diff --git a/awesome-menu.c b/awesome-menu.c
index 29b8a3207..9b3154edf 100644
--- a/awesome-menu.c
+++ b/awesome-menu.c
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ redraw(void)
     else if(geometry.width)
         draw_rectangle(globalconf.ctx, geometry, 1.0, true, globalconf.styles.normal.bg);
 
-    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(globalconf.sw, globalconf.default_screen);
+    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(globalconf.sw);
     xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
 }
 
@@ -1374,7 +1374,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
             break;
           case XCB_EXPOSE:
             if(!((xcb_expose_event_t *) ev)->count)
-                simplewindow_refresh_drawable(globalconf.sw, globalconf.default_screen);
+                simplewindow_refresh_drawable(globalconf.sw);
             break;
           default:
             break;
diff --git a/awesome-message.c b/awesome-message.c
index ca1719f3f..169dd8a4d 100644
--- a/awesome-message.c
+++ b/awesome-message.c
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     p_delete(&ctx);
 
     xcb_map_window(globalconf.connection, sw->window);
-    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw, globalconf.default_screen);
+    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw);
     xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
 
     signal(SIGALRM, &exit_on_signal);
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
              case XCB_KEY_PRESS:
                running = false;
              case XCB_EXPOSE:
-               simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw, globalconf.default_screen);
+               simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw);
                break;
              default:
                break;
diff --git a/common/swindow.c b/common/swindow.c
index e8ae363e8..1bebc037c 100644
--- a/common/swindow.c
+++ b/common/swindow.c
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ simplewindow_new(xcb_connection_t *conn, int phys_screen, int x, int y,
     SimpleWindow *sw;
     xcb_screen_t *s = xcb_aux_get_screen(conn, phys_screen);
     uint32_t create_win_val[3];
+    const uint32_t gc_mask = XCB_GC_FOREGROUND | XCB_GC_BACKGROUND;
+    const uint32_t gc_values[2] = { s->black_pixel, s->white_pixel };
+    /* The default GC is just a newly created associated to the root
+     * window */
+    xcb_drawable_t gc_draw = s->root;
 
     sw = p_new(SimpleWindow, 1);
 
@@ -68,6 +73,9 @@ simplewindow_new(xcb_connection_t *conn, int phys_screen, int x, int y,
     sw->drawable = xcb_generate_id(conn);
     xcb_create_pixmap(conn, s->root_depth, sw->drawable, s->root, w, h);
 
+    sw->gc = xcb_generate_id(sw->connection);
+    xcb_create_gc(sw->connection, sw->gc, gc_draw, gc_mask, gc_values);
+
     return sw;
 }
 
@@ -125,21 +133,10 @@ simplewindow_resize(SimpleWindow *sw, unsigned int w, unsigned int h)
  * \param phys_screen physical screen id
  */
 void
-simplewindow_refresh_drawable(SimpleWindow *sw, int phys_screen)
+simplewindow_refresh_drawable(SimpleWindow *sw)
 {
-    xcb_screen_t *s = xcb_aux_get_screen(sw->connection, phys_screen);
-
-    /* The default GC is just a newly created associated to the root
-     * window */
-    xcb_drawable_t gc_draw = s->root;
-    xcb_gcontext_t gc = xcb_generate_id(sw->connection);
-
-    const uint32_t gc_mask = XCB_GC_FOREGROUND | XCB_GC_BACKGROUND;
-    const uint32_t gc_values[2] = { s->black_pixel, s->white_pixel };
-
-    xcb_create_gc(sw->connection, gc, gc_draw, gc_mask, gc_values);
     xcb_copy_area(sw->connection, sw->drawable,
-                  sw->window, gc, 0, 0, 0, 0,
+                  sw->window, sw->gc, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                   sw->geometry.width,
                   sw->geometry.height);
 }
diff --git a/common/swindow.h b/common/swindow.h
index a5b32450d..4f5559786 100644
--- a/common/swindow.h
+++ b/common/swindow.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ typedef struct SimpleWindow
     int phys_screen;
     xcb_window_t window;
     xcb_drawable_t drawable;
+    xcb_gcontext_t gc;
     area_t geometry;
 } SimpleWindow;
 
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ SimpleWindow * simplewindow_new(xcb_connection_t *, int, int, int, unsigned int,
 void simplewindow_delete(SimpleWindow **);
 void simplewindow_move(SimpleWindow *, int, int);
 void simplewindow_resize(SimpleWindow *, unsigned int, unsigned int);
-void simplewindow_refresh_drawable(SimpleWindow *, int);
+void simplewindow_refresh_drawable(SimpleWindow *);
 
 static inline void
 simplewindow_move_resize(SimpleWindow *sw, int x, int y,
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index ab856804d..15aee30ca 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ event_handle_expose(void *data __attribute__ ((unused)),
         for(c = globalconf.clients; c; c = c->next)
             if(c->titlebar.sw && c->titlebar.sw->window == ev->window)
             {
-                simplewindow_refresh_drawable(c->titlebar.sw, c->phys_screen);
+                simplewindow_refresh_drawable(c->titlebar.sw);
                 return 0;
             }
     }
diff --git a/mouse.c b/mouse.c
index ffa688a8e..9bbfc34d1 100644
--- a/mouse.c
+++ b/mouse.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ mouse_resizebar_draw(DrawCtx *ctx, style_t style, SimpleWindow *sw, area_t geome
     simplewindow_move(sw,
                       geometry.x + ((2 * border + geometry.width) - sw->geometry.width) / 2,
                       geometry.y + ((2 * border + geometry.height) - sw->geometry.height) / 2);
-    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw, sw->phys_screen);
+    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw);
 }
 
 /** Initialize the resizebar window.
diff --git a/statusbar.c b/statusbar.c
index b4eccd51d..119a166d1 100644
--- a/statusbar.c
+++ b/statusbar.c
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ statusbar_display(Statusbar *statusbar)
 {
     /* don't waste our time */
     if(statusbar->position != Off)
-        simplewindow_refresh_drawable(statusbar->sw, statusbar->phys_screen);
+        simplewindow_refresh_drawable(statusbar->sw);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/titlebar.c b/titlebar.c
index 23ae1d831..57f16cff7 100644
--- a/titlebar.c
+++ b/titlebar.c
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ titlebar_draw(Client *c)
         break;
     }
 
-    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(c->titlebar.sw, c->titlebar.sw->phys_screen);
+    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(c->titlebar.sw);
 
     draw_context_delete(&ctx);
 }