diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-subsurface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-subsurface.c
index bc481db06..00ccc7fef 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-subsurface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-subsurface.c
@@ -222,7 +222,8 @@ meta_wayland_subsurface_union_geometry (MetaWaylandSubsurface *subsurface,
     .height = meta_wayland_surface_get_height (surface),
   };
 
-  meta_rectangle_union (out_geometry, &geometry, out_geometry);
+  if (surface->buffer_ref->buffer)
+    meta_rectangle_union (out_geometry, &geometry, out_geometry);
 
   META_WAYLAND_SURFACE_FOREACH_SUBSURFACE (surface, subsurface_surface)
     {