diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
index 7c3be5690..b1fe61641 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.c
@@ -32,37 +32,36 @@ struct _MetaWindowActorWayland
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (MetaWindowActorWayland, meta_window_actor_wayland, META_TYPE_WINDOW_ACTOR)
 
+typedef struct _SurfaceTreeTraverseData
+{
+  MetaWindowActor *window_actor;
+  int index;
+} SurfaceTreeTraverseData;
+
 static gboolean
-remove_surface_actor_from_children (GNode    *node,
-                                    gpointer  data)
+set_surface_actor_index (GNode    *node,
+                         gpointer  data)
 {
   MetaWaylandSurface *surface = node->data;
   MetaSurfaceActor *surface_actor = meta_wayland_surface_get_actor (surface);
-  MetaWindowActor *window_actor = data;
-  ClutterActor *parent;
+  SurfaceTreeTraverseData *traverse_data = data;
 
-  parent = clutter_actor_get_parent (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor));
-  if (!parent)
-    return FALSE;
-
-  g_return_val_if_fail (parent == CLUTTER_ACTOR (window_actor), FALSE);
-
-  clutter_actor_remove_child (CLUTTER_ACTOR (window_actor),
-                              CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor));
-
-  return FALSE;
-}
-
-static gboolean
-add_surface_actor_to_children (GNode    *node,
-                               gpointer  data)
-{
-  MetaWaylandSurface *surface = node->data;
-  MetaSurfaceActor *surface_actor = meta_wayland_surface_get_actor (surface);
-  MetaWindowActor *window_actor = data;
-
-  clutter_actor_add_child (CLUTTER_ACTOR (window_actor),
-                           CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor));
+  if (clutter_actor_contains (CLUTTER_ACTOR (traverse_data->window_actor),
+                              CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor)))
+    {
+      clutter_actor_set_child_at_index (
+        CLUTTER_ACTOR (traverse_data->window_actor),
+        CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor),
+        traverse_data->index);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      clutter_actor_insert_child_at_index (
+        CLUTTER_ACTOR (traverse_data->window_actor),
+        CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface_actor),
+        traverse_data->index);
+    }
+  traverse_data->index++;
 
   return FALSE;
 }
@@ -75,20 +74,18 @@ meta_window_actor_wayland_rebuild_surface_tree (MetaWindowActor *actor)
   MetaWaylandSurface *surface = meta_surface_actor_wayland_get_surface (
     META_SURFACE_ACTOR_WAYLAND (surface_actor));
   GNode *root_node = surface->subsurface_branch_node;
+  SurfaceTreeTraverseData traverse_data;
 
+  traverse_data = (SurfaceTreeTraverseData) {
+    .window_actor = actor,
+    .index = 0,
+  };
   g_node_traverse (root_node,
                    G_IN_ORDER,
                    G_TRAVERSE_LEAVES,
                    -1,
-                   remove_surface_actor_from_children,
-                   actor);
-
-  g_node_traverse (root_node,
-                   G_IN_ORDER,
-                   G_TRAVERSE_LEAVES,
-                   -1,
-                   add_surface_actor_to_children,
-                   actor);
+                   set_surface_actor_index,
+                   &traverse_data);
 }
 
 static void