diff --git a/src/core/window-private.h b/src/core/window-private.h
index 492d247a5..f9b2aa024 100644
--- a/src/core/window-private.h
+++ b/src/core/window-private.h
@@ -612,9 +612,6 @@ struct _MetaWindowClass
 
   gboolean (*set_transient_for) (MetaWindow *window,
                                  MetaWindow *parent);
-
-  void (* map)   (MetaWindow *window);
-  void (* unmap) (MetaWindow *window);
 };
 
 /* These differ from window->has_foo_func in that they consider
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index 395bbea1c..698da790e 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ enum
   PROP_DISPLAY,
   PROP_EFFECT,
   PROP_SUSPEND_STATE,
+  PROP_MAPPED,
 
   PROP_LAST,
 };
@@ -439,6 +440,9 @@ meta_window_get_property(GObject         *object,
     case PROP_SUSPEND_STATE:
       g_value_set_enum (value, priv->suspend_state);
       break;
+    case PROP_MAPPED:
+      g_value_set_boolean (value, win->mapped);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
       break;
@@ -598,15 +602,17 @@ meta_window_class_init (MetaWindowClass *klass)
                       META_COMP_EFFECT_NONE,
                       G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY | G_PARAM_READWRITE);
 
-  /**
-   * MetaWindow::suspend-state: (skip)
-   */
   obj_props[PROP_SUSPEND_STATE] =
     g_param_spec_enum ("suspend-state", NULL, NULL,
                        META_TYPE_WINDOW_SUSPEND_STATE,
                        META_WINDOW_SUSPEND_STATE_ACTIVE,
                        G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
 
+  obj_props[PROP_MAPPED] =
+    g_param_spec_boolean ("mapped", NULL, NULL,
+                          FALSE,
+                          G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
+
   g_object_class_install_properties (object_class, PROP_LAST, obj_props);
 
   window_signals[WORKSPACE_CHANGED] =
@@ -833,11 +839,7 @@ sync_client_window_mapped (MetaWindow *window)
     return;
 
   window->mapped = should_be_mapped;
-
-  if (window->mapped)
-    META_WINDOW_GET_CLASS (window)->map (window);
-  else
-    META_WINDOW_GET_CLASS (window)->unmap (window);
+  g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (window), obj_props[PROP_MAPPED]);
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-window-wayland.c b/src/wayland/meta-window-wayland.c
index c92c2544c..c4b608148 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-window-wayland.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-window-wayland.c
@@ -816,16 +816,6 @@ meta_window_wayland_calculate_layer (MetaWindow *window)
   return meta_window_get_default_layer (window);
 }
 
-static void
-meta_window_wayland_map (MetaWindow *window)
-{
-}
-
-static void
-meta_window_wayland_unmap (MetaWindow *window)
-{
-}
-
 static void
 meta_window_wayland_constructed (GObject *object)
 {
@@ -935,8 +925,6 @@ meta_window_wayland_class_init (MetaWindowWaylandClass *klass)
   window_class->can_ping = meta_window_wayland_can_ping;
   window_class->are_updates_frozen = meta_window_wayland_are_updates_frozen;
   window_class->calculate_layer = meta_window_wayland_calculate_layer;
-  window_class->map = meta_window_wayland_map;
-  window_class->unmap = meta_window_wayland_unmap;
   window_class->is_focus_async = meta_window_wayland_is_focus_async;
   window_class->get_wayland_surface = meta_window_wayland_get_wayland_surface;
   window_class->set_transient_for = meta_window_wayland_set_transient_for;
diff --git a/src/x11/window-x11.c b/src/x11/window-x11.c
index ad4848aff..891bb68d6 100644
--- a/src/x11/window-x11.c
+++ b/src/x11/window-x11.c
@@ -1956,26 +1956,25 @@ meta_window_x11_impl_thaw_commits (MetaWindow *window)
 }
 
 static void
-meta_window_x11_map (MetaWindow *window)
+on_mapped_changed (MetaWindow *window)
 {
   MetaX11Display *x11_display = window->display->x11_display;
 
-  mtk_x11_error_trap_push (x11_display->xdisplay);
-  XMapWindow (x11_display->xdisplay,
-              meta_window_x11_get_xwindow (window));
-  mtk_x11_error_trap_pop (x11_display->xdisplay);
-}
-
-static void
-meta_window_x11_unmap (MetaWindow *window)
-{
-  MetaX11Display *x11_display = window->display->x11_display;
-
-  mtk_x11_error_trap_push (x11_display->xdisplay);
-  XUnmapWindow (x11_display->xdisplay,
-                meta_window_x11_get_xwindow (window));
-  mtk_x11_error_trap_pop (x11_display->xdisplay);
-  window->unmaps_pending ++;
+  if (window->mapped)
+    {
+      mtk_x11_error_trap_push (x11_display->xdisplay);
+      XMapWindow (x11_display->xdisplay,
+                  meta_window_x11_get_xwindow (window));
+      mtk_x11_error_trap_pop (x11_display->xdisplay);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      mtk_x11_error_trap_push (x11_display->xdisplay);
+      XUnmapWindow (x11_display->xdisplay,
+                    meta_window_x11_get_xwindow (window));
+      mtk_x11_error_trap_pop (x11_display->xdisplay);
+      window->unmaps_pending ++;
+    }
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -2097,6 +2096,10 @@ meta_window_x11_constructed (GObject *object)
                     G_CALLBACK (meta_window_x11_update_input_region),
                     window);
 
+  g_signal_connect (window, "notify::mapped",
+                    G_CALLBACK (on_mapped_changed),
+                    NULL);
+
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_window_x11_parent_class)->constructed (object);
 }
 
@@ -2194,8 +2197,6 @@ meta_window_x11_class_init (MetaWindowX11Class *klass)
   window_class->can_ping = meta_window_x11_can_ping;
   window_class->are_updates_frozen = meta_window_x11_are_updates_frozen;
   window_class->calculate_layer = meta_window_x11_calculate_layer;
-  window_class->map = meta_window_x11_map;
-  window_class->unmap = meta_window_x11_unmap;
   window_class->is_focus_async = meta_window_x11_is_focus_async;
   window_class->set_transient_for = meta_window_x11_set_transient_for;