diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/invalid-subsurfaces.c b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/invalid-subsurfaces.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f186dfbc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/invalid-subsurfaces.c
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2020 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <glib.h>
+#include <sys/mman.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <wayland-client.h>
+
+#include "wayland-test-client-utils.h"
+
+#include "xdg-shell-client-protocol.h"
+
+static struct wl_display *display;
+static struct wl_registry *registry;
+static struct wl_compositor *compositor;
+static struct wl_subcompositor *subcompositor;
+
+static void
+handle_registry_global (void               *data,
+                        struct wl_registry *registry,
+                        uint32_t            id,
+                        const char         *interface,
+                        uint32_t            version)
+{
+  if (strcmp (interface, "wl_compositor") == 0)
+    {
+      compositor = wl_registry_bind (registry, id, &wl_compositor_interface, 1);
+    }
+  else if (strcmp (interface, "wl_subcompositor") == 0)
+    {
+      subcompositor = wl_registry_bind (registry,
+                                        id, &wl_subcompositor_interface, 1);
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+handle_registry_global_remove (void               *data,
+                               struct wl_registry *registry,
+                               uint32_t            name)
+{
+}
+
+static const struct wl_registry_listener registry_listener = {
+  handle_registry_global,
+  handle_registry_global_remove
+};
+
+static void
+connect_to_display (void)
+{
+  g_assert_null (display);
+  g_assert_null (registry);
+  g_assert_null (subcompositor);
+
+  display = wl_display_connect (NULL);
+  g_assert_nonnull (display);
+  registry = wl_display_get_registry (display);
+  g_assert_nonnull (registry);
+  wl_registry_add_listener (registry, &registry_listener, NULL);
+
+  g_assert_cmpint (wl_display_roundtrip (display), !=, -1);
+
+  g_assert_nonnull (subcompositor);
+}
+
+static void
+clean_up_display (void)
+{
+  wl_display_disconnect (display);
+  display = NULL;
+  registry = NULL;
+  subcompositor = NULL;
+}
+
+static void
+test_circular_subsurfaces1 (void)
+{
+  struct wl_surface *surface1;
+  struct wl_subsurface *subsurface1;
+  struct wl_surface *surface2;
+  struct wl_subsurface *subsurface2;
+
+  connect_to_display ();
+
+  surface1 = wl_compositor_create_surface (compositor);
+  surface2 = wl_compositor_create_surface (compositor);
+  g_assert_nonnull (surface1);
+  g_assert_nonnull (surface2);
+
+  subsurface1 = wl_subcompositor_get_subsurface (subcompositor,
+                                                 surface1,
+                                                 surface2);
+  subsurface2 = wl_subcompositor_get_subsurface (subcompositor,
+                                                 surface2,
+                                                 surface1);
+  g_assert_nonnull (subsurface1);
+  g_assert_nonnull (subsurface2);
+
+  g_assert_cmpint (wl_display_roundtrip (display), ==, -1);
+
+  clean_up_display ();
+}
+
+static void
+test_circular_subsurfaces2 (void)
+{
+  struct wl_surface *surface1;
+  struct wl_subsurface *subsurface1;
+  struct wl_surface *surface2;
+  struct wl_subsurface *subsurface2;
+  struct wl_surface *surface3;
+  struct wl_subsurface *subsurface3;
+
+  connect_to_display ();
+
+  surface1 = wl_compositor_create_surface (compositor);
+  surface2 = wl_compositor_create_surface (compositor);
+  surface3 = wl_compositor_create_surface (compositor);
+  g_assert_nonnull (surface1);
+  g_assert_nonnull (surface2);
+  g_assert_nonnull (surface3);
+
+  subsurface1 = wl_subcompositor_get_subsurface (subcompositor,
+                                                 surface1,
+                                                 surface2);
+  subsurface2 = wl_subcompositor_get_subsurface (subcompositor,
+                                                 surface2,
+                                                 surface3);
+  subsurface3 = wl_subcompositor_get_subsurface (subcompositor,
+                                                 surface3,
+                                                 surface1);
+  g_assert_nonnull (subsurface1);
+  g_assert_nonnull (subsurface2);
+  g_assert_nonnull (subsurface3);
+
+  g_assert_cmpint (wl_display_roundtrip (display), ==, -1);
+
+  clean_up_display ();
+}
+
+int
+main (int    argc,
+      char **argv)
+{
+  test_circular_subsurfaces1 ();
+  test_circular_subsurfaces2 ();
+
+  return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/meson.build b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/meson.build
index 1091651f4..8633dde14 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/meson.build
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/meson.build
@@ -60,6 +60,21 @@ executable('subsurface-remap-toplevel',
   install_dir: wayland_test_client_installed_tests_libexecdir,
 )
 
+executable('invalid-subsurfaces',
+  sources: [
+    'invalid-subsurfaces.c',
+    common_sources,
+  ],
+  include_directories: tests_includepath,
+  c_args: tests_c_args,
+  dependencies: [
+    glib_dep,
+    wayland_client_dep,
+  ],
+  install: have_installed_tests,
+  install_dir: wayland_test_client_installed_tests_libexecdir,
+)
+
 executable('meta-anonymous-file',
   sources: [
     'meta-anonymous-file.c',
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-unit-tests.c b/src/tests/wayland-unit-tests.c
index 30c7c7c24..ad9179766 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-unit-tests.c
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-unit-tests.c
@@ -129,6 +129,20 @@ subsurface_remap_toplevel (void)
   wayland_test_client_finish (wayland_test_client);
 }
 
+static void
+subsurface_invalid_subsurfaces (void)
+{
+  WaylandTestClient *wayland_test_client;
+
+  wayland_test_client = wayland_test_client_new ("invalid-subsurfaces");
+  g_test_expect_message (G_LOG_DOMAIN, G_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING,
+                         "WL: error in client communication*");
+  g_test_expect_message (G_LOG_DOMAIN, G_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING,
+                         "WL: error in client communication*");
+  wayland_test_client_finish (wayland_test_client);
+  g_test_assert_expected_messages ();
+}
+
 static void
 on_actor_destroyed (ClutterActor       *actor,
                     struct wl_resource *callback)
@@ -200,4 +214,6 @@ init_wayland_tests (void)
 {
   g_test_add_func ("/wayland/subsurface/remap-toplevel",
                    subsurface_remap_toplevel);
+  g_test_add_func ("/wayland/subsurface/invalid-subsurfaces",
+                   subsurface_invalid_subsurfaces);
 }