diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index 3322ffb0f..7ded9f3aa 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ enum
   UNMANAGED,
   SIZE_CHANGED,
   POSITION_CHANGED,
+  SHOWN,
 
   LAST_SIGNAL
 };
@@ -642,6 +643,20 @@ meta_window_class_init (MetaWindowClass *klass)
                   NULL, NULL, NULL,
                   G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
 
+  /**
+   * MetaWindow::shown:
+   * @window: a #MetaWindow
+   *
+   * This is emitted after a window has been shown.
+   */
+  window_signals[SHOWN] =
+    g_signal_new ("shown",
+                  G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (object_class),
+                  G_SIGNAL_RUN_LAST,
+                  0,
+                  NULL, NULL, NULL,
+                  G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
+
   /**
    * MetaWindow::size-changed:
    * @window: a #MetaWindow
@@ -2553,6 +2568,9 @@ meta_window_show (MetaWindow *window)
       g_signal_emit_by_name (window->display, "window-demands-attention",
                              window);
     }
+
+  if (did_show)
+    g_signal_emit (window, window_signals[SHOWN], 0);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/tests/test-client.c b/src/tests/test-client.c
index 583608300..0c8eafc98 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-client.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-client.c
@@ -41,16 +41,6 @@ lookup_window (const char *window_id)
   return window;
 }
 
-static void
-on_after_paint  (GdkFrameClock *clock,
-                 GMainLoop     *loop)
-{
-  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (clock,
-                                        (gpointer) on_after_paint,
-                                        loop);
-  g_main_loop_quit (loop);
-}
-
 static void
 process_line (const char *line)
 {
@@ -170,25 +160,11 @@ process_line (const char *line)
         }
 
       GtkWidget *window = lookup_window (argv[1]);
-      GdkWindow *gdk_window = gtk_widget_get_window (window);
       if (!window)
         goto out;
 
       gtk_widget_show (window);
-
-      /* When a Wayland client, we cannot be really sure that the window has
-       * been mappable until after we have painted. So, in order to have the
-       * test runner rely on the "show" command to have done what the client
-       * needs to do in order for a window to be mappable compositor side, lets
-       * wait with returning until after the first frame.
-       */
-      GdkFrameClock *frame_clock = gdk_window_get_frame_clock (gdk_window);
-      GMainLoop *loop = g_main_loop_new (NULL, FALSE);
-      g_signal_connect (frame_clock, "after-paint",
-                        G_CALLBACK (on_after_paint),
-                        loop);
-      g_main_loop_run (loop);
-      g_main_loop_unref (loop);
+      gdk_display_sync (gdk_display_get_default ());
     }
   else if (strcmp (argv[0], "hide") == 0)
     {
diff --git a/src/tests/test-runner.c b/src/tests/test-runner.c
index 7b0917f21..5c3d25bc9 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-runner.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-runner.c
@@ -327,6 +327,39 @@ test_case_check_xserver_stacking (TestCase *test,
   return *error == NULL;
 }
 
+typedef struct _WaitForShownData
+{
+  GMainLoop *loop;
+  MetaWindow *window;
+  guint shown_handler_id;
+} WaitForShownData;
+
+static void
+on_window_shown (MetaWindow       *window,
+                 WaitForShownData *data)
+{
+  g_main_loop_quit (data->loop);
+}
+
+static gboolean
+test_case_wait_for_showing_before_redraw (gpointer user_data)
+{
+  WaitForShownData *data = user_data;
+
+  if (meta_window_is_hidden (data->window))
+    {
+      data->shown_handler_id = g_signal_connect (data->window, "shown",
+                                                 G_CALLBACK (on_window_shown),
+                                                 data);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      g_main_loop_quit (data->loop);
+    }
+
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
 static gboolean
 test_case_do (TestCase *test,
               int       argc,
@@ -407,8 +440,37 @@ test_case_do (TestCase *test,
                            NULL))
         return FALSE;
     }
-  else if (strcmp (argv[0], "show") == 0 ||
-           strcmp (argv[0], "hide") == 0 ||
+  else if (strcmp (argv[0], "show") == 0)
+    {
+      if (argc != 2)
+        BAD_COMMAND("usage: %s <client-id>/<window-id>", argv[0]);
+
+      TestClient *client;
+      const char *window_id;
+      if (!test_case_parse_window_id (test, argv[1], &client, &window_id, error))
+        return FALSE;
+
+      if (!test_client_do (client, error, argv[0], window_id, NULL))
+        return FALSE;
+
+      MetaWindow *window = test_client_find_window (client, window_id, error);
+      if (!window)
+        return FALSE;
+
+      WaitForShownData data = {
+        .loop = g_main_loop_new (NULL, FALSE),
+        .window = window,
+      };
+      meta_later_add (META_LATER_BEFORE_REDRAW,
+                      test_case_wait_for_showing_before_redraw,
+                      &data,
+                      NULL);
+      g_main_loop_run (data.loop);
+      if (data.shown_handler_id)
+        g_signal_handler_disconnect (window, data.shown_handler_id);
+      g_main_loop_unref (data.loop);
+    }
+  else if (strcmp (argv[0], "hide") == 0 ||
            strcmp (argv[0], "activate") == 0 ||
            strcmp (argv[0], "raise") == 0 ||
            strcmp (argv[0], "lower") == 0 ||