diff --git a/scene.cpp b/scene.cpp
index 92d49f82e8..2ffc71d406 100644
--- a/scene.cpp
+++ b/scene.cpp
@@ -256,10 +256,6 @@ Scene::Window::~Window()
     {
     }
 
-void Scene::Window::free()
-    {
-    }
-
 void Scene::Window::discardShape()
     {
     // it is created on-demand and cached, simply
diff --git a/scene.h b/scene.h
index c165e8f957..030d1269da 100644
--- a/scene.h
+++ b/scene.h
@@ -119,8 +119,6 @@ class Scene::Window
     public:
         Window( Toplevel* c );
         virtual ~Window();
-        // this class is often copied by value, use manually instead of dtor
-        virtual void free();
         // perform the actual painting of the window
         virtual void performPaint( int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData data ) = 0;
         virtual void prepareForPainting()  {}
@@ -160,7 +158,6 @@ class Scene::Window
         QRegion shape() const;
         void discardShape();
         void updateToplevel( Toplevel* c );
-        Window() {} // QMap sucks even in Qt4
     protected:
         Toplevel* toplevel;
         ImageFilterType filter;
@@ -168,6 +165,7 @@ class Scene::Window
         int disable_painting;
         mutable QRegion shape_region;
         mutable bool shape_valid;
+        Q_DISABLE_COPY(Window);
     };
 
 extern Scene* scene;
diff --git a/scene_opengl.cpp b/scene_opengl.cpp
index 2016a53ce5..106c9cea31 100644
--- a/scene_opengl.cpp
+++ b/scene_opengl.cpp
@@ -163,10 +163,8 @@ SceneOpenGL::SceneOpenGL( Workspace* ws )
 
 SceneOpenGL::~SceneOpenGL()
     {
-    for( QHash< Toplevel*, Window >::Iterator it = windows.begin();
-         it != windows.end();
-         ++it )
-        (*it).free();
+    foreach( Window* w, windows )
+        delete w;
     // do cleanup after initBuffer()
     if( wspace->overlayWindow())
         {
@@ -535,7 +533,7 @@ void SceneOpenGL::paint( QRegion damage, ToplevelList toplevels )
     foreach( Toplevel* c, toplevels )
         {
         assert( windows.contains( c ));
-        stacking_order.append( &windows[ c ] );
+        stacking_order.append( windows[ c ] );
         }
     grabXServer();
     glXWaitX();
@@ -667,7 +665,7 @@ void SceneOpenGL::paintBackground( QRegion region )
 void SceneOpenGL::windowAdded( Toplevel* c )
     {
     assert( !windows.contains( c ));
-    windows[ c ] = Window( c );
+    windows[ c ] = new Window( c );
     }
 
 void SceneOpenGL::windowClosed( Toplevel* c, Deleted* deleted )
@@ -675,33 +673,30 @@ void SceneOpenGL::windowClosed( Toplevel* c, Deleted* deleted )
     assert( windows.contains( c ));
     if( deleted != NULL )
         { // replace c with deleted
-        Window& w = windows[ c ];
-        w.updateToplevel( deleted );
+        Window* w = windows.take( c );
+        w->updateToplevel( deleted );
         windows[ deleted ] = w;
-        windows.remove( c );
         }
     else
         {
-        windows[ c ].free();
-        windows.remove( c );
+        delete windows.take( c );
         }
     }
 
 void SceneOpenGL::windowDeleted( Deleted* c )
     {
     assert( windows.contains( c ));
-    windows[ c ].free();
-    windows.remove( c );
+    delete windows.take( c );
     }
 
 void SceneOpenGL::windowGeometryShapeChanged( Toplevel* c )
     {
     if( !windows.contains( c )) // this is ok, shape is not valid
         return;                 // by default
-    Window& w = windows[ c ];
-    w.discardShape();
-    w.discardTexture();
-    w.discardVertices();
+    Window* w = windows[ c ];
+    w->discardShape();
+    w->discardTexture();
+    w->discardVertices();
     }
 
 void SceneOpenGL::windowOpacityChanged( Toplevel* )
@@ -711,8 +706,8 @@ void SceneOpenGL::windowOpacityChanged( Toplevel* )
       // creating it
     if( !windows.contains( c )) // this is ok, texture is created
         return;                 // on demand
-    Window& w = windows[ c ];
-    w.discardTexture();
+    Window* w = windows[ c ];
+    w->discardTexture();
 #endif
     }
 
