diff --git a/scene.cpp b/scene.cpp
index c85d325b31..6ef81f8c52 100644
--- a/scene.cpp
+++ b/scene.cpp
@@ -353,6 +353,7 @@ QRegion Scene::selfCheckRegion() const
 Scene::Window::Window(Toplevel * c)
     : toplevel(c)
     , filter(ImageFilterFast)
+    , m_shadow(NULL)
     , disable_painting(0)
     , shape_valid(false)
     , cached_quad_list(NULL)
@@ -362,6 +363,7 @@ Scene::Window::Window(Toplevel * c)
 Scene::Window::~Window()
 {
     delete cached_quad_list;
+    delete m_shadow;
 }
 
 void Scene::Window::discardShape()
@@ -494,8 +496,8 @@ WindowQuadList Scene::Window::buildQuads(bool force) const
             ret += makeQuads(WindowQuadDecoration, right);
         }
     }
-    if (toplevel->hasShadow()) {
-        ret << toplevel->shadow()->shadowQuads();
+    if (m_shadow) {
+        ret << m_shadow->shadowQuads();
     }
     effects->buildQuads(static_cast<Client*>(toplevel)->effectWindow(), ret);
     cached_quad_list = new WindowQuadList(ret);
diff --git a/scene.h b/scene.h
index 89e6038b24..564cb74761 100644
--- a/scene.h
+++ b/scene.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class Deleted;
 class EffectFrameImpl;
 class EffectWindowImpl;
 class LanczosFilter;
+class Shadow;
 
 // The base class for compositing backends.
 class Scene
@@ -210,10 +211,14 @@ public:
     // creates initial quad list for the window
     virtual WindowQuadList buildQuads(bool force = false) const;
     void suspendUnredirect(bool suspend);
+    void updateShadow(Shadow* shadow);
+    const Shadow* shadow() const;
+    Shadow* shadow();
 protected:
     WindowQuadList makeQuads(WindowQuadType type, const QRegion& reg) const;
     Toplevel* toplevel;
     ImageFilterType filter;
+    Shadow *m_shadow;
 private:
     int disable_painting;
     mutable QRegion shape_region;
@@ -319,6 +324,24 @@ void Scene::Window::suspendUnredirect(bool suspend)
     toplevel->suspendUnredirect(suspend);
 }
 
+inline
+void Scene::Window::updateShadow(Shadow* shadow)
+{
+    m_shadow = shadow;
+}
+
+inline
+const Shadow* Scene::Window::shadow() const
+{
+    return m_shadow;
+}
+
+inline
+Shadow* Scene::Window::shadow()
+{
+    return m_shadow;
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 #endif
diff --git a/scene_opengl.cpp b/scene_opengl.cpp
index 07f1c87953..fc249ce85a 100644
--- a/scene_opengl.cpp
+++ b/scene_opengl.cpp
@@ -235,6 +235,8 @@ void SceneOpenGL::windowAdded(Toplevel* c)
     assert(!windows.contains(c));
     windows[ c ] = new Window(c);
     c->effectWindow()->setSceneWindow(windows[ c ]);
+    c->getShadow();
+    windows[ c ]->updateShadow(c->shadow());
 }
 
 void SceneOpenGL::windowClosed(Toplevel* c, Deleted* deleted)
@@ -244,6 +246,9 @@ void SceneOpenGL::windowClosed(Toplevel* c, Deleted* deleted)
         // replace c with deleted
         Window* w = windows.take(c);
         w->updateToplevel(deleted);
+        if (w->shadow()) {
+            w->shadow()->setToplevel(deleted);
+        }
         windows[ deleted ] = w;
     } else {
         delete windows.take(c);
@@ -513,7 +518,7 @@ void SceneOpenGL::Window::performPaint(int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData
     vbo->reset();
 
     // shadow
-    if (toplevel->hasShadow()) {
+    if (m_shadow) {
         paintShadow(WindowQuadShadowTop, region, data);
         paintShadow(WindowQuadShadowTopRight, region, data);
         paintShadow(WindowQuadShadowRight, region, data);
@@ -669,7 +674,7 @@ void SceneOpenGL::Window::paintDecoration(const QPixmap* decoration, TextureType
 void SceneOpenGL::Window::paintShadow(WindowQuadType type, const QRegion &region, const WindowPaintData &data)
 {
     WindowQuadList quads = data.quads.select(type);
-    Texture *texture = static_cast<SceneOpenGLShadow*>(toplevel->shadow())->textureForQuadType(type);
+    Texture *texture = static_cast<SceneOpenGLShadow*>(m_shadow)->textureForQuadType(type);
     if (!texture) {
         return;
     }
diff --git a/shadow.cpp b/shadow.cpp
index 5f3fa4de56..309a146b18 100644
--- a/shadow.cpp
+++ b/shadow.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include "shadow.h"
 // kwin
 #include "atoms.h"
+#include "effects.h"
 #include "toplevel.h"
 #ifdef KWIN_HAVE_OPENGL_COMPOSITING
 #include "scene_opengl.h"
@@ -29,8 +30,7 @@ namespace KWin
 {
 
 Shadow::Shadow(Toplevel *toplevel)
-    : QObject(toplevel)
-    , m_topLevel(toplevel)
+    : m_topLevel(toplevel)
 {
 }
 
