diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
index 8bcd72799..a2b8eb194 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ struct _MetaWindowActorClass
                       gboolean         frozen);
   void (*update_regions) (MetaWindowActor *actor);
   gboolean (*can_freeze_commits) (MetaWindowActor *actor);
+
+  gboolean (*is_single_surface_actor) (MetaWindowActor *actor);
 };
 
 typedef enum
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
index 6fbd154a3..93f12a7d6 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
@@ -207,6 +207,12 @@ meta_window_actor_wayland_can_freeze_commits (MetaWindowActor *actor)
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+static gboolean
+meta_window_actor_wayland_is_single_surface_actor (MetaWindowActor *actor)
+{
+  return clutter_actor_get_n_children (CLUTTER_ACTOR (actor)) == 1;
+}
+
 static void
 meta_window_actor_wayland_dispose (GObject *object)
 {
@@ -245,6 +251,7 @@ meta_window_actor_wayland_class_init (MetaWindowActorWaylandClass *klass)
   window_actor_class->set_frozen = meta_window_actor_wayland_set_frozen;
   window_actor_class->update_regions = meta_window_actor_wayland_update_regions;
   window_actor_class->can_freeze_commits = meta_window_actor_wayland_can_freeze_commits;
+  window_actor_class->is_single_surface_actor = meta_window_actor_wayland_is_single_surface_actor;
 
   object_class->dispose = meta_window_actor_wayland_dispose;
 }
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c
index 82eaa428b..1b591df46 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.c
@@ -1534,6 +1534,12 @@ meta_window_actor_x11_can_freeze_commits (MetaWindowActor *actor)
   return clutter_actor_is_mapped (clutter_actor);
 }
 
+static gboolean
+meta_window_actor_x11_is_single_surface_actor (MetaWindowActor *actor)
+{
+  return clutter_actor_get_n_children (CLUTTER_ACTOR (actor)) == 1;
+}
+
 static void
 meta_window_actor_x11_set_property (GObject      *object,
                                     guint         prop_id,
@@ -1710,6 +1716,7 @@ meta_window_actor_x11_class_init (MetaWindowActorX11Class *klass)
   window_actor_class->set_frozen = meta_window_actor_x11_set_frozen;
   window_actor_class->update_regions = meta_window_actor_x11_update_regions;
   window_actor_class->can_freeze_commits = meta_window_actor_x11_can_freeze_commits;
+  window_actor_class->is_single_surface_actor = meta_window_actor_x11_is_single_surface_actor;
 
   actor_class->paint = meta_window_actor_x11_paint;
   actor_class->get_paint_volume = meta_window_actor_x11_get_paint_volume;
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index 85e439a0e..650fe12ef 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -1508,6 +1508,12 @@ create_framebuffer_from_window_actor (MetaWindowActor  *self,
   return framebuffer;
 }
 
+static gboolean
+meta_window_actor_is_single_surface_actor (MetaWindowActor *self)
+{
+  return META_WINDOW_ACTOR_GET_CLASS (self)->is_single_surface_actor (self);
+}
+
 /**
  * meta_window_actor_get_image:
  * @self: A #MetaWindowActor
@@ -1541,7 +1547,7 @@ meta_window_actor_get_image (MetaWindowActor *self,
 
   stex = meta_surface_actor_get_texture (priv->surface);
   if (!meta_shaped_texture_should_get_via_offscreen (stex) &&
-      clutter_actor_get_n_children (actor) == 1)
+      meta_window_actor_is_single_surface_actor (self))
     {
       MetaRectangle *surface_clip = NULL;