diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.c b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.c
index 0dfc427ef..551322573 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.c
@@ -38,14 +38,6 @@
 #include "backends/meta-backend-private.h"
 #include "compositor/region-utils.h"
 
-enum {
-  PAINTING,
-
-  LAST_SIGNAL
-};
-
-static guint signals[LAST_SIGNAL];
-
 struct _MetaSurfaceActorWaylandPrivate
 {
   MetaWaylandSurface *surface;
@@ -398,8 +390,6 @@ meta_surface_actor_wayland_paint (ClutterActor *actor)
       wl_list_init (&priv->frame_callback_list);
     }
 
-  g_signal_emit (actor, signals[PAINTING], 0);
-
   CLUTTER_ACTOR_CLASS (meta_surface_actor_wayland_parent_class)->paint (actor);
 }
 
@@ -449,13 +439,6 @@ meta_surface_actor_wayland_class_init (MetaSurfaceActorWaylandClass *klass)
   surface_actor_class->get_window = meta_surface_actor_wayland_get_window;
 
   object_class->dispose = meta_surface_actor_wayland_dispose;
-
-  signals[PAINTING] = g_signal_new ("painting",
-                                    G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (object_class),
-                                    G_SIGNAL_RUN_LAST,
-                                    0,
-                                    NULL, NULL, NULL,
-                                    G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
 }
 
 static void