diff --git a/include/sway/output.h b/include/sway/output.h
index ea5d8f47e..e20233061 100644
--- a/include/sway/output.h
+++ b/include/sway/output.h
@@ -141,12 +141,6 @@ void output_view_for_each_popup_surface(struct sway_output *output,
 		struct sway_view *view, sway_surface_iterator_func_t iterator,
 		void *user_data);
 
-#if HAVE_XWAYLAND
-void output_unmanaged_for_each_surface(struct sway_output *output,
-	struct wl_list *unmanaged, sway_surface_iterator_func_t iterator,
-	void *user_data);
-#endif
-
 void output_for_each_workspace(struct sway_output *output,
 		void (*f)(struct sway_workspace *ws, void *data), void *data);
 
diff --git a/include/sway/scene_descriptor.h b/include/sway/scene_descriptor.h
index 43991f771..2649d7c29 100644
--- a/include/sway/scene_descriptor.h
+++ b/include/sway/scene_descriptor.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ enum sway_scene_descriptor_type {
 	SWAY_SCENE_DESC_CONTAINER,
 	SWAY_SCENE_DESC_VIEW,
 	SWAY_SCENE_DESC_LAYER_SHELL,
+	SWAY_SCENE_DESC_XWAYLAND_UNMANAGED,
 	SWAY_SCENE_DESC_POPUP,
 	SWAY_SCENE_DESC_DRAG_ICON,
 };
diff --git a/include/sway/tree/root.h b/include/sway/tree/root.h
index 2f717baea..15df0f551 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/root.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/root.h
@@ -47,16 +47,15 @@ struct sway_root {
 		struct wlr_scene_tree *shell_top;
 		struct wlr_scene_tree *fullscreen;
 		struct wlr_scene_tree *fullscreen_global;
+#if HAVE_XWAYLAND
+		struct wlr_scene_tree *unmanaged;
+#endif
 		struct wlr_scene_tree *shell_overlay;
 		struct wlr_scene_tree *popup;
 		struct wlr_scene_tree *seat;
 		struct wlr_scene_tree *session_lock;
 	} layers;
 
-#if HAVE_XWAYLAND
-	struct wl_list xwayland_unmanaged; // sway_xwayland_unmanaged::link
-#endif
-
 	// Includes disabled outputs
 	struct wl_list all_outputs; // sway_output::link
 
diff --git a/include/sway/tree/view.h b/include/sway/tree/view.h
index 467d912f9..8493958e4 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/view.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/view.h
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ struct sway_xdg_shell_view {
 struct sway_xwayland_view {
 	struct sway_view view;
 
+	struct wlr_scene_tree *surface_tree;
+
 	struct wl_listener commit;
 	struct wl_listener request_move;
 	struct wl_listener request_resize;
@@ -168,18 +170,18 @@ struct sway_xwayland_view {
 	struct wl_listener unmap;
 	struct wl_listener destroy;
 	struct wl_listener override_redirect;
+
+	struct wl_listener surface_tree_destroy;
 };
 
 struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged {
 	struct wlr_xwayland_surface *wlr_xwayland_surface;
-	struct wl_list link;
 
-	int lx, ly;
+	struct wlr_scene_surface *surface_scene;
 
 	struct wl_listener request_activate;
 	struct wl_listener request_configure;
 	struct wl_listener request_fullscreen;
-	struct wl_listener commit;
 	struct wl_listener set_geometry;
 	struct wl_listener associate;
 	struct wl_listener dissociate;
diff --git a/sway/desktop/output.c b/sway/desktop/output.c
index a51844847..36c8f52ce 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/output.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/output.c
@@ -182,23 +182,6 @@ void output_view_for_each_popup_surface(struct sway_output *output,
 	view_for_each_popup_surface(view, output_for_each_surface_iterator, &data);
 }
 
