diff --git a/effects/boxswitch.cpp b/effects/boxswitch.cpp
index 58a5141883..bf2e67b8d5 100644
--- a/effects/boxswitch.cpp
+++ b/effects/boxswitch.cpp
@@ -344,25 +344,13 @@ void BoxSwitchEffect::setInactive()
             if( w != selected_window )
                 w->addRepaintFull();
             }
-        foreach( ItemInfo* i, windows )
-            {
-#ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
-        if( effects->compositingType() == XRenderCompositing )
-                {
-                if( i->iconPicture != None )
-                    XRenderFreePicture( display(), i->iconPicture );
-                i->iconPicture = None;
-                }
-#endif
-            delete i;
-            }
+        qDeleteAll( windows );
         windows.clear();
         setSelectedWindow( 0 );
         }
     else
         { // DesktopMode
-        foreach( ItemInfo* i, desktops )
-            delete i;
+        qDeleteAll( windows );
         desktops.clear();
         }
     effects->addRepaint( frame_area );
@@ -601,8 +589,6 @@ void BoxSwitchEffect::paintWindowIcon( EffectWindow* w )
 #ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
         if( effects->compositingType() == XRenderCompositing )
             {
-            if( windows[ w ]->iconPicture != None )
-                XRenderFreePicture( display(), windows[ w ]->iconPicture );
             windows[ w ]->iconPicture = XRenderCreatePicture( display(),
                 windows[ w ]->icon.handle(), alphaFormat, 0, NULL );
             }
diff --git a/effects/boxswitch.h b/effects/boxswitch.h
index cfe7c34378..4bf01e1e17 100644
--- a/effects/boxswitch.h
+++ b/effects/boxswitch.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include <QFont>
 
 #include <kwinglutils.h>
+#include <kwinxrenderutils.h>
 
 #ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
 #include <X11/extensions/Xrender.h>
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ class BoxSwitchEffect::ItemInfo
         GLTexture iconTexture;
 #endif
 #ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
-        Picture iconPicture;
+        XRenderPicture iconPicture;
 #endif
     };
 
diff --git a/effects/presentwindows.cpp b/effects/presentwindows.cpp
index 28d4a0e8ed..26d3635f0e 100644
--- a/effects/presentwindows.cpp
+++ b/effects/presentwindows.cpp
@@ -1046,8 +1046,6 @@ void PresentWindowsEffect::paintWindowIcon( EffectWindow* w, WindowPaintData& pa
 #ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
         if( effects->compositingType() == XRenderCompositing )
             {
-            if( data.iconPicture != None )
-                XRenderFreePicture( display(), data.iconPicture );
             data.iconPicture = XRenderCreatePicture( display(),
                 data.icon.handle(), alphaFormat, 0, NULL );
             }
diff --git a/effects/presentwindows.h b/effects/presentwindows.h
index d9f3c83c58..08e940b256 100644
--- a/effects/presentwindows.h
+++ b/effects/presentwindows.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 // Include with base class for effects.
 #include <kwineffects.h>
 #include <kwinglutils.h>
+#include <kwinxrenderutils.h>
 
 #include <QPixmap>
 
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ class PresentWindowsEffect
             KSharedPtr< GLTexture > iconTexture;
 #endif
 #ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
-            Picture iconPicture;
+            XRenderPicture iconPicture;
 #endif
             };
         typedef QHash<EffectWindow*, WindowData> DataHash;
diff --git a/lib/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
index bf2658a103..6468315c99 100644
--- a/lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ set(kwin_EFFECTSLIB_SRCS
     kwinglutils.cpp
     kwinglutils_funcs.cpp
     kwinshadereffect.cpp
+    kwinxrenderutils.cpp
     )
 
 kde4_add_library(kwineffects SHARED ${kwin_EFFECTSLIB_SRCS})
@@ -72,5 +73,6 @@ install( FILES
     kwinglutils.h
     kwinglutils_funcs.h
     kwinshadereffect.h
+    kwinxrenderutils.h
     ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/kwinconfig.h
     DESTINATION ${INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR})
diff --git a/lib/kwineffects.cpp b/lib/kwineffects.cpp
index 444c106f5a..2286854912 100644
--- a/lib/kwineffects.cpp
+++ b/lib/kwineffects.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include "kwineffects.h"
 
 #include "kwinglutils.h"
+#include "kwinxrenderutils.h"
 
 #include <QtDBus/QtDBus>
 #include <QVariant>
@@ -979,27 +980,4 @@ void TimeLine::setCurveShape(CurveShape curveShape)
         m_CurveShape = curveShape;
     }
 
