diff --git a/src/item.cpp b/src/item.cpp
index eb7b59883d..ec0ad630d2 100644
--- a/src/item.cpp
+++ b/src/item.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,23 @@ Item::~Item()
     }
 }
 
+int Item::z() const
+{
+    return m_z;
+}
+
+void Item::setZ(int z)
+{
+    if (m_z == z) {
+        return;
+    }
+    m_z = z;
+    if (m_parentItem) {
+        m_parentItem->markSortedChildItemsDirty();
+    }
+    scheduleRepaint(boundingRect());
+}
+
 Item *Item::parentItem() const
 {
     return m_parentItem;
@@ -64,6 +81,8 @@ void Item::addChild(Item *item)
     Q_ASSERT(!m_childItems.contains(item));
 
     m_childItems.append(item);
+    markSortedChildItemsDirty();
+
     updateBoundingRect();
     scheduleRepaint(item->boundingRect().translated(item->position()));
 }
@@ -74,6 +93,7 @@ void Item::removeChild(Item *item)
     scheduleRepaint(item->boundingRect().translated(item->position()));
 
     m_childItems.removeOne(item);
+    markSortedChildItemsDirty();
 
     updateBoundingRect();
 }
@@ -191,6 +211,7 @@ void Item::stackBefore(Item *sibling)
     }
 
     m_parentItem->m_childItems.move(selfIndex, selfIndex > siblingIndex ? siblingIndex : siblingIndex - 1);
+    markSortedChildItemsDirty();
 
     scheduleRepaint(boundingRect());
     sibling->scheduleRepaint(sibling->boundingRect());
@@ -218,6 +239,7 @@ void Item::stackAfter(Item *sibling)
     }
 
     m_parentItem->m_childItems.move(selfIndex, selfIndex > siblingIndex ? siblingIndex + 1 : siblingIndex);
+    markSortedChildItemsDirty();
 
     scheduleRepaint(boundingRect());
     sibling->scheduleRepaint(sibling->boundingRect());
@@ -237,6 +259,8 @@ void Item::stackChildren(const QList<Item *> &children)
 #endif
 
     m_childItems = children;
+    discardQuads();
+    markSortedChildItemsDirty();
 }
 
 void Item::scheduleRepaint(const QRegion &region)
@@ -369,4 +393,24 @@ void Item::updateEffectiveVisibility()
     }
 }
 
+static bool compareZ(const Item *a, const Item *b)
+{
+    return a->z() < b->z();
+}
+
+QList<Item *> Item::sortedChildItems() const
+{
+    if (!m_sortedChildItems.has_value()) {
+        QList<Item *> items = m_childItems;
+        std::stable_sort(items.begin(), items.end(), compareZ);
+        m_sortedChildItems = items;
+    }
+    return m_sortedChildItems.value();
+}
+
+void Item::markSortedChildItemsDirty()
+{
+    m_sortedChildItems.reset();
+}
+
 } // namespace KWin
diff --git a/src/item.h b/src/item.h
index 1c7908553a..e066f40836 100644
--- a/src/item.h
+++ b/src/item.h
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ public:
     QSize size() const;
     void setSize(const QSize &size);
 
+    int z() const;
+    void setZ(int z);
+
     /**
      * Returns the enclosing rectangle of the item. The rect equals QRect(0, 0, width(), height()).
      */
@@ -46,6 +49,7 @@ public:
     Item *parentItem() const;
     void setParentItem(Item *parent);
     QList<Item *> childItems() const;
+    QList<Item *> sortedChildItems() const;
 
     Scene::Window *window() const;
     QPoint rootPosition() const;
@@ -112,6 +116,7 @@ private:
     void updateBoundingRect();
     void scheduleRepaintInternal(const QRegion &region);
     void reallocRepaints();
+    void markSortedChildItemsDirty();
 
     bool computeEffectiveVisibility() const;
     void updateEffectiveVisibility();
@@ -122,10 +127,12 @@ private:
     QRect m_boundingRect;
     QPoint m_position;
     QSize m_size = QSize(0, 0);
+    int m_z = 0;
     bool m_visible = true;
     bool m_effectiveVisible = true;
     QVector<QRegion> m_repaints;
     mutable std::optional<WindowQuadList> m_quads;
+    mutable std::optional<QList<Item *>> m_sortedChildItems;
 };
 
 } // namespace KWin
diff --git a/src/plugins/scenes/opengl/scene_opengl.cpp b/src/plugins/scenes/opengl/scene_opengl.cpp
index 88e3b80b2d..f6208d1ae4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/scenes/opengl/scene_opengl.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/scenes/opengl/scene_opengl.cpp
@@ -940,8 +940,18 @@ static WindowQuadList clipQuads(const Item *item, const OpenGLWindow::RenderCont
 
 void OpenGLWindow::createRenderNode(Item *item, RenderContext *context)
 {
-    item->preprocess();
+    const QList<Item *> sortedChildItems = item->sortedChildItems();
 
+    for (Item *childItem : sortedChildItems) {
+        if (childItem->z() >= 0) {
+            break;
+        }
+        if (childItem->isVisible()) {
+            createRenderNode(childItem, context);
+        }
+    }
+
+    item->preprocess();
     if (auto shadowItem = qobject_cast<ShadowItem *>(item)) {
         WindowQuadList quads = clipQuads(item, context);
         if (!quads.isEmpty()) {
@@ -985,8 +995,10 @@ void OpenGLWindow::createRenderNode(Item *item, RenderContext *context)
         }
     }
 
-    const QList<Item *> childItems = item->childItems();
-    for (Item *childItem : childItems) {
+    for (Item *childItem : sortedChildItems) {
+        if (childItem->z() < 0) {
+            continue;
+        }
         if (childItem->isVisible()) {
             createRenderNode(childItem, context);
         }
diff --git a/src/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp b/src/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp
index 0a7204f5c2..2daa2c5593 100644
--- a/src/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp
@@ -245,18 +245,31 @@ void SceneQPainter::Window::performPaint(int mask, const QRegion &_region, const
 
 void SceneQPainter::Window::renderItem(QPainter *painter, Item *item) const
 {
-    item->preprocess();
+    const QList<Item *> sortedChildItems = item->sortedChildItems();
+
     painter->save();
     painter->translate(item->position());
 
+    for (Item *childItem : sortedChildItems) {
+        if (childItem->z() >= 0) {
+            break;
+        }
+        if (childItem->isVisible()) {
+            renderItem(painter, childItem);
+        }
+    }
+
+    item->preprocess();
     if (auto surfaceItem = qobject_cast<SurfaceItem *>(item)) {
         renderSurfaceItem(painter, surfaceItem);
     } else if (auto decorationItem = qobject_cast<DecorationItem *>(item)) {
         renderDecorationItem(painter, decorationItem);
     }
 
-    const QList<Item *> childItems = item->childItems();
-    for (Item *childItem : childItems) {
+    for (Item *childItem : sortedChildItems) {
+        if (childItem->z() < 0) {
+            continue;
+        }
         if (childItem->isVisible()) {
             renderItem(painter, childItem);
         }