-#if HAVE_XWAYLAND
-void output_unmanaged_for_each_surface(struct sway_output *output,
-		struct wl_list *unmanaged, sway_surface_iterator_func_t iterator,
-		void *user_data) {
-	struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged *unmanaged_surface;
-	wl_list_for_each(unmanaged_surface, unmanaged, link) {
-		struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface =
-			unmanaged_surface->wlr_xwayland_surface;
-		double ox = unmanaged_surface->lx - output->lx;
-		double oy = unmanaged_surface->ly - output->ly;
-
-		output_surface_for_each_surface(output, xsurface->surface, ox, oy,
-			iterator, user_data);
-	}
-}
-#endif
-
 static int scale_length(int length, int offset, float scale) {
 	return roundf((offset + length) * scale) - roundf(offset * scale);
 }
diff --git a/sway/desktop/xwayland.c b/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
index 8f79b5e79..183bdba2c 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
@@ -6,15 +6,16 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_output_layout.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_output.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_xdg_activation_v1.h>
+#include <wlr/types/wlr_scene.h>
 #include <wlr/xwayland.h>
 #include <xcb/xcb_icccm.h>
 #include "log.h"
-#include "sway/desktop.h"
 #include "sway/desktop/transaction.h"
 #include "sway/input/cursor.h"
 #include "sway/input/input-manager.h"
 #include "sway/input/seat.h"
 #include "sway/output.h"
+#include "sway/scene_descriptor.h"
 #include "sway/tree/arrange.h"
 #include "sway/tree/container.h"
 #include "sway/server.h"
@@ -45,29 +46,12 @@ static void unmanaged_handle_request_configure(struct wl_listener *listener,
 		ev->width, ev->height);
 }
 
-static void unmanaged_handle_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
-	struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged *surface =
-		wl_container_of(listener, surface, commit);
-	struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface = surface->wlr_xwayland_surface;
-
-	desktop_damage_surface(xsurface->surface, surface->lx, surface->ly,
-		false);
-}
-
 static void unmanaged_handle_set_geometry(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged *surface =
 		wl_container_of(listener, surface, set_geometry);
 	struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface = surface->wlr_xwayland_surface;
 
-	if (xsurface->x != surface->lx || xsurface->y != surface->ly) {
-		// Surface has moved
-		desktop_damage_surface(xsurface->surface, surface->lx, surface->ly,
-			true);
-		surface->lx = xsurface->x;
-		surface->ly = xsurface->y;
-		desktop_damage_surface(xsurface->surface, surface->lx, surface->ly,
-			true);
-	}
+	wlr_scene_node_set_position(&surface->surface_scene->buffer->node, xsurface->x, xsurface->y);
 }
 
 static void unmanaged_handle_map(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
@@ -75,17 +59,18 @@ static void unmanaged_handle_map(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 		wl_container_of(listener, surface, map);
 	struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface = surface->wlr_xwayland_surface;
 
-	wl_list_insert(root->xwayland_unmanaged.prev, &surface->link);
+	surface->surface_scene = wlr_scene_surface_create(root->layers.unmanaged,
+		xsurface->surface);
 
-	wl_signal_add(&xsurface->events.set_geometry, &surface->set_geometry);
-	surface->set_geometry.notify = unmanaged_handle_set_geometry;
+	if (surface->surface_scene) {
+		scene_descriptor_assign(&surface->surface_scene->buffer->node,
+			SWAY_SCENE_DESC_XWAYLAND_UNMANAGED, surface);
+		wlr_scene_node_set_position(&surface->surface_scene->buffer->node,
+			xsurface->x, xsurface->y);
 
-	wl_signal_add(&xsurface->surface->events.commit, &surface->commit);
-	surface->commit.notify = unmanaged_handle_commit;
-
-	surface->lx = xsurface->x;
-	surface->ly = xsurface->y;
-	desktop_damage_surface(xsurface->surface, surface->lx, surface->ly, true);
+		wl_signal_add(&xsurface->events.set_geometry, &surface->set_geometry);
+		surface->set_geometry.notify = unmanaged_handle_set_geometry;
+	}
 
 	if (wlr_xwayland_or_surface_wants_focus(xsurface)) {
 		struct sway_seat *seat = input_manager_current_seat();
@@ -99,10 +84,13 @@ static void unmanaged_handle_unmap(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged *surface =
 		wl_container_of(listener, surface, unmap);
 	struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface = surface->wlr_xwayland_surface;
-	desktop_damage_surface(xsurface->surface, xsurface->x, xsurface->y, true);
-	wl_list_remove(&surface->link);
-	wl_list_remove(&surface->set_geometry.link);
-	wl_list_remove(&surface->commit.link);
+
+	if (surface->surface_scene) {
+		wl_list_remove(&surface->set_geometry.link);
+
+		wlr_scene_node_destroy(&surface->surface_scene->buffer->node);
+		surface->surface_scene = NULL;
+	}
 
