diff --git a/composite.cpp b/composite.cpp
index 0f2117e154..b266899333 100644
--- a/composite.cpp
+++ b/composite.cpp
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ void Workspace::compositeTimeout()
         else if( Unmanaged* c = findUnmanaged( HandleMatchPredicate( children[ i ] )))
             windows.append( c );
         }
+    effects->startPaint();
     // TODO when effects cause damage, it should be only enqueued for next repaint
     QRegion r = damage_region;
     damage_region = QRegion();
diff --git a/effects.cpp b/effects.cpp
index 57bf1a1f26..e5c9feddfb 100644
--- a/effects.cpp
+++ b/effects.cpp
@@ -39,22 +39,22 @@ void Effect::windowDeleted( Toplevel* )
 
 void Effect::prePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
     {
-    effects->nextPrePaintScreen( mask, region, time );
+    effects->prePaintScreen( mask, region, time );
     }
 
 void Effect::paintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data )
     {
-    effects->nextPaintScreen( mask, region, data );
+    effects->paintScreen( mask, region, data );
     }
 
 void Effect::prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
     {
-    effects->nextPrePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
+    effects->prePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
     }
 
 void Effect::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data )
     {
-    effects->nextPaintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
+    effects->paintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
     }
 
 void MakeHalfTransparent::prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ void MakeHalfTransparent::prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion*
         *mask |= Scene::PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSLUCENT;
         *mask &= ~Scene::PAINT_WINDOW_OPAQUE;
         }
-    effects->nextPrePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
+    effects->prePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
     }
 
 void MakeHalfTransparent::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data )
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void MakeHalfTransparent::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion regio
         data.opacity *= 0.8;
     if( c->isMove() || c->isResize())
         data.opacity *= 0.5;
-    effects->nextPaintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
+    effects->paintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
     }
 
 void MakeHalfTransparent::windowUserMovedResized( Toplevel* c, bool first, bool last )
@@ -96,21 +96,21 @@ void ShakyMove::prePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
     {
     if( !windows.isEmpty())
         *mask |= Scene::PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSFORMED;
-    effects->nextPrePaintScreen( mask, region, time );
+    effects->prePaintScreen( mask, region, time );
     }
 
 void ShakyMove::prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
     {
     if( windows.contains( w->window()))
         *mask |= Scene::PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSFORMED;
-    effects->nextPrePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
+    effects->prePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
     }
 
 void ShakyMove::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data )
     {
     if( windows.contains( w->window()))
         data.xTranslate += shaky_diff[ windows[ w->window() ]];
-    effects->nextPaintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
+    effects->paintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
     }
 
 void ShakyMove::windowUserMovedResized( Toplevel* c, bool first, bool last )
@@ -201,14 +201,14 @@ void ShiftWorkspaceUp::prePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
         }
     if( diff != 0 )
         *mask |= Scene::PAINT_SCREEN_TRANSFORMED;
-    effects->nextPrePaintScreen( mask, region, time );
+    effects->prePaintScreen( mask, region, time );
     }
 
 void ShiftWorkspaceUp::paintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data )
     {
     if( diff != 0 )
         data.yTranslate -= diff / 100;
-    effects->nextPaintScreen( mask, region, data );
+    effects->paintScreen( mask, region, data );
     }
 
 void ShiftWorkspaceUp::tick()
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ void FadeIn::prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int t
         else
             windows.remove( w->window());
         }
-    effects->nextPrePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
+    effects->prePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
     }
 
 void FadeIn::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data )
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ void FadeIn::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPain
         {
         data.opacity *= windows[ w->window()];
         }
-    effects->nextPaintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
+    effects->paintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
     }
 
 void FadeIn::windowAdded( Toplevel* c )
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ void ScaleIn::prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int
         else
             windows.remove( w->window());
         }
-    effects->nextPrePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
+    effects->prePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
     }
 
 void ScaleIn::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data )
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ void ScaleIn::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPai
         data.xTranslate += w->window()->width() / 2 * ( 1 - windows[ w->window()] );
         data.yTranslate += w->window()->height() / 2 * ( 1 - windows[ w->window()] );
         }
-    effects->nextPaintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
+    effects->paintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
     }
 
 void ScaleIn::windowAdded( Toplevel* c )
@@ -349,61 +349,54 @@ void EffectsHandler::windowDeleted( Toplevel* c )
         e->windowDeleted( c );
     }
 
