diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
index 6b52ef5b5..ce5e7eadc 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h
@@ -58,5 +58,6 @@ void meta_window_actor_effect_completed (MetaWindowActor  *actor,
 
 MetaSurfaceActor *meta_window_actor_get_surface (MetaWindowActor *self);
 void meta_window_actor_update_surface (MetaWindowActor *self);
+MetaWindowActor *meta_window_actor_from_window (MetaWindow *window);
 
 #endif /* META_WINDOW_ACTOR_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index c67b2b7b0..5078624cc 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ struct _FrameData
 enum
 {
   FIRST_FRAME,
+  EFFECTS_COMPLETED,
+
   LAST_SIGNAL
 };
 
@@ -238,6 +240,21 @@ meta_window_actor_class_init (MetaWindowActorClass *klass)
                   NULL, NULL, NULL,
                   G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
 
+  /**
+   * MetaWindowActor::effects-completed:
+   * @actor: the #MetaWindowActor instance
+   *
+   * The ::effects-completed signal will be emitted once all pending compositor
+   * effects are completed.
+   */
+  signals[EFFECTS_COMPLETED] =
+    g_signal_new ("effects-completed",
+                  G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (object_class),
+                  G_SIGNAL_RUN_LAST,
+                  0,
+                  NULL, NULL, NULL,
+                  G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
+
   pspec = g_param_spec_object ("meta-window",
                                "MetaWindow",
                                "The displayed MetaWindow",
@@ -1131,6 +1148,7 @@ meta_window_actor_after_effects (MetaWindowActor *self)
       return;
     }
 
+  g_signal_emit (self, signals[EFFECTS_COMPLETED], 0);
   meta_window_actor_sync_visibility (self);
   meta_window_actor_sync_actor_geometry (self, FALSE);
 }
@@ -2157,3 +2175,9 @@ meta_window_actor_sync_updates_frozen (MetaWindowActor *self)
 
   meta_window_actor_set_updates_frozen (self, meta_window_updates_are_frozen (window));
 }
+
+MetaWindowActor *
+meta_window_actor_from_window (MetaWindow *window)
+{
+  return META_WINDOW_ACTOR (meta_window_get_compositor_private (window));
+}