diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index fbdb72dab..f54b87f86 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -1562,6 +1562,12 @@ meta_window_actor_new (MetaWindow *window)
   meta_window_actor_set_updates_frozen (self,
                                         meta_window_updates_are_frozen (priv->window));
 
+  /* If a window doesn't start off with updates frozen, we should
+   * we should send a _NET_WM_FRAME_DRAWN immediately after the first drawn.
+   */
+  if (priv->window->extended_sync_request_counter && !priv->updates_frozen)
+    meta_window_actor_queue_frame_drawn (self, FALSE);
+
   meta_window_actor_sync_actor_geometry (self, priv->window->placed);
 
   /* Hang our compositor window state off the MetaWindow for fast retrieval */
@@ -2408,7 +2414,6 @@ meta_window_actor_post_paint (MetaWindowActor *self)
 
       frame->frame_drawn_time = meta_compositor_monotonic_time_to_server_time (display,
                                                                                g_get_monotonic_time ());
-
       ev.type = ClientMessage;
       ev.window = meta_window_get_xwindow (priv->window);
       ev.message_type = display->atom__NET_WM_FRAME_DRAWN;
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index bcc1fa3d9..caadfb715 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -4558,10 +4558,6 @@ meta_window_create_sync_request_alarm (MetaWindow *window)
 
       window->sync_request_serial =
         XSyncValueLow32 (init) + ((gint64)XSyncValueHigh32 (init) << 32);
-
-      /* if the value is odd, the window starts off with updates frozen */
-      meta_compositor_set_updates_frozen (window->display->compositor, window,
-                                          meta_window_updates_are_frozen (window));
     }
   else
     {