-void EffectsHandler::prePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time, Effect* final )
+// start another painting pass
+void EffectsHandler::startPaint()
     {
     assert( current_paint_screen == 0 );
-    effects.append( final );
-    nextPrePaintScreen( mask, region, time );
-    effects.pop_back();
-    }
-
-void EffectsHandler::paintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data, Effect* final )
-    {
-    assert( current_paint_screen == 0 );
-    effects.append( final );
-    nextPaintScreen( mask, region, data );
-    effects.pop_back();
-    }
-
-void EffectsHandler::prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time, Effect* final )
-    {
     assert( current_paint_window == 0 );
-    effects.append( final );
-    nextPrePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
-    effects.pop_back();
-    }
-
-void EffectsHandler::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data, Effect* final )
-    {
-    assert( current_paint_window == 0 );
-    effects.append( final );
-    nextPaintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
-    effects.pop_back();
     }
 
 // the idea is that effects call this function again which calls the next one
-void EffectsHandler::nextPrePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
+void EffectsHandler::prePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
     {
-    effects[ current_paint_screen++ ]->prePaintScreen( mask, region, time );
-    --current_paint_screen;
+    if( current_paint_screen < effects.size() - 1 )
+        {
+        effects[ current_paint_screen++ ]->prePaintScreen( mask, region, time );
+        --current_paint_screen;
+        }
+    // no special final code
     }
 
-void EffectsHandler::nextPaintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data )
+void EffectsHandler::paintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data )
     {
-    effects[ current_paint_screen++ ]->paintScreen( mask, region, data );
-    --current_paint_screen;
+    if( current_paint_screen < effects.size() - 1 )
+        {
+        effects[ current_paint_screen++ ]->paintScreen( mask, region, data );
+        --current_paint_screen;
+        }
+    else
+        scene->finalPaintScreen( mask, region, data );
     }
 
-void EffectsHandler::nextPrePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
+void EffectsHandler::prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time )
     {
-    effects[ current_paint_window++ ]->prePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
-    --current_paint_window;
+    if( current_paint_window < effects.size() - 1 )
+        {
+        effects[ current_paint_window++ ]->prePaintWindow( w, mask, region, time );
+        --current_paint_window;
+        }
+    // no special final code
     }
 
-void EffectsHandler::nextPaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data )
+void EffectsHandler::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data )
     {
-    effects[ current_paint_window++ ]->paintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
-    --current_paint_window;
+    if( current_paint_window < effects.size() - 1 )
+        {
+        effects[ current_paint_window++ ]->paintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
+        --current_paint_window;
+        }
+    else
+        scene->finalPaintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
     }
 
 EffectsHandler* effects;
diff --git a/effects.h b/effects.h
index 3e06916e96..097b980142 100644
--- a/effects.h
+++ b/effects.h
@@ -64,15 +64,12 @@ class EffectsHandler
         EffectsHandler( Workspace* ws );
         ~EffectsHandler();
         // for use by effects
-        void nextPrePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time );
-        void nextPaintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data );
-        void nextPrePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time );
-        void nextPaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data );
+        void prePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time );
+        void paintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data );
+        void prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time );
+        void paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data );
         // internal (used by kwin core or compositing code)
-        void prePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time, Effect* final );
-        void paintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data, Effect* final );
-        void prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time, Effect* final );
-        void paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data, Effect* final );
+        void startPaint();
         void windowUserMovedResized( Toplevel* c, bool first, bool last );
         void windowAdded( Toplevel* c );
         void windowDeleted( Toplevel* c );
@@ -164,20 +161,6 @@ class ScaleIn
         QMap< const Toplevel*, double > windows;
     };
 
-// a special effect that is last in the order that'll actually call the painting functions
-// TODO this should actually be in scene.h
-class Scene::WrapperEffect
-    : public Effect
-    {
-    public:
-        virtual ~WrapperEffect();
-        virtual void prePaintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region, int time );
-        virtual void paintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data );
-        virtual void prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int* mask, QRegion* region, int time );
-        virtual void paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data );
-    };
-
-
 inline
 WindowPaintData::WindowPaintData()
     : opacity( 1.0 )
diff --git a/scene.cpp b/scene.cpp
index c472f0d9a4..c38c9dee5a 100644
--- a/scene.cpp
+++ b/scene.cpp
@@ -18,14 +18,6 @@ License. See the file "COPYING" for the exact licensing terms.
 namespace KWinInternal
 {
 
