diff --git a/gdk/gdkinternals.h b/gdk/gdkinternals.h
index 0681bdcd18..822335fcd4 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkinternals.h
+++ b/gdk/gdkinternals.h
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ struct _GdkWindowObject
   GdkRegion *input_shape;
   
   cairo_surface_t *cairo_surface;
+  guint outstanding_surfaces; /* only set on impl window */
 };
 
 #define GDK_WINDOW_TYPE(d) (((GdkWindowObject*)(GDK_WINDOW (d)))->window_type)
diff --git a/gdk/gdkwindow.c b/gdk/gdkwindow.c
index 9e6b14a736..5b39995f9e 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkwindow.c
+++ b/gdk/gdkwindow.c
@@ -2622,6 +2622,9 @@ gdk_window_begin_implicit_paint (GdkWindow *window, GdkRectangle *rect)
       private->implicit_paint != NULL)
     return FALSE; /* Don't stack implicit paints */
 
+  if (private->outstanding_surfaces != 0)
+    return FALSE; /* May conflict with direct drawing to cairo surface */
+
   /* Never do implicit paints for foreign windows, they don't need
    * double buffer combination since they have no client side children,
    * and creating pixmaps for them is risky since they could disappear
@@ -3327,7 +3330,7 @@ move_region_on_impl (GdkWindowObject *impl_window,
       gdk_region_destroy (exposing);
     }
 
-  if (1) /* Enable flicker free handling of moves. */
+  if (impl_window->outstanding_surfaces == 0) /* Enable flicker free handling of moves. */
     append_move_region (impl_window, region, dx, dy);
   else
     do_move_region_bits_on_impl (impl_window,
@@ -4846,6 +4849,7 @@ gdk_window_cairo_surface_destroy (void *data)
   GdkWindowObject *private = (GdkWindowObject*) data;
 
   private->cairo_surface = NULL;
+  private->impl_window->outstanding_surfaces--;
 }
 
 static cairo_surface_t *
@@ -4889,11 +4893,12 @@ gdk_window_ref_cairo_surface (GdkDrawable *drawable)
 
 	  source = _gdk_drawable_get_source_drawable (drawable);
 
-	  /* TODO: Avoid the typecheck crap by adding virtual call */
 	  private->cairo_surface = _gdk_drawable_create_cairo_surface (source, width, height);
 
 	  if (private->cairo_surface)
 	    {
+	      private->impl_window->outstanding_surfaces++;
+
 	      cairo_surface_set_device_offset (private->cairo_surface,
 					       private->abs_x,
 					       private->abs_y);