diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-compositor-native.c b/src/compositor/meta-compositor-native.c
index 84e7a75d8..bc17704e1 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-compositor-native.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-compositor-native.c
@@ -114,13 +114,11 @@ maybe_assign_primary_plane (MetaCompositor *compositor)
   if (!COGL_IS_ONSCREEN (framebuffer))
     goto done;
 
-  surface_actor = meta_window_actor_get_topmost_surface (window_actor);
-  if (!surface_actor ||
-      CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor) !=
-      clutter_actor_get_last_child (CLUTTER_ACTOR (window_actor)))
+  surface_actor = meta_window_actor_get_scanout_candidate (window_actor);
+  if (!surface_actor)
     goto done;
-  surface_actor_wayland = META_SURFACE_ACTOR_WAYLAND (surface_actor);
 
+  surface_actor_wayland = META_SURFACE_ACTOR_WAYLAND (surface_actor);
   surface = meta_surface_actor_wayland_get_surface (surface_actor_wayland);
   if (!surface)
     goto done;
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
index 138ce2c83..8aa206bb8 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ struct _MetaWindowActorClass
                           ClutterFrameInfo *frame_info,
                           int64_t           presentation_time);
 
-  MetaSurfaceActor * (*get_topmost_surface) (MetaWindowActor *actor);
+  MetaSurfaceActor * (*get_scanout_candidate) (MetaWindowActor *actor);
 
   void (*assign_surface_actor) (MetaWindowActor  *actor,
                                 MetaSurfaceActor *surface_actor);
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ void meta_window_actor_effect_completed (MetaWindowActor  *actor,
 
 MetaSurfaceActor *meta_window_actor_get_surface (MetaWindowActor *self);
 
-MetaSurfaceActor * meta_window_actor_get_topmost_surface (MetaWindowActor *self);
+MetaSurfaceActor *meta_window_actor_get_scanout_candidate (MetaWindowActor *self);
 
 void meta_window_actor_assign_surface_actor (MetaWindowActor  *self,
                                              MetaSurfaceActor *surface_actor);
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
index 468229751..4b87fd11f 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
@@ -89,19 +89,18 @@ meta_window_actor_wayland_rebuild_surface_tree (MetaWindowActor *actor)
 }
 
 static MetaSurfaceActor *
-meta_window_actor_wayland_get_topmost_surface (MetaWindowActor *actor)
+meta_window_actor_wayland_get_scanout_candidate (MetaWindowActor *actor)
 {
   ClutterActor *child_actor;
+  MetaSurfaceActor *topmost_surface_actor;
 
-  for (child_actor = clutter_actor_get_last_child (CLUTTER_ACTOR (actor));
-       child_actor;
-       child_actor = clutter_actor_get_previous_sibling (child_actor))
-    {
-      if (META_IS_SURFACE_ACTOR_WAYLAND (child_actor))
-        return META_SURFACE_ACTOR (child_actor);
-    }
+  child_actor = clutter_actor_get_last_child (CLUTTER_ACTOR (actor));
+  if (!child_actor || !META_IS_SURFACE_ACTOR_WAYLAND (child_actor))
+    return NULL;
 
-  return NULL;
+  topmost_surface_actor = META_SURFACE_ACTOR (child_actor);
+
+  return topmost_surface_actor;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -193,7 +192,7 @@ meta_window_actor_wayland_class_init (MetaWindowActorWaylandClass *klass)
   MetaWindowActorClass *window_actor_class = META_WINDOW_ACTOR_CLASS (klass);
   GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
 
-  window_actor_class->get_topmost_surface = meta_window_actor_wayland_get_topmost_surface;
+  window_actor_class->get_scanout_candidate = meta_window_actor_wayland_get_scanout_candidate;
   window_actor_class->assign_surface_actor = meta_window_actor_wayland_assign_surface_actor;
   window_actor_class->frame_complete = meta_window_actor_wayland_frame_complete;
   window_actor_class->queue_frame_drawn = meta_window_actor_wayland_queue_frame_drawn;
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c
index 9e64462ea..d06855b51 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c
@@ -431,6 +431,23 @@ meta_window_actor_x11_frame_complete (MetaWindowActor  *actor,
     }
 }
 
+static MetaSurfaceActor *
+meta_window_actor_x11_get_scanout_candidate (MetaWindowActor *actor)
+{
+  MetaSurfaceActor *surface_actor;
+
+  surface_actor = meta_window_actor_get_surface (actor);
+
+  if (!surface_actor)
+    return NULL;
+
+  if (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor) !=
+      clutter_actor_get_last_child (CLUTTER_ACTOR (actor)))
+    return NULL;
+
+  return surface_actor;
+}
+
 static void
 surface_size_changed (MetaSurfaceActor *actor,
                       gpointer          user_data)
@@ -1681,6 +1698,7 @@ meta_window_actor_x11_class_init (MetaWindowActorX11Class *klass)
   GParamSpec *pspec;
 
   window_actor_class->frame_complete = meta_window_actor_x11_frame_complete;
+  window_actor_class->get_scanout_candidate = meta_window_actor_x11_get_scanout_candidate;
   window_actor_class->assign_surface_actor = meta_window_actor_x11_assign_surface_actor;
   window_actor_class->queue_frame_drawn = meta_window_actor_x11_queue_frame_drawn;
   window_actor_class->before_paint = meta_window_actor_x11_before_paint;
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index 9cee56a37..ae1fa4d90 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ static void meta_window_actor_get_property (GObject      *object,
                                             GValue       *value,
                                             GParamSpec   *pspec);
 
-static MetaSurfaceActor * meta_window_actor_real_get_topmost_surface (MetaWindowActor *self);
+static MetaSurfaceActor * meta_window_actor_real_get_scanout_candidate (MetaWindowActor *self);
 
 static void meta_window_actor_real_assign_surface_actor (MetaWindowActor  *self,
                                                          MetaSurfaceActor *surface_actor);
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ meta_window_actor_class_init (MetaWindowActorClass *klass)
   object_class->get_property = meta_window_actor_get_property;
   object_class->constructed  = meta_window_actor_constructed;
 
-  klass->get_topmost_surface = meta_window_actor_real_get_topmost_surface;
+  klass->get_scanout_candidate = meta_window_actor_real_get_scanout_candidate;
   klass->assign_surface_actor = meta_window_actor_real_assign_surface_actor;
 
   /**
@@ -560,15 +560,15 @@ meta_window_actor_get_surface (MetaWindowActor *self)
 }
 
 static MetaSurfaceActor *
-meta_window_actor_real_get_topmost_surface (MetaWindowActor *self)
+meta_window_actor_real_get_scanout_candidate (MetaWindowActor *self)
 {
-  return meta_window_actor_get_surface (self);
+  return NULL;
 }
 
 MetaSurfaceActor *
-meta_window_actor_get_topmost_surface (MetaWindowActor *self)
+meta_window_actor_get_scanout_candidate (MetaWindowActor *self)
 {
-  return META_WINDOW_ACTOR_GET_CLASS (self)->get_topmost_surface (self);
+  return META_WINDOW_ACTOR_GET_CLASS (self)->get_scanout_candidate (self);
 }
 
 /**