-//****************************************
-// Scene::WrapperEffect
-//****************************************
-
-Scene::WrapperEffect::~WrapperEffect()
-    {
-    }
-
 //****************************************
 // Scene
 //****************************************
@@ -46,15 +38,14 @@ void Scene::paintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region )
     {
     *mask = ( *region == QRegion( 0, 0, displayWidth(), displayHeight()))
         ? 0 : PAINT_SCREEN_REGION;
-    WrapperEffect wrapper;
     updateTimeDiff();
     // preparation step
-    effects->prePaintScreen( mask, region, time_diff, &wrapper );
+    effects->prePaintScreen( mask, region, time_diff );
     if( *mask & ( PAINT_SCREEN_TRANSFORMED | PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSFORMED ))
         *mask &= ~PAINT_SCREEN_REGION;
     // TODO call also prePaintWindow() for all windows
     ScreenPaintData data;
-    effects->paintScreen( *mask, *region, data, &wrapper );
+    effects->paintScreen( *mask, *region, data );
     }
 
 void Scene::updateTimeDiff()
@@ -76,18 +67,13 @@ void Scene::idle()
     last_time = QTime();
     }
 
-void Scene::WrapperEffect::prePaintScreen( int*, QRegion*, int )
-    {
-    // nothing, no changes
-    }
-
 // the function that'll be eventually called by paintScreen() above
-void Scene::WrapperEffect::paintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data )
+void Scene::finalPaintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data )
     {
     if( mask & PAINT_SCREEN_REGION )
-        scene->paintSimpleScreen( mask, region );
+        paintSimpleScreen( mask, region );
     else
-        scene->paintGenericScreen( mask, data );
+        paintGenericScreen( mask, data );
     }
 
 // the generic painting code that should eventually handle even
@@ -101,9 +87,8 @@ void Scene::paintGenericScreen( int orig_mask, ScreenPaintData )
             continue;
         int mask = orig_mask | ( w->isOpaque() ? PAINT_WINDOW_OPAQUE : PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSLUCENT );
         QRegion damage = infiniteRegion();
-        WrapperEffect wrapper;
         // preparation step
-        effects->prePaintWindow( w, &mask, &damage, time_diff, &wrapper );
+        effects->prePaintWindow( w, &mask, &damage, time_diff );
         paintWindow( w, mask, damage );
         }
     }
@@ -127,9 +112,8 @@ void Scene::paintSimpleScreen( int orig_mask, QRegion region )
             continue;
         int mask = orig_mask | ( w->isOpaque() ? PAINT_WINDOW_OPAQUE : PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSLUCENT );
         QRegion damage = region;
-        WrapperEffect wrapper;
         // preparation step
-        effects->prePaintWindow( w, &mask, &damage, time_diff, &wrapper );
+        effects->prePaintWindow( w, &mask, &damage, time_diff );
         if( mask & PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSLUCENT )
             phase2.prepend( Phase2Data( w, region, mask ));
         if( mask & PAINT_WINDOW_OPAQUE )
@@ -151,21 +135,15 @@ void Scene::paintSimpleScreen( int orig_mask, QRegion region )
         }
     }
 
-void Scene::WrapperEffect::prePaintWindow( Scene::Window* , int*, QRegion*, int )
-    {
-    // nothing, no changes
-    }
-
 void Scene::paintWindow( Window* w, int mask, QRegion region )
     {
     WindowPaintData data;
     data.opacity = w->window()->opacity();
-    WrapperEffect wrapper;
-    effects->paintWindow( w, mask, region, data, &wrapper );
+    effects->paintWindow( w, mask, region, data );
     }
 
 // the function that'll be eventually called by paintWindow() above
-void Scene::WrapperEffect::paintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data )
+void Scene::finalPaintWindow( Scene::Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data )
     {
     w->performPaint( mask, region, data );
     }
diff --git a/scene.h b/scene.h
index 2dd13d9dcb..88472c0dad 100644
--- a/scene.h
+++ b/scene.h
@@ -51,9 +51,12 @@ class Scene
         void idle();
     protected:
         void paintScreen( int* mask, QRegion* region );
+        friend class EffectsHandler;
+        void finalPaintScreen( int mask, QRegion region, ScreenPaintData& data );
         virtual void paintGenericScreen( int mask, ScreenPaintData data );
         virtual void paintSimpleScreen( int mask, QRegion region );
         virtual void paintBackground( QRegion region ) = 0;
+        void finalPaintWindow( Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data );
         virtual void paintWindow( Window* w, int mask, QRegion region );
         static QRegion infiniteRegion();
         void updateTimeDiff();
@@ -68,7 +71,6 @@ class Scene
         int time_diff;
         QTime last_time;
         Workspace* wspace;
-        class WrapperEffect;
     };
 
 class Scene::Window