diff --git a/objects/client.c b/objects/client.c
index 6f96588b5..f721f2de4 100644
--- a/objects/client.c
+++ b/objects/client.c
@@ -811,30 +811,7 @@ client_resize_do(client_t *c, area_t geometry, bool force_notice, bool honor_hin
         area.y += geometry.y;
         if (hide_titlebars)
             area.width = area.height = 0;
-
-        if (old_geometry.width != geometry.width || old_geometry.height != geometry.height ||
-                drawable->geometry.width == 0 || drawable->geometry.height == 0) {
-            /* Get rid of the old state */
-            drawable_unset_surface(drawable);
-            if (c->titlebar[bar].pixmap != XCB_NONE)
-                xcb_free_pixmap(globalconf.connection, c->titlebar[bar].pixmap);
-            c->titlebar[bar].pixmap = XCB_NONE;
-
-            /* And get us some new state */
-            if (c->titlebar[bar].size != 0 && !hide_titlebars)
-            {
-                c->titlebar[bar].pixmap = xcb_generate_id(globalconf.connection);
-                xcb_create_pixmap(globalconf.connection, globalconf.default_depth, c->titlebar[bar].pixmap,
-                                  globalconf.screen->root, area.width, area.height);
-                cairo_surface_t *surface = cairo_xcb_surface_create(globalconf.connection,
-                                                                    c->titlebar[bar].pixmap, globalconf.visual,
-                                                                    area.width, area.height);
-                drawable_set_surface(drawable, -1, surface, area);
-                cairo_surface_destroy(surface);
-            } else
-                drawable_set_geometry(drawable, -1, area);
-        } else
-            drawable_set_geometry(drawable, -1, area);
+        drawable_set_geometry(drawable, -1, area);
 
         /* Pop the client and the drawable */
         lua_pop(globalconf.L, 2);
@@ -1188,18 +1165,11 @@ client_unmanage(client_t *c, bool window_valid)
         if (c->titlebar[bar].drawable == NULL)
             continue;
 
+        /* Forget about the drawable */
         luaA_object_push(globalconf.L, c);
-        luaA_object_push_item(globalconf.L, -1, c->titlebar[bar].drawable);
-
-        /* Make the drawable unusable */
-        drawable_unset_surface(c->titlebar[bar].drawable);
-        if (c->titlebar[bar].pixmap != XCB_NONE)
-            xcb_free_pixmap(globalconf.connection, c->titlebar[bar].pixmap);
-
-        /* And forget about it */
-        luaA_object_unref_item(globalconf.L, -2, c->titlebar[bar].drawable);
+        luaA_object_unref_item(globalconf.L, -1, c->titlebar[bar].drawable);
         c->titlebar[bar].drawable = NULL;
-        lua_pop(globalconf.L, 2);
+        lua_pop(globalconf.L, 1);
     }
 
     /* Clear our event mask so that we don't receive any events from now on,
@@ -1555,7 +1525,7 @@ client_get_drawable(client_t *c, int x, int y)
 static void
 client_refresh_titlebar_partial(client_t *c, client_titlebar_t bar, int16_t x, int16_t y, uint16_t width, uint16_t height)
 {
-    if(c->titlebar[bar].drawable == NULL || c->titlebar[bar].drawable->surface == NULL)
+    if(c->titlebar[bar].drawable == NULL || c->titlebar[bar].drawable->pixmap == XCB_NONE)
         return;
     area_t area = titlebar_get_area(c, bar);
     /* Is the titlebar part of the area that should get redrawn? */
@@ -1565,7 +1535,7 @@ client_refresh_titlebar_partial(client_t *c, client_titlebar_t bar, int16_t x, i
         return;
     /* Redraw the affected parts */
     cairo_surface_flush(c->titlebar[bar].drawable->surface);
-    xcb_copy_area(globalconf.connection, c->titlebar[bar].pixmap, c->frame_window,
+    xcb_copy_area(globalconf.connection, c->titlebar[bar].drawable->pixmap, c->frame_window,
             globalconf.gc, x - area.x, y - area.y, x, y, width, height);
 }
 
