diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 60aa2dc3..54d1a7c3 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -691,6 +691,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     xcb_ungrab_server(globalconf.connection);
     xcb_flush(globalconf.connection);
 
+    /* get the current wallpaper, from now on we are informed when it changes */
+    root_update_wallpaper();
+
     /* Parse and run configuration file */
     if (!luaA_parserc(&xdg, confpath, true))
         fatal("couldn't find any rc file");
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index 555978bf..b08ce2f8 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -793,7 +793,6 @@ event_handle_randr_output_change_notify(xcb_randr_notify_event_t *ev)
     if(ev->subCode == XCB_RANDR_NOTIFY_OUTPUT_CHANGE) {
         xcb_randr_output_t output = ev->u.oc.output;
         uint8_t connection = ev->u.oc.connection;
-        char *output_name = NULL;
         const char *connection_str = NULL;
         xcb_randr_get_output_info_reply_t *info = NULL;
         lua_State *L = globalconf_get_lua_State();
@@ -806,9 +805,6 @@ event_handle_randr_output_change_notify(xcb_randr_notify_event_t *ev)
         if(!info)
             return;
 
-        output_name = p_dup((char *)xcb_randr_get_output_info_name(info),
-                            xcb_randr_get_output_info_name_length(info));
-
         switch(connection) {
             case XCB_RANDR_CONNECTION_CONNECTED:
                 connection_str = "Connected";
@@ -821,11 +817,10 @@ event_handle_randr_output_change_notify(xcb_randr_notify_event_t *ev)
                 break;
         }
 
-        lua_pushstring(L, output_name);
+        lua_pushlstring(L, (char *)xcb_randr_get_output_info_name(info), xcb_randr_get_output_info_name_length(info));
         lua_pushstring(L, connection_str);
         signal_object_emit(L, &global_signals, "screen::change", 2);
 
-        p_delete(&output_name);
         p_delete(&info);
 
         /* The docs for RRSetOutputPrimary say we get this signal */
diff --git a/globalconf.h b/globalconf.h
index 8d5791cc..be4a6535 100644
--- a/globalconf.h
+++ b/globalconf.h
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ typedef struct
     struct xkb_state *xkb_state;
     /** The preferred size of client icons for this screen */
     uint32_t preferred_icon_size;
+    /** Cached wallpaper information */
+    cairo_surface_t *wallpaper;
 } awesome_t;
 
 extern awesome_t globalconf;
@@ -182,5 +184,8 @@ static inline lua_State *globalconf_get_lua_State(void) {
     return globalconf.L.real_L_dont_use_directly;
 }
 
+/* Defined in root.c */
+void root_update_wallpaper(void);
+
 #endif
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/wibox/drawable.lua b/lib/wibox/drawable.lua
index 341505e6..cf6682e2 100644
--- a/lib/wibox/drawable.lua
+++ b/lib/wibox/drawable.lua
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ local hierarchy = require("wibox.hierarchy")
 local unpack = unpack or table.unpack -- luacheck: globals unpack (compatibility with Lua 5.1)
 
 local drawables = setmetatable({}, { __mode = 'k' })
-local wallpaper = nil
 
 -- This is awful.screen.getbycoord() which we sadly cannot use from here (cyclic
 -- dependencies are bad!)
@@ -113,9 +112,7 @@ local function do_redraw(self)
 
     if not capi.awesome.composite_manager_running then
         -- This is pseudo-transparency: We draw the wallpaper in the background
-        if not wallpaper then
-            wallpaper = surface.load_silently(capi.root.wallpaper(), false)
-        end
+        local wallpaper = surface.load_silently(capi.root.wallpaper(), false)
         if wallpaper then
             cr.operator = cairo.Operator.SOURCE
             cr:set_source_surface(wallpaper, -x, -y)
@@ -426,7 +423,6 @@ end
 
 -- Redraw all drawables when the wallpaper changes
 capi.awesome.connect_signal("wallpaper_changed", function()
-    wallpaper = nil
     for k in pairs(drawables) do
         k()
     end
diff --git a/property.c b/property.c
index d48747c1..faf13b18 100644
--- a/property.c
+++ b/property.c
@@ -381,6 +381,7 @@ property_handle_xrootpmap_id(uint8_t state,
                              xcb_window_t window)
 {
     lua_State *L = globalconf_get_lua_State();
+    root_update_wallpaper();
     signal_object_emit(L, &global_signals, "wallpaper_changed", 0);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/root.c b/root.c
index 8bbe960f..6682d910 100644
--- a/root.c
+++ b/root.c
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ root_set_wallpaper_pixmap(xcb_connection_t *c, xcb_pixmap_t p)
 static bool
 root_set_wallpaper(cairo_pattern_t *pattern)
 {
+    lua_State *L = globalconf_get_lua_State();
     xcb_connection_t *c = xcb_connect(NULL, NULL);
     xcb_pixmap_t p = xcb_generate_id(c);
     /* globalconf.connection should be connected to the same X11 server, so we
@@ -107,15 +108,30 @@ root_set_wallpaper(cairo_pattern_t *pattern)
     cairo_set_operator(cr, CAIRO_OPERATOR_SOURCE);
     cairo_paint(cr);
     cairo_destroy(cr);
-    cairo_surface_finish(surface);
-    cairo_surface_destroy(surface);
+    cairo_surface_flush(surface);
     xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
 
