diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.c b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.c
index ce50da162..b8071067b 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.c
@@ -58,11 +58,6 @@ meta_surface_actor_wayland_process_damage (MetaSurfaceActor *actor,
   meta_surface_actor_update_area (actor, x, y, width, height);
 }
 
-static void
-meta_surface_actor_wayland_pre_paint (MetaSurfaceActor *actor)
-{
-}
-
 static gboolean
 meta_surface_actor_wayland_is_opaque (MetaSurfaceActor *actor)
 {
@@ -113,7 +108,6 @@ meta_surface_actor_wayland_class_init (MetaSurfaceActorWaylandClass *klass)
   GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
 
   surface_actor_class->process_damage = meta_surface_actor_wayland_process_damage;
-  surface_actor_class->pre_paint = meta_surface_actor_wayland_pre_paint;
   surface_actor_class->is_opaque = meta_surface_actor_wayland_is_opaque;
 
   object_class->dispose = meta_surface_actor_wayland_dispose;
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c
index 3b1a250d9..d46e5ad49 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.c
@@ -220,10 +220,9 @@ meta_surface_actor_x11_process_damage (MetaSurfaceActor *actor,
   meta_surface_actor_update_area (actor, x, y, width, height);
 }
 
-static void
-meta_surface_actor_x11_pre_paint (MetaSurfaceActor *actor)
+void
+meta_surface_actor_x11_handle_updates (MetaSurfaceActorX11 *self)
 {
-  MetaSurfaceActorX11 *self = META_SURFACE_ACTOR_X11 (actor);
   MetaDisplay *display = self->display;
   Display *xdisplay = meta_x11_display_get_xdisplay (display->x11_display);
 
@@ -332,7 +331,6 @@ meta_surface_actor_x11_class_init (MetaSurfaceActorX11Class *klass)
   object_class->dispose = meta_surface_actor_x11_dispose;
 
   surface_actor_class->process_damage = meta_surface_actor_x11_process_damage;
-  surface_actor_class->pre_paint = meta_surface_actor_x11_pre_paint;
   surface_actor_class->is_opaque = meta_surface_actor_x11_is_opaque;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.h b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.h
index 9fd703bfe..0a8517236 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.h
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor-x11.h
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ gboolean meta_surface_actor_x11_is_unredirected (MetaSurfaceActorX11 *self);
 
 gboolean meta_surface_actor_x11_is_visible (MetaSurfaceActorX11 *self);
 
+void meta_surface_actor_x11_handle_updates (MetaSurfaceActorX11 *self);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __META_SURFACE_ACTOR_X11_H__ */
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c
index 2f3934a40..884a7a2b3 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c
@@ -555,12 +555,6 @@ meta_surface_actor_process_damage (MetaSurfaceActor *self,
   META_SURFACE_ACTOR_GET_CLASS (self)->process_damage (self, x, y, width, height);
 }
 
-void
-meta_surface_actor_pre_paint (MetaSurfaceActor *self)
-{
-  META_SURFACE_ACTOR_GET_CLASS (self)->pre_paint (self);
-}
-
 void
 meta_surface_actor_set_frozen (MetaSurfaceActor *self,
                                gboolean          frozen)
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.h b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.h
index d8b7365b2..fb3764c0f 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.h
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ struct _MetaSurfaceActorClass
 
   void     (* process_damage)    (MetaSurfaceActor *actor,
                                   int x, int y, int width, int height);
-  void     (* pre_paint)         (MetaSurfaceActor *actor);
   gboolean (* is_opaque)         (MetaSurfaceActor *actor);
 };
 
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ cairo_region_t * meta_surface_actor_get_opaque_region (MetaSurfaceActor *self);
 
 void meta_surface_actor_process_damage (MetaSurfaceActor *actor,
                                         int x, int y, int width, int height);
-void meta_surface_actor_pre_paint (MetaSurfaceActor *actor);
+
 gboolean meta_surface_actor_is_opaque (MetaSurfaceActor *actor);
 
 gboolean meta_surface_actor_is_frozen (MetaSurfaceActor *actor);
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c
index c8bc3784d..c3067be02 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c
@@ -1209,7 +1209,12 @@ handle_updates (MetaWindowActorX11 *actor_x11)
       return;
     }
 
-  meta_surface_actor_pre_paint (surface);
+  if (META_IS_SURFACE_ACTOR_X11 (surface))
+    {
+      MetaSurfaceActorX11 *surface_x11 = META_SURFACE_ACTOR_X11 (surface);
+
+      meta_surface_actor_x11_handle_updates (surface_x11);
+    }
 
   if (!META_IS_SURFACE_ACTOR_X11 (surface) ||
       !meta_surface_actor_x11_is_visible (META_SURFACE_ACTOR_X11 (surface)))