diff --git a/src/scene/workspacescene_opengl.cpp b/src/scene/workspacescene_opengl.cpp
index 2c00f45e97..ed45b6939b 100644
--- a/src/scene/workspacescene_opengl.cpp
+++ b/src/scene/workspacescene_opengl.cpp
@@ -190,14 +190,14 @@ bool SceneOpenGLShadow::prepareBackend()
 
         return true;
     }
-    const QSize top(shadowPixmap(ShadowElementTop).size());
-    const QSize topRight(shadowPixmap(ShadowElementTopRight).size());
-    const QSize right(shadowPixmap(ShadowElementRight).size());
-    const QSize bottom(shadowPixmap(ShadowElementBottom).size());
-    const QSize bottomLeft(shadowPixmap(ShadowElementBottomLeft).size());
-    const QSize left(shadowPixmap(ShadowElementLeft).size());
-    const QSize topLeft(shadowPixmap(ShadowElementTopLeft).size());
-    const QSize bottomRight(shadowPixmap(ShadowElementBottomRight).size());
+    const QSize top(shadowElement(ShadowElementTop).size());
+    const QSize topRight(shadowElement(ShadowElementTopRight).size());
+    const QSize right(shadowElement(ShadowElementRight).size());
+    const QSize bottom(shadowElement(ShadowElementBottom).size());
+    const QSize bottomLeft(shadowElement(ShadowElementBottomLeft).size());
+    const QSize left(shadowElement(ShadowElementLeft).size());
+    const QSize topLeft(shadowElement(ShadowElementTopLeft).size());
+    const QSize bottomRight(shadowElement(ShadowElementBottomRight).size());
 
     const int width = std::max({topLeft.width(), left.width(), bottomLeft.width()}) + std::max(top.width(), bottom.width()) + std::max({topRight.width(), right.width(), bottomRight.width()});
     const int height = std::max({topLeft.height(), top.height(), topRight.height()}) + std::max(left.height(), right.height()) + std::max({bottomLeft.height(), bottom.height(), bottomRight.height()});
@@ -215,16 +215,16 @@ bool SceneOpenGLShadow::prepareBackend()
     QPainter p;
     p.begin(&image);
 
-    p.drawPixmap(0, 0, topLeft.width(), topLeft.height(), shadowPixmap(ShadowElementTopLeft));
-    p.drawPixmap(innerRectLeft, 0, top.width(), top.height(), shadowPixmap(ShadowElementTop));
-    p.drawPixmap(width - topRight.width(), 0, topRight.width(), topRight.height(), shadowPixmap(ShadowElementTopRight));
+    p.drawImage(QRectF(0, 0, topLeft.width(), topLeft.height()), shadowElement(ShadowElementTopLeft));
+    p.drawImage(QRectF(innerRectLeft, 0, top.width(), top.height()), shadowElement(ShadowElementTop));
+    p.drawImage(QRectF(width - topRight.width(), 0, topRight.width(), topRight.height()), shadowElement(ShadowElementTopRight));
 
-    p.drawPixmap(0, innerRectTop, left.width(), left.height(), shadowPixmap(ShadowElementLeft));
-    p.drawPixmap(width - right.width(), innerRectTop, right.width(), right.height(), shadowPixmap(ShadowElementRight));
+    p.drawImage(QRectF(0, innerRectTop, left.width(), left.height()), shadowElement(ShadowElementLeft));
+    p.drawImage(QRectF(width - right.width(), innerRectTop, right.width(), right.height()), shadowElement(ShadowElementRight));
 
-    p.drawPixmap(0, height - bottomLeft.height(), bottomLeft.width(), bottomLeft.height(), shadowPixmap(ShadowElementBottomLeft));
-    p.drawPixmap(innerRectLeft, height - bottom.height(), bottom.width(), bottom.height(), shadowPixmap(ShadowElementBottom));
-    p.drawPixmap(width - bottomRight.width(), height - bottomRight.height(), bottomRight.width(), bottomRight.height(), shadowPixmap(ShadowElementBottomRight));
+    p.drawImage(QRectF(0, height - bottomLeft.height(), bottomLeft.width(), bottomLeft.height()), shadowElement(ShadowElementBottomLeft));
+    p.drawImage(QRectF(innerRectLeft, height - bottom.height(), bottom.width(), bottom.height()), shadowElement(ShadowElementBottom));
+    p.drawImage(QRectF(width - bottomRight.width(), height - bottomRight.height(), bottomRight.width(), bottomRight.height()), shadowElement(ShadowElementBottomRight));
 
