
   priv->shape_region = cairo_region_create ();
+
+  meta_window_actor_sync_updates_frozen (self);
+
+  if (is_frozen (self))
+    priv->first_frame_state = INITIALLY_FROZEN;
+  else
+    priv->first_frame_state = DRAWING_FIRST_FRAME;
+
+  META_WINDOW_ACTOR_GET_CLASS (self)->post_init (self);
+
+  meta_window_actor_sync_actor_geometry (self, priv->window->placed);
+
+  /* Hang our compositor window state off the MetaWindow for fast retrieval */
+  meta_window_set_compositor_private (window, object);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1227,63 +1239,6 @@ meta_window_actor_size_change (MetaWindowActor    *self,
     }
 }
 
-MetaWindowActor *
-meta_window_actor_new (MetaWindow *window)
-{
-  MetaWindowActorPrivate *priv;
-  MetaDisplay *display = meta_window_get_display (window);
-  MetaCompositor *compositor = display->compositor;
-  MetaWindowActor        *self;
-  ClutterActor           *window_group;
-  GType window_actor_type;
-
-  switch (window->client_type)
-    {
-    case META_WINDOW_CLIENT_TYPE_X11:
-      window_actor_type = META_TYPE_WINDOW_ACTOR_X11;
-      break;
-
-    case META_WINDOW_CLIENT_TYPE_WAYLAND:
-      window_actor_type = META_TYPE_WINDOW_ACTOR_WAYLAND;
-      break;
-    }
-
-  self = g_object_new (window_actor_type,
-                       "meta-window", window,
-                       NULL);
-  priv = meta_window_actor_get_instance_private (self);
-
-  meta_window_actor_sync_updates_frozen (self);
-
-  if (is_frozen (self))
-    priv->first_frame_state = INITIALLY_FROZEN;
-  else
-    priv->first_frame_state = DRAWING_FIRST_FRAME;
-
-  META_WINDOW_ACTOR_GET_CLASS (self)->post_init (self);
-
-  meta_window_actor_sync_actor_geometry (self, priv->window->placed);
-
-  /* Hang our compositor window state off the MetaWindow for fast retrieval */
-  meta_window_set_compositor_private (window, G_OBJECT (self));
-
-  if (window->layer == META_LAYER_OVERRIDE_REDIRECT)
-    window_group = compositor->top_window_group;
-  else
-    window_group = compositor->window_group;
-
-  clutter_actor_add_child (window_group, CLUTTER_ACTOR (self));
-
-  clutter_actor_hide (CLUTTER_ACTOR (self));
-
-  /* Initial position in the stack is arbitrary; stacking will be synced
-   * before we first paint.
-   */
-  compositor->windows = g_list_append (compositor->windows, self);
-
-  return self;
-}
-
 #if 0
 /* Print out a region; useful for debugging */
 static void