diff --git a/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.cpp b/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.cpp
index 9c53182903..8d383b041f 100644
--- a/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.cpp
+++ b/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,19 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 namespace KWin
 {
 
+namespace XRenderUtils
+{
+static xcb_connection_t *s_connection = nullptr;
+static xcb_window_t s_rootWindow = XCB_WINDOW_NONE;
+
+void init(xcb_connection_t *connection, xcb_window_t rootWindow)
+{
+    s_connection = connection;
+    s_rootWindow = rootWindow;
+}
+
+} // namespace
+
 // adapted from Qt, because this really sucks ;)
 xcb_render_color_t preMultiply(const QColor &c, float opacity)
 {
@@ -44,16 +57,16 @@ xcb_render_color_t preMultiply(const QColor &c, float opacity)
 
 XRenderPicture xRenderFill(const xcb_render_color_t &c)
 {
-    xcb_pixmap_t pixmap = xcb_generate_id(connection());
-    xcb_create_pixmap(connection(), 32, pixmap, rootWindow(), 1, 1);
+    xcb_pixmap_t pixmap = xcb_generate_id(XRenderUtils::s_connection);
+    xcb_create_pixmap(XRenderUtils::s_connection, 32, pixmap, XRenderUtils::s_rootWindow, 1, 1);
     XRenderPicture fill(pixmap, 32);
-    xcb_free_pixmap(connection(), pixmap);
+    xcb_free_pixmap(XRenderUtils::s_connection, pixmap);
 
     uint32_t values[] = {true};
-    xcb_render_change_picture(connection(), fill, XCB_RENDER_CP_REPEAT, values);
+    xcb_render_change_picture(XRenderUtils::s_connection, fill, XCB_RENDER_CP_REPEAT, values);
 
     xcb_rectangle_t rect = {0, 0, 1, 1};
-    xcb_render_fill_rectangles(connection(), XCB_RENDER_PICT_OP_SRC, fill, c, 1, &rect);
+    xcb_render_fill_rectangles(XRenderUtils::s_connection, XCB_RENDER_PICT_OP_SRC, fill, c, 1, &rect);
     return fill;
 }
 
@@ -71,7 +84,7 @@ XRenderPicture xRenderBlendPicture(double opacity)
         s_blendPicture = xRenderFill(s_blendColor);
     } else {
         xcb_rectangle_t rect = {0, 0, 1, 1};
-        xcb_render_fill_rectangles(connection(), XCB_RENDER_PICT_OP_SRC, s_blendPicture, s_blendColor, 1, &rect);
+        xcb_render_fill_rectangles(XRenderUtils::s_connection, XCB_RENDER_PICT_OP_SRC, s_blendPicture, s_blendColor, 1, &rect);
     }
     return s_blendPicture;
 }
@@ -80,9 +93,10 @@ static xcb_render_picture_t createPicture(xcb_pixmap_t pix, int depth)
 {
     if (pix == XCB_PIXMAP_NONE)
         return XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE;
+    xcb_connection_t *c = XRenderUtils::s_connection;
     static QHash<int, xcb_render_pictformat_t> s_renderFormats;
     if (!s_renderFormats.contains(depth)) {
-        xcb_render_query_pict_formats_reply_t *formats = xcb_render_query_pict_formats_reply(connection(), xcb_render_query_pict_formats_unchecked(connection()), nullptr);
+        xcb_render_query_pict_formats_reply_t *formats = xcb_render_query_pict_formats_reply(c, xcb_render_query_pict_formats_unchecked(c), nullptr);
         if (!formats) {
             return XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE;
         }
@@ -101,8 +115,8 @@ static xcb_render_picture_t createPicture(xcb_pixmap_t pix, int depth)
         qWarning() << "Could not find XRender format for depth" << depth;
         return XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE;
     }
-    xcb_render_picture_t pic = xcb_generate_id(connection());
-    xcb_render_create_picture(connection(), pic, pix, it.value(), 0, nullptr);
+    xcb_render_picture_t pic = xcb_generate_id(c);
+    xcb_render_create_picture(c, pic, pix, it.value(), 0, nullptr);
     return pic;
 }
 
@@ -113,18 +127,19 @@ XRenderPicture::XRenderPicture(const QImage &img)
 
 void XRenderPicture::fromImage(const QImage &img)
 {
+    xcb_connection_t *c = XRenderUtils::s_connection;
     const int depth = img.depth();
-    xcb_pixmap_t xpix = xcb_generate_id(connection());
-    xcb_create_pixmap(connection(), depth, xpix, rootWindow(), img.width(), img.height());
+    xcb_pixmap_t xpix = xcb_generate_id(c);
+    xcb_create_pixmap(c, depth, xpix, XRenderUtils::s_rootWindow, img.width(), img.height());
 