 	struct sway_seat *seat = input_manager_current_seat();
 	if (seat->wlr_seat->keyboard_state.focused_surface == xsurface->surface) {
@@ -455,7 +443,6 @@ static void handle_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 		// The client changed its surface size in this commit. For floating
 		// containers, we resize the container to match. For tiling containers,
 		// we only recenter the surface.
-		desktop_damage_view(view);
 		memcpy(&view->geometry, &new_geo, sizeof(struct wlr_box));
 		if (container_is_floating(view->container)) {
 			view_update_size(view);
@@ -463,15 +450,12 @@ static void handle_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 		} else {
 			view_center_surface(view);
 		}
-		desktop_damage_view(view);
 	}
 
 	if (view->container->node.instruction) {
 		transaction_notify_view_ready_by_geometry(view,
 				xsurface->x, xsurface->y, state->width, state->height);
 	}
-
-	view_damage_from(view);
 }
 
 static void handle_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
@@ -515,9 +499,21 @@ static void handle_unmap(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	view_unmap(view);
-
 	wl_list_remove(&xwayland_view->commit.link);
+	wl_list_remove(&xwayland_view->surface_tree_destroy.link);
+
+	if (xwayland_view->surface_tree) {
+		wlr_scene_node_destroy(&xwayland_view->surface_tree->node);
+		xwayland_view->surface_tree = NULL;
+	}
+
+	view_unmap(view);
+}
+
+static void handle_surface_tree_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
+	struct sway_xwayland_view *xwayland_view = wl_container_of(listener, xwayland_view,
+		surface_tree_destroy);
+	xwayland_view->surface_tree = NULL;
 }
 
 static void handle_map(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
@@ -537,6 +533,15 @@ static void handle_map(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	// Put it back into the tree
 	view_map(view, xsurface->surface, xsurface->fullscreen, NULL, false);
 
+	xwayland_view->surface_tree = wlr_scene_subsurface_tree_create(
+		xwayland_view->view.content_tree, xsurface->surface);
+
+	if (xwayland_view->surface_tree) {
+		xwayland_view->surface_tree_destroy.notify = handle_surface_tree_destroy;
+		wl_signal_add(&xwayland_view->surface_tree->node.events.destroy,
+			&xwayland_view->surface_tree_destroy);
+	}
+
 	transaction_commit_dirty();
 }
 
diff --git a/sway/input/cursor.c b/sway/input/cursor.c
index fd8f50d45..404c1eed5 100644
--- a/sway/input/cursor.c
+++ b/sway/input/cursor.c
@@ -107,6 +107,12 @@ struct sway_node *node_at_coords(
 				return NULL;
 			}
 
+#if HAVE_XWAYLAND
+			if (scene_descriptor_try_get(current, SWAY_SCENE_DESC_XWAYLAND_UNMANAGED)) {
+				return NULL;
+			}
+#endif
+
 			if (!current->parent) {
 				break;
 			}
diff --git a/sway/tree/root.c b/sway/tree/root.c
index 7c8f9ea69..e9cea5e22 100644
--- a/sway/tree/root.c
+++ b/sway/tree/root.c
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ struct sway_root *root_create(struct wl_display *wl_display) {
 	root->layers.shell_top = alloc_scene_tree(root->layer_tree, &failed);
 	root->layers.fullscreen = alloc_scene_tree(root->layer_tree, &failed);
 	root->layers.fullscreen_global = alloc_scene_tree(root->layer_tree, &failed);
+#if HAVE_XWAYLAND
+	root->layers.unmanaged = alloc_scene_tree(root->layer_tree, &failed);
+#endif
 	root->layers.shell_overlay = alloc_scene_tree(root->layer_tree, &failed);
 	root->layers.popup = alloc_scene_tree(root->layer_tree, &failed);
 	root->layers.seat = alloc_scene_tree(root->layer_tree, &failed);
@@ -74,9 +77,6 @@ struct sway_root *root_create(struct wl_display *wl_display) {
 
 	root->output_layout = wlr_output_layout_create(wl_display);
 	wl_list_init(&root->all_outputs);
-#if HAVE_XWAYLAND
-	wl_list_init(&root->xwayland_unmanaged);
-#endif
 	wl_signal_init(&root->events.new_node);
 	root->outputs = create_list();
 	root->non_desktop_outputs = create_list();