diff --git a/autotests/integration/scene_opengl_shadow_test.cpp b/autotests/integration/scene_opengl_shadow_test.cpp
index 7ef0e98482..876562f8dd 100644
--- a/autotests/integration/scene_opengl_shadow_test.cpp
+++ b/autotests/integration/scene_opengl_shadow_test.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
 #include "effects.h"
 #include "platform.h"
 #include "shadow.h"
+#include "shadowitem.h"
 #include "wayland_server.h"
+#include "windowitem.h"
 #include "workspace.h"
 
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(KWin::WindowQuadList);
@@ -638,8 +640,8 @@ void SceneOpenGLShadowTest::testShadowTileOverlaps()
     // Get shadow.
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow());
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow());
-    QVERIFY(client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow());
-    auto *shadow = client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow();
+    auto *shadow = client->windowItem()->shadowItem()->shadow();
+    QVERIFY(shadow);
 
     // Validate shadow quads.
     const WindowQuadList &quads = shadow->shadowQuads();
@@ -730,7 +732,7 @@ void SceneOpenGLShadowTest::testNoCornerShadowTiles()
 
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow());
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow());
-    KWin::Shadow *shadow = client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow();
+    KWin::Shadow *shadow = client->windowItem()->shadowItem()->shadow();
     QVERIFY(shadow != nullptr);
 
     const WindowQuadList &quads = shadow->shadowQuads();
@@ -810,7 +812,7 @@ void SceneOpenGLShadowTest::testDistributeHugeCornerTiles()
 
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow());
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow());
-    KWin::Shadow *shadow = client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow();
+    KWin::Shadow *shadow = client->windowItem()->shadowItem()->shadow();
     QVERIFY(shadow != nullptr);
 
     WindowQuadList expectedQuads;
diff --git a/autotests/integration/scene_qpainter_shadow_test.cpp b/autotests/integration/scene_qpainter_shadow_test.cpp
index 8e0a9d7699..7c6509e800 100644
--- a/autotests/integration/scene_qpainter_shadow_test.cpp
+++ b/autotests/integration/scene_qpainter_shadow_test.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@
 #include "platform.h"
 #include "plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.h"
 #include "shadow.h"
+#include "shadowitem.h"
 #include "wayland_server.h"
+#include "windowitem.h"
 #include "workspace.h"
 
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(KWin::WindowQuadList)
@@ -642,8 +644,8 @@ void SceneQPainterShadowTest::testShadowTileOverlaps()
     // Get shadow.
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow());
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow());
-    QVERIFY(client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow());
-    auto *shadow = client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow();
+    auto *shadow = client->windowItem()->shadowItem()->shadow();
+    QVERIFY(shadow);
 
     // Validate shadow quads.
     const WindowQuadList &quads = shadow->shadowQuads();
@@ -756,8 +758,8 @@ void SceneQPainterShadowTest::testShadowTextureReconstruction()
     // Get SceneQPainterShadow's texture.
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow());
     QVERIFY(client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow());
-    QVERIFY(client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow());
-    auto &shadowTexture = static_cast<SceneQPainterShadow *>(client->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow())->shadowTexture();
+    auto *shadow = client->windowItem()->shadowItem()->shadow();
+    auto &shadowTexture = static_cast<SceneQPainterShadow *>(shadow)->shadowTexture();
 
     QCOMPARE(shadowTexture, referenceShadowTexture);
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp b/src/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp
index 6dd0a43750..e7e023a7ec 100644
--- a/src/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@
 #include "main.h"
 #include "renderloop.h"
 #include "screens.h"
+#include "shadowitem.h"
 #include "surfaceitem.h"
 #include "toplevel.h"
 #include "platform.h"
 #include "wayland_server.h"
+#include "windowitem.h"
 
 #include <kwineffectquickview.h>
 
@@ -287,10 +289,11 @@ void SceneQPainter::Window::renderSurfaceItem(QPainter *painter, SurfaceItem *su
 
 void SceneQPainter::Window::renderShadow(QPainter* painter)
 {
-    if (!toplevel->shadow()) {
+    const ShadowItem *shadowItem = windowItem()->shadowItem();
+    if (!shadowItem) {
         return;
     }
-    SceneQPainterShadow *shadow = static_cast<SceneQPainterShadow *>(toplevel->shadow());
+    SceneQPainterShadow *shadow = static_cast<SceneQPainterShadow *>(shadowItem->shadow());
 
     const QImage &shadowTexture = shadow->shadowTexture();
     const WindowQuadList &shadowQuads = shadow->shadowQuads();
diff --git a/src/scene.cpp b/src/scene.cpp
index 4f64bea720..a349f56d15 100644
--- a/src/scene.cpp
+++ b/src/scene.cpp
@@ -470,7 +470,6 @@ void Scene::addToplevel(Toplevel *c)
 
     c->effectWindow()->setSceneWindow(w);
     c->updateShadow();
-    w->updateShadow(c->shadow());
 }
 
 void Scene::removeToplevel(Toplevel *toplevel)
@@ -490,8 +489,8 @@ void Scene::windowClosed(Toplevel *toplevel, Deleted *deleted)
     Q_ASSERT(m_windows.contains(toplevel));
     Window *window = m_windows.take(toplevel);
     window->updateToplevel(deleted);
-    if (window->shadow()) {
-        window->shadow()->setToplevel(deleted);
+    if (window->shadowItem()) {
+        window->shadowItem()->shadow()->setToplevel(deleted);
     }
     m_windows[deleted] = window;
 }
@@ -1056,27 +1055,6 @@ void Scene::Window::discardQuads()
     cached_quad_list.reset();
 }
 
