diff --git a/src/shell-embedded-window.c b/src/shell-embedded-window.c
index ce084fb72..8da3f1486 100644
--- a/src/shell-embedded-window.c
+++ b/src/shell-embedded-window.c
@@ -223,6 +223,12 @@ _shell_embedded_window_allocate (ShellEmbeddedWindow *window,
 
   g_return_if_fail (SHELL_IS_EMBEDDED_WINDOW (window));
 
+  if (window->priv->position.x == x &&
+      window->priv->position.y == y &&
+      window->priv->position.width == width &&
+      window->priv->position.height == height)
+    return;
+
   window->priv->position.x = x;
   window->priv->position.y = y;
   window->priv->position.width = width;
diff --git a/src/shell-gtk-embed.c b/src/shell-gtk-embed.c
index 2c159ae92..7d47535d3 100644
--- a/src/shell-gtk-embed.c
+++ b/src/shell-gtk-embed.c
@@ -167,19 +167,25 @@ shell_gtk_embed_get_preferred_height (ClutterActor *actor,
 }
 
 static void
-shell_gtk_embed_allocate (ClutterActor          *actor,
-                          const ClutterActorBox *box,
-                          ClutterAllocationFlags flags)
+shell_gtk_embed_paint (ClutterActor *actor)
 {
   ShellGtkEmbed *embed = SHELL_GTK_EMBED (actor);
   float wx = 0.0, wy = 0.0, x, y, ax, ay;
+  float w, h;
 
-  CLUTTER_ACTOR_CLASS (shell_gtk_embed_parent_class)->
-    allocate (actor, box, flags);
+  CLUTTER_ACTOR_CLASS (shell_gtk_embed_parent_class)->paint (actor);
 
-  /* Find the actor's new coordinates in terms of the stage (which is
-   * priv->window's parent window.
+  if (!embed->priv->window)
+    return;
+
+  /* Move the X window to the same position as the actor; it's much
+   * easier to just do this from paint() than it is to tray to track
+   * the position and allocation of @embed and each of its ancestors
+   * as they change. We don't use get_transformed_position() here
+   * because we know that the icon isn't scaled or rotated, and so
+   * it's faster to avoid the floating-point transformations.
    */
+  clutter_actor_get_size (actor, &w, &h);
   while (actor)
     {
       clutter_actor_get_position (actor, &x, &y);
@@ -193,8 +199,7 @@ shell_gtk_embed_allocate (ClutterActor          *actor,
 
   _shell_embedded_window_allocate (embed->priv->window,
                                    (int)(0.5 + wx), (int)(0.5 + wy),
-                                   box->x2 - box->x1,
-                                   box->y2 - box->y1);
+                                   w, h);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -241,7 +246,7 @@ shell_gtk_embed_class_init (ShellGtkEmbedClass *klass)
 
   actor_class->get_preferred_width = shell_gtk_embed_get_preferred_width;
   actor_class->get_preferred_height = shell_gtk_embed_get_preferred_height;
-  actor_class->allocate = shell_gtk_embed_allocate;
+  actor_class->paint = shell_gtk_embed_paint;
   actor_class->realize = shell_gtk_embed_realize;
   actor_class->unrealize = shell_gtk_embed_unrealize;