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ Shadow *Shadow::createShadow(Toplevel *toplevel)
                 delete shadow;
                 return NULL;
             }
+            if (toplevel->effectWindow() && toplevel->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()) {
+                toplevel->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->updateShadow(shadow);
+            }
         }
         return shadow;
     } else {
@@ -181,7 +184,6 @@ bool Shadow::updateShadow()
 void Shadow::setToplevel(Toplevel *topLevel)
 {
     m_topLevel = topLevel;
-    setParent(topLevel);
 }
 
 } // namespace
diff --git a/shadow.h b/shadow.h
index eb2009f610..ee6dec35dc 100644
--- a/shadow.h
+++ b/shadow.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public:
     /**
      * @return Region of the shadow.
      **/
-    const QRegion &shadowRegion() {
+    const QRegion &shadowRegion() const {
         return m_shadowRegion;
     };
     /**
diff --git a/toplevel.cpp b/toplevel.cpp
index a5766b7331..b73c152256 100644
--- a/toplevel.cpp
+++ b/toplevel.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ Toplevel::Toplevel(Workspace* ws)
     : vis(NULL)
     , info(NULL)
     , ready_for_painting(true)
-    , m_shadow(NULL)
     , client(None)
     , frame(None)
     , wspace(ws)
@@ -133,10 +132,6 @@ void Toplevel::copyToDeleted(Toplevel* c)
     // this needs to be done already here, otherwise 'c' could very likely
     // call discardWindowPixmap() in something called during cleanup
     c->window_pix = None;
-    if (c->hasShadow()) {
-        m_shadow = c->m_shadow;
-        m_shadow->setToplevel(this);
-    }
 }
 
 // before being deleted, remove references to everything that's now
@@ -144,7 +139,6 @@ void Toplevel::copyToDeleted(Toplevel* c)
 void Toplevel::disownDataPassedToDeleted()
 {
     info = NULL;
-    m_shadow = NULL;
 }
 
 QRect Toplevel::visibleRect() const
@@ -361,21 +355,37 @@ bool Toplevel::isOnScreen(int screen) const
 void Toplevel::getShadow()
 {
     if (hasShadow()) {
-        m_shadow->updateShadow();
+        effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow()->updateShadow();
     } else {
-        m_shadow = Shadow::createShadow(this);
+        Shadow::createShadow(this);
         addRepaintFull();
     }
 }
 
 bool Toplevel::hasShadow() const
 {
-    return m_shadow != NULL;
+    if (effectWindow() && effectWindow()->sceneWindow()) {
+        return effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow() != NULL;
+    }
+    return false;
 }
 
-Shadow *Toplevel::shadow() const
+Shadow *Toplevel::shadow()
 {
-    return m_shadow;
+    if (effectWindow() && effectWindow()->sceneWindow()) {
+        return effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow();
+    } else {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+}
+
+const Shadow *Toplevel::shadow() const
+{
+    if (effectWindow() && effectWindow()->sceneWindow()) {
+        return effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow();
+    } else {
+        return NULL;
+    }
 }
 
 } // namespace
diff --git a/toplevel.h b/toplevel.h
index 1ac1538165..49ac824b71 100644
--- a/toplevel.h
+++ b/toplevel.h
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ public:
     QRegion damage() const;
     void resetDamage(const QRect& r);
     EffectWindowImpl* effectWindow();
+    const EffectWindowImpl* effectWindow() const;
 
     /**
      * @returns Whether the Toplevel has a Shadow or not
@@ -149,7 +150,13 @@ public:
      * @returns The Shadow belonging to this Toplevel, may be @c NULL.
      * @see hasShadow
      **/
-    Shadow *shadow() const;
+    const Shadow *shadow() const;
+    Shadow *shadow();
+    /**
+     * Updates the Shadow associated with this Toplevel from X11 Property.
+     * Call this method when the Property changes or Compositing is started.
+     **/
+    void getShadow();
 
 signals:
     void opacityChanged(KWin::Toplevel* toplevel, qreal oldOpacity);
@@ -173,11 +180,6 @@ protected:
     void getWmClientMachine();
     void getResourceClass();
     void getWindowRole();
-    /**
-     * Updates the Shadow associated with this Toplevel from X11 Property.
-     * Call this method when the Property changes or Compositing is started.
-     **/
-    void getShadow();
     virtual void debug(QDebug& stream) const = 0;
     void copyToDeleted(Toplevel* c);
     void disownDataPassedToDeleted();
@@ -190,7 +192,6 @@ protected:
     NETWinInfo2* info;
     bool ready_for_painting;
     QRegion repaints_region; // updating, repaint just requires repaint of that area
-    Shadow *m_shadow;
 private:
     static QByteArray staticWindowRole(WId);
     static QByteArray staticSessionId(WId);
@@ -414,6 +415,12 @@ EffectWindowImpl* Toplevel::effectWindow()
     return effect_window;
 }
 
+inline
+const EffectWindowImpl* Toplevel::effectWindow() const
+{
+    return effect_window;
+}
+
 inline bool Toplevel::isOnAllDesktops() const
 {
     return desktop() == NET::OnAllDesktops;
diff --git a/unmanaged.cpp b/unmanaged.cpp
index 6fcd47398d..7c36451b49 100644
--- a/unmanaged.cpp
+++ b/unmanaged.cpp
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ void Unmanaged::release()
             XShapeSelectInput(display(), window(), NoEventMask);
         XSelectInput(display(), window(), NoEventMask);
     }
-    addWorkspaceRepaint(visibleRect());
+    addWorkspaceRepaint(del->visibleRect());
     disownDataPassedToDeleted();
     del->unrefWindow();
     deleteUnmanaged(this, Allowed);