diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index efb939a20..6d384587c 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ struct _MetaWindowActorPrivate
   MetaWindow *window;
   MetaCompositor *compositor;
 
+  MetaCompEffect  pending_effect;
+
   MetaSurfaceActor *surface;
 
   /* MetaShadowFactory only caches shadows that are actually in use;
@@ -117,6 +119,7 @@ struct _MetaWindowActorPrivate
 
   guint             updates_frozen         : 1;
   guint             first_frame_state      : 2; /* FirstFrameState */
+  guint             has_pending_effect     : 1;
 };
 
 typedef struct _FrameData FrameData;
@@ -363,6 +366,12 @@ meta_window_actor_sync_thawed_state (MetaWindowActor *self)
   if (priv->first_frame_state == INITIALLY_FROZEN)
     priv->first_frame_state = DRAWING_FIRST_FRAME;
 
+  if (priv->has_pending_effect)
+    {
+      meta_window_actor_show (self, priv->pending_effect);
+      priv->has_pending_effect = FALSE;
+    }
+
   if (priv->surface)
     meta_surface_actor_set_frozen (priv->surface, FALSE);
 
@@ -1321,6 +1330,13 @@ meta_window_actor_show (MetaWindowActor   *self,
 
   g_return_if_fail (!priv->visible);
 
+  if (is_frozen (self))
+    {
+      priv->pending_effect = effect;
+      priv->has_pending_effect = TRUE;
+      return;
+    }
+
   self->priv->visible = TRUE;
 
   switch (effect)
diff --git a/src/x11/window-x11.c b/src/x11/window-x11.c
index 94f62718b..c14f90070 100644
--- a/src/x11/window-x11.c
+++ b/src/x11/window-x11.c
@@ -1244,8 +1244,9 @@ meta_window_x11_move_resize_internal (MetaWindow                *window,
     {
       meta_error_trap_push (window->display);
 
-      if (window == window->display->grab_window &&
-          meta_grab_op_is_resizing (window->display->grab_op) &&
+      if ((window->constructing ||
+          (window == window->display->grab_window &&
+           meta_grab_op_is_resizing (window->display->grab_op))) &&
           !window->disable_sync &&
           window->sync_request_counter != None &&
           window->sync_request_alarm != None &&