@@ -737,7 +732,7 @@ SceneOpenGL::Window::Window( Toplevel* c )
     {
     }
 
-void SceneOpenGL::Window::free()
+SceneOpenGL::Window::~Window()
     {
     discardTexture();
     discardVertices();
diff --git a/scene_opengl.h b/scene_opengl.h
index fe673bdef7..b2d173e0d2 100644
--- a/scene_opengl.h
+++ b/scene_opengl.h
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class SceneOpenGL
         static bool supports_npot_textures;
         static bool supports_fbo;
         static bool supports_saturation;
-        QHash< Toplevel*, Window > windows;
+        QHash< Toplevel*, Window* > windows;
 #ifdef HAVE_XSHM
         static XShmSegmentInfo shm;
 #endif
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class SceneOpenGL::Window
     {
     public:
         Window( Toplevel* c );
-        virtual void free();
+        virtual ~Window();
         virtual void performPaint( int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData data );
         virtual void prepareForPainting();
         void findTextureTarget();
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ class SceneOpenGL::Window
         void disableTexture();
         void discardTexture();
         void discardVertices();
-        Window() {} // QMap sucks even in Qt4
 
         /**
          * @short Vertex class
diff --git a/scene_xrender.cpp b/scene_xrender.cpp
index 444f63b79f..39db4e2be7 100644
--- a/scene_xrender.cpp
+++ b/scene_xrender.cpp
@@ -97,10 +97,8 @@ SceneXrender::~SceneXrender()
     XRenderFreePicture( display(), front );
     XRenderFreePicture( display(), buffer );
     wspace->destroyOverlay();
-    for( QHash< Toplevel*, Window >::Iterator it = windows.begin();
-         it != windows.end();
-         ++it )
-        (*it).free();
+    foreach( Window* w, windows )
+        delete w;
     }
 
 // the entry point for painting
@@ -109,7 +107,7 @@ void SceneXrender::paint( QRegion damage, ToplevelList toplevels )
     foreach( Toplevel* c, toplevels )
         {
         assert( windows.contains( c ));
-        stacking_order.append( &windows[ c ] );
+        stacking_order.append( windows[ c ] );
         }
     int mask = 0;
     paintScreen( &mask, &damage );
@@ -218,18 +216,18 @@ void SceneXrender::windowGeometryShapeChanged( Toplevel* c )
     {
     if( !windows.contains( c )) // this is ok, shape is not valid by default
         return;
-    Window& w = windows[ c ];
-    w.discardPicture();
-    w.discardShape();
-    w.discardAlpha();
+    Window* w = windows[ c ];
+    w->discardPicture();
+    w->discardShape();
+    w->discardAlpha();
     }
     
 void SceneXrender::windowOpacityChanged( Toplevel* c )
     {
     if( !windows.contains( c )) // this is ok, alpha is created on demand
         return;
-    Window& w = windows[ c ];
-    w.discardAlpha();
+    Window* w = windows[ c ];
+    w->discardAlpha();
     }
 
 void SceneXrender::windowClosed( Toplevel* c, Deleted* deleted )
@@ -237,29 +235,26 @@ void SceneXrender::windowClosed( Toplevel* c, Deleted* deleted )
     assert( windows.contains( c ));
     if( deleted != NULL )
         { // replace c with deleted
-        Window& w = windows[ c ];
-        w.updateToplevel( deleted );
+        Window* w = windows.take( c );
+        w->updateToplevel( deleted );
         windows[ deleted ] = w;
-        windows.remove( c );
         }
     else
         {
-        windows[ c ].free();
-        windows.remove( c );
+        delete windows.take( c );
         }
     }
 
 void SceneXrender::windowDeleted( Deleted* c )
     {
     assert( windows.contains( c ));
-    windows[ c ].free();
-    windows.remove( c );
+    delete windows.take( c );
     }
 
 void SceneXrender::windowAdded( Toplevel* c )
     {
     assert( !windows.contains( c ));
-    windows[ c ] = Window( c );
+    windows[ c ] = new Window( c );
     }
 
 // Create the compositing buffer. The root window is not double-buffered,
@@ -306,7 +301,7 @@ SceneXrender::Window::Window( Toplevel* c )
     {
     }
 
-void SceneXrender::Window::free()
+SceneXrender::Window::~Window()
     {
     discardPicture();
     discardAlpha();
diff --git a/scene_xrender.h b/scene_xrender.h
index 2fbb6557da..677dcedc6b 100644
--- a/scene_xrender.h
+++ b/scene_xrender.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class SceneXrender
         static Picture buffer;
         static ScreenPaintData screen_paint;
         class Window;
-        QHash< Toplevel*, Window > windows;
+        QHash< Toplevel*, Window* > windows;
     };
 
 class SceneXrender::Window
@@ -56,13 +56,12 @@ class SceneXrender::Window
     {
     public:
         Window( Toplevel* c );
-        virtual void free();
+        virtual ~Window();
         virtual void performPaint( int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData data );
         void discardPicture();
         void discardAlpha();
         QRegion transformedShape() const;
         void setTransformedShape( const QRegion& shape );
-        Window() {} // QMap sucks even in Qt4
     private:
         Picture picture();
         Picture alphaMask( double opacity );