diff --git a/draw.c b/draw.c
index 0c1029e41..cad2555dc 100644
--- a/draw.c
+++ b/draw.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 extern AwesomeConf globalconf;
 
 DrawCtx *
-draw_get_context(Drawable drawable, int phys_screen, int width, int height)
+draw_get_context(int phys_screen, int width, int height)
 {
     DrawCtx *d = p_new(DrawCtx, 1);
 
@@ -39,11 +39,20 @@ draw_get_context(Drawable drawable, int phys_screen, int width, int height)
     d->height = height;
     d->depth = DefaultDepth(globalconf.display, phys_screen);
     d->visual = DefaultVisual(globalconf.display, phys_screen);
-    d->drawable = drawable;
+    d->drawable = XCreatePixmap(globalconf.display,
+                                RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen),
+                                width, height, d->depth);
 
     return d;
 };
 
+void
+draw_free_context(DrawCtx *ctx)
+{
+    XFreePixmap(globalconf.display, ctx->drawable);
+    p_delete(&ctx);
+}
+
 void
 draw_text(DrawCtx *ctx, int x, int y, int w, int h, XftFont *font, const char *text, XColor fg, XColor bg)
 {
diff --git a/draw.h b/draw.h
index b0989f8dd..fc2df2ae9 100644
--- a/draw.h
+++ b/draw.h
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ typedef struct
     int depth;
 } DrawCtx;
 
-DrawCtx *draw_get_context(Drawable, int, int, int);
+DrawCtx *draw_get_context(int, int, int);
+void draw_free_context(DrawCtx *);
 void draw_text(DrawCtx *, int, int, int, int, XftFont *, const char *, XColor fg, XColor bg);
 void draw_rectangle(DrawCtx *, int, int, int, int, Bool, XColor);
 void draw_circle(DrawCtx *, int, int, int, Bool, XColor);
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index 86e724602..2defe2757 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ handle_event_expose(XEvent *e)
     if(!ev->count)
         for(screen = 0; screen < get_screen_count(); screen++)
             if(globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar->window == ev->window)
-                statusbar_draw(screen);
+                statusbar_display(screen);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/statusbar.c b/statusbar.c
index 51351dbc1..af7d85a9a 100644
--- a/statusbar.c
+++ b/statusbar.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ statusbar_draw(int screen)
     if(vscreen.statusbar->position == BarOff)
         return;
 
-    DrawCtx *ctx = draw_get_context(vscreen.statusbar->drawable, phys_screen,
+    DrawCtx *ctx = draw_get_context(phys_screen,
                                     vscreen.statusbar->width,
                                     vscreen.statusbar->height);
     draw_rectangle(ctx,
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ statusbar_draw(int screen)
         if (widget->alignment == AlignFlex)
             left += widget->draw(widget, ctx, left, (left + right));
 
-    if(vscreen.statusbar->position == BarRight ||
-       vscreen.statusbar->position == BarLeft)
+    if(vscreen.statusbar->position == BarRight
+       || vscreen.statusbar->position == BarLeft)
     {
         Drawable d;
         if(vscreen.statusbar->position == BarRight)
@@ -88,21 +88,40 @@ statusbar_draw(int screen)
                             - M_PI_2,
                             0,
                             vscreen.statusbar->width);
-        XCopyArea(globalconf.display, d,
+
+        vscreen.statusbar->drawable = d;
+        draw_free_context(ctx);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        vscreen.statusbar->drawable = ctx->drawable;
+        /* just delete the struct, don't delete the drawable */
+        p_delete(&ctx);
+    }
+
+
+    statusbar_display(screen);
+}
+
+
+void
+statusbar_display(int screen)
+{
+    VirtScreen vscreen = globalconf.screens[screen];
+    int phys_screen = get_phys_screen(screen);
+
+    if(vscreen.statusbar->position == BarRight
+       || vscreen.statusbar->position == BarLeft)
+        XCopyArea(globalconf.display, vscreen.statusbar->drawable,
                   vscreen.statusbar->window,
                   DefaultGC(globalconf.display, phys_screen), 0, 0,
                   vscreen.statusbar->height,
                   vscreen.statusbar->width, 0, 0);
-        XFreePixmap(globalconf.display, d);
-    }
     else
-        XCopyArea(globalconf.display, ctx->drawable,
+        XCopyArea(globalconf.display, vscreen.statusbar->drawable,
                   vscreen.statusbar->window,
                   DefaultGC(globalconf.display, phys_screen), 0, 0,
                   vscreen.statusbar->width, vscreen.statusbar->height, 0, 0);
-
-    p_delete(&ctx);
-    XSync(globalconf.display, False);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/statusbar.h b/statusbar.h
index 13c6f6ad3..5e21b1cdc 100644
--- a/statusbar.h
+++ b/statusbar.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 void statusbar_init(int);
 void statusbar_draw(int);
+void statusbar_display(int);
 int statusbar_get_position_from_str(const char *);
 void statusbar_update_position(int);