diff --git a/objects/client.h b/objects/client.h
index 712cbd3ed..5fd4fa04a 100644
--- a/objects/client.h
+++ b/objects/client.h
@@ -124,8 +124,6 @@ struct client_t
     struct {
         /** The size of this bar. */
         uint16_t size;
-        /** The pixmap for double buffering. */
-        xcb_pixmap_t pixmap;
         /** The drawable for this bar. */
         drawable_t *drawable;
     } titlebar[CLIENT_TITLEBAR_COUNT];
diff --git a/objects/drawable.c b/objects/drawable.c
index 84a032e7b..88220554f 100644
--- a/objects/drawable.c
+++ b/objects/drawable.c
@@ -35,40 +35,25 @@ drawable_allocator(lua_State *L, drawable_refresh_callback *callback, void *data
     d->refresh_callback = callback;
     d->refresh_data = data;
     d->surface = NULL;
+    d->pixmap = XCB_NONE;
     return d;
 }
 
+static void
+drawable_unset_surface(drawable_t *d)
+{
+    cairo_surface_finish(d->surface);
+    cairo_surface_destroy(d->surface);
+    if (d->pixmap)
+        xcb_free_pixmap(globalconf.connection, d->pixmap);
+    d->surface = NULL;
+    d->pixmap = XCB_NONE;
+}
+
 static void
 drawable_wipe(drawable_t *d)
-{
-    if (!d->surface)
-        return;
-    cairo_surface_finish(d->surface);
-    cairo_surface_destroy(d->surface);
-}
-
-void
-drawable_unset_surface(drawable_t *d)
-{
-    if (!d->surface)
-        return;
-    cairo_surface_finish(d->surface);
-    cairo_surface_destroy(d->surface);
-    d->surface = NULL;
-}
-
-void
-drawable_set_surface(drawable_t *d, int didx, cairo_surface_t *surface, area_t geom)
 {
     drawable_unset_surface(d);
-    d->surface = cairo_surface_reference(surface);
-    /* Make sure the surface doesn't contain garbage by filling it with black */
-    cairo_t *cr = cairo_create(surface);
-    cairo_set_operator(cr, CAIRO_OPERATOR_CLEAR);
-    cairo_paint(cr);
-    cairo_destroy(cr);
-    drawable_set_geometry(d, didx, geom);
-    luaA_object_emit_signal(globalconf.L, didx, "property::surface", 0);
 }
 
 void
@@ -77,6 +62,20 @@ drawable_set_geometry(drawable_t *d, int didx, area_t geom)
     area_t old = d->geometry;
     d->geometry = geom;
 
+    bool size_changed = (old.width != geom.width) || (old.height != geom.height);
+    if (size_changed)
+        drawable_unset_surface(d);
+    if (size_changed && geom.width > 0 && geom.height > 0)
+    {
+        d->pixmap = xcb_generate_id(globalconf.connection);
+        xcb_create_pixmap(globalconf.connection, globalconf.default_depth, d->pixmap,
+                          globalconf.screen->root, geom.width, geom.height);
+        d->surface = cairo_xcb_surface_create(globalconf.connection,
+                                              d->pixmap, globalconf.visual,
+                                              geom.width, geom.height);
+        luaA_object_emit_signal(globalconf.L, didx, "property::surface", 0);
+    }
+
     if (old.x != geom.x)
         luaA_object_emit_signal(globalconf.L, didx, "property::x", 0);
     if (old.y != geom.y)
diff --git a/objects/drawable.h b/objects/drawable.h
index 732fe7e7b..78dd97c35 100644
--- a/objects/drawable.h
+++ b/objects/drawable.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ typedef void drawable_refresh_callback(void *);
 struct drawable_t
 {
     LUA_OBJECT_HEADER
+    /** The pixmap we are drawing to. */
+    xcb_pixmap_t pixmap;
     /** Surface for drawing. */
     cairo_surface_t *surface;
     /** The geometry of the drawable (in root window coordinates). */
@@ -43,8 +45,6 @@ struct drawable_t
 };
 