-    xcb_gcontext_t cid = xcb_generate_id(connection());
-    xcb_create_gc(connection(), cid, xpix, 0, nullptr);
-    xcb_put_image(connection(), XCB_IMAGE_FORMAT_Z_PIXMAP, xpix, cid, img.width(), img.height(),
+    xcb_gcontext_t cid = xcb_generate_id(c);
+    xcb_create_gc(c, cid, xpix, 0, nullptr);
+    xcb_put_image(c, XCB_IMAGE_FORMAT_Z_PIXMAP, xpix, cid, img.width(), img.height(),
                   0, 0, 0, depth, img.byteCount(), img.constBits());
-    xcb_free_gc(connection(), cid);
+    xcb_free_gc(c, cid);
 
     d = new XRenderPictureData(createPicture(xpix, depth));
-    xcb_free_pixmap(connection(), xpix);
+    xcb_free_pixmap(c, xpix);
 }
 
 XRenderPicture::XRenderPicture(xcb_pixmap_t pix, int depth)
@@ -132,6 +147,36 @@ XRenderPicture::XRenderPicture(xcb_pixmap_t pix, int depth)
 {
 }
 
+XRenderPictureData::~XRenderPictureData()
+{
+    if (picture != XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE)
+        xcb_render_free_picture(XRenderUtils::s_connection, picture);
+}
+
+XFixesRegion::XFixesRegion(const QRegion &region)
+{
+    m_region = xcb_generate_id(XRenderUtils::s_connection);
+    QVector< QRect > rects = region.rects();
+    QVector< xcb_rectangle_t > xrects(rects.count());
+    for (int i = 0;
+            i < rects.count();
+            ++i) {
+        const QRect &rect = rects.at(i);
+        xcb_rectangle_t xrect;
+        xrect.x = rect.x();
+        xrect.y = rect.y();
+        xrect.width = rect.width();
+        xrect.height = rect.height();
+        xrects[i] = xrect;
+    }
+    xcb_xfixes_create_region(XRenderUtils::s_connection, m_region, xrects.count(), xrects.constData());
+}
+
+XFixesRegion::~XFixesRegion()
+{
+    xcb_xfixes_destroy_region(XRenderUtils::s_connection, m_region);
+}
+
 static xcb_render_picture_t s_offscreenTarget = XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE;
 static QStack<XRenderPicture*> s_scene_offscreenTargetStack;
 static int s_renderOffscreen = 0;
diff --git a/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.h b/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.h
index e1334de407..039cc202c7 100644
--- a/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.h
+++ b/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #define KWIN_XRENDERUTILS_H
 
 // KWin
-#include <kwinglobals.h>
 #include <kwineffects_export.h>
 // Qt
 #include <QExplicitlySharedDataPointer>
@@ -93,13 +92,6 @@ XRenderPictureData::XRenderPictureData(xcb_render_picture_t pic)
 {
 }
 
-inline
-XRenderPictureData::~XRenderPictureData()
-{
-    if (picture != XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE)
-        xcb_render_free_picture(connection(), picture);
-}
-
 inline
 xcb_render_picture_t XRenderPictureData::value()
 {
@@ -118,32 +110,6 @@ XRenderPicture::operator xcb_render_picture_t()
     return d->value();
 }
 
-inline
-XFixesRegion::XFixesRegion(const QRegion &region)
-{
-    m_region = xcb_generate_id(connection());
-    QVector< QRect > rects = region.rects();
-    QVector< xcb_rectangle_t > xrects(rects.count());
-    for (int i = 0;
-            i < rects.count();
-            ++i) {
-        const QRect &rect = rects.at(i);
-        xcb_rectangle_t xrect;
-        xrect.x = rect.x();
-        xrect.y = rect.y();
-        xrect.width = rect.width();
-        xrect.height = rect.height();
-        xrects[i] = xrect;
-    }
-    xcb_xfixes_create_region(connection(), m_region, xrects.count(), xrects.constData());
-}
-
-inline
-XFixesRegion::~XFixesRegion()
-{
-    xcb_xfixes_destroy_region(connection(), m_region);
-}
-
 inline
 XFixesRegion::operator xcb_xfixes_region_t()
 {
@@ -197,6 +163,14 @@ KWINEFFECTS_EXPORT void scene_setXRenderOffscreenTarget(xcb_render_picture_t pix
  */
 KWINEFFECTS_EXPORT XRenderPicture *scene_xRenderOffscreenTarget();
 
+namespace XRenderUtils
+{
+/**
+ * @internal
+ **/
+KWINEFFECTS_EXPORT void init(xcb_connection_t *connection, xcb_window_t rootWindow);
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 /** @} */
diff --git a/workspace.cpp b/workspace.cpp
index 3d2c672752..2ebf21d04a 100644
--- a/workspace.cpp
+++ b/workspace.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 // kwin libs
 #include <kdecorationfactory.h>
 #include <kwinglplatform.h>
+#include <kwinxrenderutils.h>
 // kwin
 #ifdef KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES
 #include "activities.h"
@@ -211,6 +212,8 @@ Workspace::Workspace(bool restore)
     TabBox::TabBox::create(this);
 #endif
 
+    // init XRenderUtils
+    XRenderUtils::init(connection(), rootWindow());
     m_compositor = Compositor::create(this);
     connect(this, SIGNAL(currentDesktopChanged(int,KWin::Client*)), m_compositor, SLOT(addRepaintFull()));
     connect(m_compositor, &Compositor::compositingToggled, decorationPlugin(), &DecorationPlugin::compositingToggled);