-#ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
-// Convert QRegion to XserverRegion. All code uses XserverRegion
-// only when really necessary as the shared implementation uses
-// QRegion.
-XserverRegion toXserverRegion( QRegion region )
-    {
-    QVector< QRect > rects = region.rects();
-    XRectangle* xr = new XRectangle[ rects.count() ];
-    for( int i = 0;
-         i < rects.count();
-         ++i )
-        {
-        xr[ i ].x = rects[ i ].x();
-        xr[ i ].y = rects[ i ].y();
-        xr[ i ].width = rects[ i ].width();
-        xr[ i ].height = rects[ i ].height();
-        }
-    XserverRegion ret = XFixesCreateRegion( display(), xr, rects.count());
-    delete[] xr;
-    return ret;
-    }
-#endif
-
 } // namespace
diff --git a/lib/kwineffects.h b/lib/kwineffects.h
index 737111e80e..6b62278a0b 100644
--- a/lib/kwineffects.h
+++ b/lib/kwineffects.h
@@ -41,10 +41,6 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 
-#ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
-#include <X11/extensions/Xfixes.h>
-#endif
-
 class KLibrary;
 class KConfigGroup;
 class KActionCollection;
@@ -179,13 +175,6 @@ QRect infiniteRegion()
     return QRect( INT_MIN / 2, INT_MIN / 2, INT_MAX, INT_MAX );
     }
 
-#ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
-/**
- * Convert QRegion to XserverRegion.
- */
-KWIN_EXPORT XserverRegion toXserverRegion( QRegion region );
-#endif
-
 /**
  * @short Base class for all KWin effects
  *
diff --git a/lib/kwinxrenderutils.cpp b/lib/kwinxrenderutils.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..00ff05056d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/kwinxrenderutils.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/********************************************************************
+ KWin - the KDE window manager
+ This file is part of the KDE project.
+
+Copyright (C) 2008 Lubos Lunak <l.lunak@kde.org>
+
+This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+(at your option) any later version.
+
+This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*********************************************************************/
+
+#include "kwinxrenderutils.h"
+
+#ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
+
+#include <qvector.h>
+
+namespace KWin
+{
+
+// Convert QRegion to XserverRegion. All code uses XserverRegion
+// only when really necessary as the shared implementation uses
+// QRegion.
+XserverRegion toXserverRegion( QRegion region )
+    {
+    QVector< QRect > rects = region.rects();
+    XRectangle* xr = new XRectangle[ rects.count() ];
+    for( int i = 0;
+         i < rects.count();
+         ++i )
+        {
+        xr[ i ].x = rects[ i ].x();
+        xr[ i ].y = rects[ i ].y();
+        xr[ i ].width = rects[ i ].width();
+        xr[ i ].height = rects[ i ].height();
+        }
+    XserverRegion ret = XFixesCreateRegion( display(), xr, rects.count());
+    delete[] xr;
+    return ret;
+    }
+
+} // namespace
+
+#endif
diff --git a/lib/kwinxrenderutils.h b/lib/kwinxrenderutils.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..85fded1c4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/kwinxrenderutils.h
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+/********************************************************************
+ KWin - the KDE window manager
+ This file is part of the KDE project.
+
+Copyright (C) 2008 Lubos Lunak <l.lunak@kde.org>
+
+This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+(at your option) any later version.
+
+This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*********************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef KWIN_XRENDERUTILS_H
+#define KWIN_XRENDERUTILS_H
+
+#include <kwinconfig.h>
+
+#ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XRENDER_COMPOSITING
+
+#include <QtCore/QSharedData>
+#include <ksharedptr.h>
+
+#include <kwinglobals.h>
+
+#include <X11/extensions/Xfixes.h>
+#include <X11/extensions/Xrender.h>
+
+/** @addtogroup kwineffects */
+/** @{ */
+
+namespace KWin
+{
+
+/**
+ * Convert QRegion to XserverRegion.
+ */
+KWIN_EXPORT XserverRegion toXserverRegion( QRegion region );
+
+/** @internal */
+class KWIN_EXPORT XRenderPictureData
+    : public QSharedData
+    {
+    public:
+        XRenderPictureData( Picture pic = None );
+        ~XRenderPictureData();
+        Picture value();
+    private:
+        Picture picture;
+        Q_DISABLE_COPY( XRenderPictureData )
+    };
+
+/**
+ * @short Wrapper around XRender Picture.
+ *
+ * This class wraps XRender's Picture, providing proper initialization
+ * and freeing of resources. It should otherwise act exactly like the Picture type.
+ */
+class KWIN_EXPORT XRenderPicture
+    {
+    public:
+        XRenderPicture( Picture pic = None );
+        operator Picture();
+    private:
+        KSharedPtr< XRenderPictureData > d;
+    };
+
+inline
+XRenderPictureData::XRenderPictureData( Picture pic )
+    : picture( pic )
+    {
+    }
+
+inline
+XRenderPictureData::~XRenderPictureData()
+    {
+    if( picture != None )
+        XRenderFreePicture( display(), picture );
+    }
+
+inline
+Picture XRenderPictureData::value()
+    {
+    return picture;
+    }
+
+inline
+XRenderPicture::XRenderPicture( Picture pic )
+    : d( new XRenderPictureData( pic ))
+    {
+    }
+
+inline
+XRenderPicture::operator Picture()
+    {
+    return d->value();
+    }
+
+} // namespace
+
+#endif
+
+/** @} */
+
+#endif
diff --git a/scene_xrender.cpp b/scene_xrender.cpp
index b68db4fc71..eb8f614029 100644
--- a/scene_xrender.cpp
+++ b/scene_xrender.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include "client.h"
 #include "deleted.h"
 #include "effects.h"
+#include "kwinxrenderutils.h"
 
 #include <kxerrorhandler.h>