+    /* Change the wallpaper, without sending us a PropertyNotify event */
+    xcb_grab_server(globalconf.connection);
+    xcb_change_window_attributes(globalconf.connection,
+                                 globalconf.screen->root,
+                                 XCB_CW_EVENT_MASK,
+                                 (uint32_t[]) { 0 });
     root_set_wallpaper_pixmap(c, p);
+    xcb_change_window_attributes(globalconf.connection,
+                                 globalconf.screen->root,
+                                 XCB_CW_EVENT_MASK,
+                                 ROOT_WINDOW_EVENT_MASK);
+    xcb_ungrab_server(globalconf.connection);
 
     /* Make sure our pixmap is not destroyed when we disconnect. */
     xcb_set_close_down_mode(c, XCB_CLOSE_DOWN_RETAIN_PERMANENT);
 
+    /* Tell Lua that the wallpaper changed */
+    cairo_surface_destroy(globalconf.wallpaper);
+    globalconf.wallpaper = surface;
+    signal_object_emit(L, &global_signals, "wallpaper_changed", 0);
+
     result = true;
 disconnect:
     xcb_flush(c);
@@ -123,6 +139,58 @@ disconnect:
     return result;
 }
 
+void
+root_update_wallpaper(void)
+{
+    xcb_get_property_cookie_t prop_c;
+    xcb_get_property_reply_t *prop_r;
+    xcb_get_geometry_cookie_t geom_c;
+    xcb_get_geometry_reply_t *geom_r;
+    xcb_pixmap_t *rootpix;
+
+    cairo_surface_destroy(globalconf.wallpaper);
+    globalconf.wallpaper = NULL;
+
+    prop_c = xcb_get_property_unchecked(globalconf.connection, false,
+            globalconf.screen->root, _XROOTPMAP_ID, XCB_ATOM_PIXMAP, 0, 1);
+    prop_r = xcb_get_property_reply(globalconf.connection, prop_c, NULL);
+
+    if (!prop_r || !prop_r->value_len)
+    {
+        p_delete(&prop_r);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    rootpix = xcb_get_property_value(prop_r);
+    if (!rootpix)
+    {
+        p_delete(&prop_r);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    geom_c = xcb_get_geometry_unchecked(globalconf.connection, *rootpix);
+    geom_r = xcb_get_geometry_reply(globalconf.connection, geom_c, NULL);
+    if (!geom_r)
+    {
+        p_delete(&prop_r);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /* Only the default visual makes sense, so just the default depth */
+    if (geom_r->depth != draw_visual_depth(globalconf.screen, globalconf.default_visual->visual_id))
+        warn("Got a pixmap with depth %d, but the default depth is %d, continuing anyway",
+                geom_r->depth, draw_visual_depth(globalconf.screen, globalconf.default_visual->visual_id));
+
+    globalconf.wallpaper = cairo_xcb_surface_create(globalconf.connection,
+                                                    *rootpix,
+                                                    globalconf.default_visual,
+                                                    geom_r->width,
+                                                    geom_r->height);
+
+    p_delete(&prop_r);
+    p_delete(&geom_r);
+}
+
 static xcb_keycode_t
 _string_to_key_code(const char *s)
 {
@@ -344,13 +412,6 @@ luaA_root_drawins(lua_State *L)
 static int
 luaA_root_wallpaper(lua_State *L)
 {
-    xcb_get_property_cookie_t prop_c;
-    xcb_get_property_reply_t *prop_r;
-    xcb_get_geometry_cookie_t geom_c;
-    xcb_get_geometry_reply_t *geom_r;
-    xcb_pixmap_t *rootpix;
-    cairo_surface_t *surface;
-
     if(lua_gettop(L) == 1)
     {
         cairo_pattern_t *pattern = (cairo_pattern_t *)lua_touserdata(L, -1);
@@ -359,43 +420,11 @@ luaA_root_wallpaper(lua_State *L)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    prop_c = xcb_get_property_unchecked(globalconf.connection, false,
-            globalconf.screen->root, _XROOTPMAP_ID, XCB_ATOM_PIXMAP, 0, 1);
-    prop_r = xcb_get_property_reply(globalconf.connection, prop_c, NULL);
-
-    if (!prop_r || !prop_r->value_len)
-    {
-        p_delete(&prop_r);
+    if(globalconf.wallpaper == NULL)
         return 0;
-    }
-
-    rootpix = xcb_get_property_value(prop_r);
-    if (!rootpix)
-    {
-        p_delete(&prop_r);
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    geom_c = xcb_get_geometry_unchecked(globalconf.connection, *rootpix);
-    geom_r = xcb_get_geometry_reply(globalconf.connection, geom_c, NULL);
-    if (!geom_r)
-    {
-        p_delete(&prop_r);
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    /* Only the default visual makes sense, so just the default depth */
-    if (geom_r->depth != draw_visual_depth(globalconf.screen, globalconf.default_visual->visual_id))
-        warn("Got a pixmap with depth %d, but the default depth is %d, continuing anyway",
-                geom_r->depth, draw_visual_depth(globalconf.screen, globalconf.default_visual->visual_id));
-
-    surface = cairo_xcb_surface_create(globalconf.connection, *rootpix, globalconf.default_visual,
-                                       geom_r->width, geom_r->height);
 
     /* lua has to make sure this surface gets destroyed */
-    lua_pushlightuserdata(L, surface);
-    p_delete(&prop_r);
-    p_delete(&geom_r);
+    lua_pushlightuserdata(L, cairo_surface_reference(globalconf.wallpaper));
     return 1;
 }