-const Shadow *Scene::Window::shadow() const
-{
-    if (shadowItem()) {
-        return shadowItem()->shadow();
-    }
-    return nullptr;
-}
-
-Shadow *Scene::Window::shadow()
-{
-    if (shadowItem()) {
-        return shadowItem()->shadow();
-    }
-    return nullptr;
-}
-
-void Scene::Window::updateShadow(Shadow* shadow)
-{
-    m_windowItem->setShadow(shadow);
-}
-
 void Scene::Window::preprocess(Item *item)
 {
     item->preprocess();
diff --git a/src/scene.h b/src/scene.h
index 2a7dc42832..7e1d51c4b5 100644
--- a/src/scene.h
+++ b/src/scene.h
@@ -350,9 +350,6 @@ public:
     void updateToplevel(Deleted *deleted);
     // creates initial quad list for the window
     virtual WindowQuadList buildQuads(bool force = false) const;
-    void updateShadow(Shadow* shadow);
-    const Shadow* shadow() const;
-    Shadow* shadow();
     void referencePreviousPixmap();
     void unreferencePreviousPixmap();
     void discardQuads();
diff --git a/src/shadow.cpp b/src/shadow.cpp
index 85d5167994..671bae7326 100644
--- a/src/shadow.cpp
+++ b/src/shadow.cpp
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 #include "atoms.h"
 #include "abstract_client.h"
 #include "composite.h"
-#include "effects.h"
 #include "internal_client.h"
+#include "scene.h"
 #include "toplevel.h"
 #include "wayland_server.h"
 
@@ -45,9 +45,6 @@ Shadow::~Shadow()
 
 Shadow *Shadow::createShadow(Toplevel *toplevel)
 {
-    if (!effects) {
-        return nullptr;
-    }
     Shadow *shadow = createShadowFromDecoration(toplevel);
     if (!shadow && waylandServer()) {
         shadow = createShadowFromWayland(toplevel);
@@ -58,13 +55,6 @@ Shadow *Shadow::createShadow(Toplevel *toplevel)
     if (!shadow) {
         shadow = createShadowFromInternalWindow(toplevel);
     }
-    if (!shadow) {
-        return nullptr;
-    }
-    if (toplevel->effectWindow() && toplevel->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()) {
-        toplevel->effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->updateShadow(shadow);
-        emit toplevel->shadowChanged();
-    }
     return shadow;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/toplevel.cpp b/src/toplevel.cpp
index 952363c0e1..f822e05820 100644
--- a/src/toplevel.cpp
+++ b/src/toplevel.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "effects.h"
 #include "screens.h"
 #include "shadow.h"
+#include "shadowitem.h"
 #include "windowitem.h"
 #include "workspace.h"
 
@@ -427,31 +428,21 @@ bool Toplevel::isOnOutput(AbstractOutput *output) const
 
 void Toplevel::updateShadow()
 {
-    if (shadow()) {
-        if (!effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow()->updateShadow()) {
-            effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->updateShadow(nullptr);
+    WindowItem *windowItem = this->windowItem();
+    if (!windowItem) {
+        return;
+    }
+    if (auto shadowItem = windowItem->shadowItem()) {
+        if (!shadowItem->shadow()->updateShadow()) {
+            windowItem->setShadow(nullptr);
         }
         emit shadowChanged();
     } else {
-        Shadow::createShadow(this);
-    }
-}
-
-Shadow *Toplevel::shadow()
-{
-    if (effectWindow() && effectWindow()->sceneWindow()) {
-        return effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow();
-    } else {
-        return nullptr;
-    }
-}
-
-const Shadow *Toplevel::shadow() const
-{
-    if (effectWindow() && effectWindow()->sceneWindow()) {
-        return effectWindow()->sceneWindow()->shadow();
-    } else {
-        return nullptr;
+        Shadow *shadow = Shadow::createShadow(this);
+        if (shadow) {
+            windowItem->setShadow(shadow);
+            emit shadowChanged();
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/toplevel.h b/src/toplevel.h
index e6e41aee08..02ce5b7518 100644
--- a/src/toplevel.h
+++ b/src/toplevel.h
@@ -463,14 +463,6 @@ public:
      */
     void elevate(bool elevate);
 
-    /**
-     * Returns the pointer to the Toplevel's Shadow. A Shadow
-     * is only available if Compositing is enabled and the corresponding X window
-     * has the Shadow property set.
-     * @returns The Shadow belonging to this Toplevel, @c null if there's no Shadow.
-     */
-    const Shadow *shadow() const;
-    Shadow *shadow();
     /**
      * Updates the Shadow associated with this Toplevel from X11 Property.
      * Call this method when the Property changes or Compositing is started.