     p.end();
 
diff --git a/src/shadow.cpp b/src/shadow.cpp
index accc3f7f43..1811c4c9fa 100644
--- a/src/shadow.cpp
+++ b/src/shadow.cpp
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ bool Shadow::init(const QVector<uint32_t> &data)
         }
         auto &geo = pixmapGeometries[i];
         QImage image(xcb_get_image_data(reply), geo->width, geo->height, QImage::Format_ARGB32);
-        m_shadowElements[i] = QPixmap::fromImage(image);
+        m_shadowElements[i] = image.copy();
         free(reply);
     }
     m_offset = QMargins(data[ShadowElementsCount + 3],
@@ -203,13 +203,13 @@ bool Shadow::init(KDecoration2::Decoration *decoration)
     return true;
 }
 
-static QPixmap shadowTileForBuffer(KWaylandServer::ClientBuffer *buffer)
+static QImage shadowTileForBuffer(KWaylandServer::ClientBuffer *buffer)
 {
     auto shmBuffer = qobject_cast<KWaylandServer::ShmClientBuffer *>(buffer);
     if (shmBuffer) {
-        return QPixmap::fromImage(shmBuffer->data().copy());
+        return shmBuffer->data().copy();
     }
-    return QPixmap();
+    return QImage();
 }
 
 bool Shadow::init(const QPointer<KWaylandServer::ShadowInterface> &shadow)
@@ -252,14 +252,14 @@ bool Shadow::init(const QWindow *window)
     const QImage bottomTile = window->property("kwin_shadow_bottom_tile").value<QImage>();
     const QImage bottomLeftTile = window->property("kwin_shadow_bottom_left_tile").value<QImage>();
 
-    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementLeft] = QPixmap::fromImage(leftTile);
-    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementTopLeft] = QPixmap::fromImage(topLeftTile);
-    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementTop] = QPixmap::fromImage(topTile);
-    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementTopRight] = QPixmap::fromImage(topRightTile);
-    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementRight] = QPixmap::fromImage(rightTile);
-    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementBottomRight] = QPixmap::fromImage(bottomRightTile);
-    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementBottom] = QPixmap::fromImage(bottomTile);
-    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementBottomLeft] = QPixmap::fromImage(bottomLeftTile);
+    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementLeft] = leftTile;
+    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementTopLeft] = topLeftTile;
+    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementTop] = topTile;
+    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementTopRight] = topRightTile;
+    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementRight] = rightTile;
+    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementBottomRight] = bottomRightTile;
+    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementBottom] = bottomTile;
+    m_shadowElements[ShadowElementBottomLeft] = bottomLeftTile;
 
     m_offset = window->property("kwin_shadow_padding").value<QMargins>();
     Q_EMIT offsetChanged();
@@ -369,9 +369,4 @@ QSize Shadow::elementSize(Shadow::ShadowElements element) const
     }
 }
 
-void Shadow::setShadowElement(const QPixmap &shadow, Shadow::ShadowElements element)
-{
-    m_shadowElements[element] = shadow;
-}
-
 } // namespace
diff --git a/src/shadow.h b/src/shadow.h
index f7ca69225c..2e8ce87d70 100644
--- a/src/shadow.h
+++ b/src/shadow.h
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <QObject>
-#include <QPixmap>
 #include <kwineffects.h>
 
 namespace KDecoration2
@@ -125,13 +124,12 @@ public Q_SLOTS:
 protected:
     Shadow(Window *window);
 
-    inline const QPixmap &shadowPixmap(ShadowElements element) const
+    inline const QImage &shadowElement(ShadowElements element) const
     {
         return m_shadowElements[element];
     };
 
     virtual bool prepareBackend() = 0;
-    void setShadowElement(const QPixmap &shadow, ShadowElements element);
 
 private:
     static std::unique_ptr<Shadow> createShadowFromX11(Window *window);
@@ -144,8 +142,8 @@ private:
     bool init(const QPointer<KWaylandServer::ShadowInterface> &shadow);
     bool init(const QWindow *window);
     Window *m_window;
-    // shadow pixmaps
-    QPixmap m_shadowElements[ShadowElementsCount];
+    // shadow elements
+    QImage m_shadowElements[ShadowElementsCount];
     // shadow offsets
     QMargins m_offset;
     // caches