 drawable_t *drawable_allocator(lua_State *, drawable_refresh_callback *, void *);
-void drawable_unset_surface(drawable_t *);
-void drawable_set_surface(drawable_t *, int, cairo_surface_t *, area_t);
 void drawable_set_geometry(drawable_t *, int, area_t);
 void drawable_class_setup(lua_State *);
 
diff --git a/objects/drawin.c b/objects/drawin.c
index 290c3beee..7e82fc0cd 100644
--- a/objects/drawin.c
+++ b/objects/drawin.c
@@ -62,24 +62,14 @@ drawin_wipe(drawin_t *w)
     /* The drawin must already be unmapped, else it
      * couldn't be garbage collected -> no unmap needed */
     p_delete(&w->cursor);
-    drawable_unset_surface(w->drawable);
     if(w->window)
     {
-        /* Activate BMA */
-        client_ignore_enterleave_events();
         /* Make sure we don't accidentally kill the systray window */
         drawin_systray_kickout(w);
         xcb_destroy_window(globalconf.connection, w->window);
-        /* Deactivate BMA */
-        client_restore_enterleave_events();
         w->window = XCB_NONE;
     }
-    if(w->pixmap)
-    {
-        xcb_free_pixmap(globalconf.connection, w->pixmap);
-        w->pixmap = XCB_NONE;
-    }
-    luaA_object_unref_item(globalconf.L, -1, w->drawable);
+    /* No unref needed because we are being garbage collected */
     w->drawable = NULL;
 }
 
@@ -92,34 +82,13 @@ drawin_unref_simplified(drawin_t **item)
 static void
 drawin_update_drawing(drawin_t *w, int widx)
 {
-    /* Clean up old stuff */
-    luaA_object_push_item(globalconf.L, widx, w->drawable);
-    drawable_unset_surface(w->drawable);
-    if(w->pixmap)
-    {
-        xcb_free_pixmap(globalconf.connection, w->pixmap);
-        w->pixmap = XCB_NONE;
-    }
-
     /* If this drawin isn't visible, we don't need an up-to-date cairo surface
      * for it. (drawin_map() will later make sure we are called again) */
     if(!w->visible)
-    {
-        lua_pop(globalconf.L, 1);
         return;
-    }
 
-    /* Create a pixmap */
-    xcb_screen_t *s = globalconf.screen;
-    w->pixmap = xcb_generate_id(globalconf.connection);
-    xcb_create_pixmap(globalconf.connection, globalconf.default_depth, w->pixmap, s->root,
-                      w->geometry.width, w->geometry.height);
-    /* and create a surface for that pixmap */
-    cairo_surface_t *surface = cairo_xcb_surface_create(globalconf.connection,
-                                                        w->pixmap, globalconf.visual,
-                                                        w->geometry.width, w->geometry.height);
-    drawable_set_surface(w->drawable, -1, surface, w->geometry);
-    cairo_surface_destroy(surface);
+    luaA_object_push_item(globalconf.L, widx, w->drawable);
+    drawable_set_geometry(w->drawable, -1, w->geometry);
     lua_pop(globalconf.L, 1);
 }
 
@@ -208,12 +177,12 @@ drawin_refresh_pixmap_partial(drawin_t *drawin,
                               int16_t x, int16_t y,
                               uint16_t w, uint16_t h)
 {
-    if (!drawin->visible)
+    if (!drawin->drawable || !drawin->drawable->pixmap)
         return;
 
     /* Make cairo do all pending drawing */
     cairo_surface_flush(drawin->drawable->surface);
-    xcb_copy_area(globalconf.connection, drawin->pixmap,
+    xcb_copy_area(globalconf.connection, drawin->drawable->pixmap,
                   drawin->window, globalconf.gc, x, y, x, y,
                   w, h);
 }
diff --git a/objects/drawin.h b/objects/drawin.h
index 412bc8fd1..c2a7608a6 100644
--- a/objects/drawin.h
+++ b/objects/drawin.h
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ struct drawin_t
     bool visible;
     /** Cursor */
     char *cursor;
-    /** The pixmap for double buffering. */
-    xcb_pixmap_t pixmap;
     /** The drawable for this drawin. */
     drawable_t *drawable;
     /** The window geometry. */