diff --git a/include/sway/container.h b/include/sway/container.h
index e3f84fc6..b15e0428 100644
--- a/include/sway/container.h
+++ b/include/sway/container.h
@@ -57,9 +57,9 @@ enum swayc_border_types {
 	B_NORMAL, /**< Normal border with title bar */
 };
 
+struct sway_root;
 struct sway_output;
 struct sway_view;
-struct wlr_output_layout;
 
 /**
  * Stores information about a container.
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ struct wlr_output_layout;
 struct sway_container {
 	union {
 		// TODO: Encapsulate state for other node types as well like C_CONTAINER
-		struct wlr_output_layout *output_layout; // C_ROOT
+		struct sway_root *sway_root;             // C_ROOT
 		struct sway_output *sway_output;         // C_OUTPUT
 		struct sway_view *sway_view;             // C_VIEW
 	};
diff --git a/include/sway/layout.h b/include/sway/layout.h
index f3b62b05..bfd96a02 100644
--- a/include/sway/layout.h
+++ b/include/sway/layout.h
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 #ifndef _SWAY_LAYOUT_H
 #define _SWAY_LAYOUT_H
 
+#include <wlr/types/wlr_output_layout.h>
+
 struct sway_container;
 
+struct sway_root {
+	struct wlr_output_layout *output_layout;
+
+	struct wl_listener output_layout_change;
+};
+
 void init_layout(void);
 void add_child(struct sway_container *parent, struct sway_container *child);
 struct sway_container *remove_child(struct sway_container *child);
diff --git a/sway/config/output.c b/sway/config/output.c
index b06c7c0e..ed47a617 100644
--- a/sway/config/output.c
+++ b/sway/config/output.c
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ void apply_output_config(struct output_config *oc, swayc_t *output) {
 
 	struct wlr_output *wlr_output = output->sway_output->wlr_output;
 	if (oc && oc->enabled == 0) {
-		wlr_output_layout_remove(root_container.output_layout, wlr_output);
+		wlr_output_layout_remove(root_container.sway_root->output_layout,
+			wlr_output);
 		destroy_output(output);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -117,19 +118,21 @@ void apply_output_config(struct output_config *oc, swayc_t *output) {
 	if (oc && oc->transform >= 0) {
 		sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Set %s transform to %d", oc->name, oc->transform);
 		wlr_output_transform(wlr_output, oc->transform);
-		wl_signal_emit(&output->sway_output->events.transform, output->sway_output);
+		wl_signal_emit(&output->sway_output->events.transform,
+			output->sway_output);
 	}
 
 	// Find position for it
 	if (oc && (oc->x != -1 || oc->y != -1)) {
 		sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Set %s position to %d, %d", oc->name, oc->x, oc->y);
-		wlr_output_layout_add(root_container.output_layout, wlr_output, oc->x,
-			oc->y);
+		wlr_output_layout_add(root_container.sway_root->output_layout,
+			wlr_output, oc->x, oc->y);
 	} else {
-		wlr_output_layout_add_auto(root_container.output_layout, wlr_output);
+		wlr_output_layout_add_auto(root_container.sway_root->output_layout,
+			wlr_output);
 	}
-	struct wlr_box *output_layout_box =
-		wlr_output_layout_get_box(root_container.output_layout, wlr_output);
+	struct wlr_box *output_layout_box = wlr_output_layout_get_box(
+		root_container.sway_root->output_layout, wlr_output);
 	output->x = output_layout_box->x;
 	output->y = output_layout_box->y;
 	output->width = output_layout_box->width;
diff --git a/sway/desktop/output.c b/sway/desktop/output.c
index f44cda1a..bcdaa7d2 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/output.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/output.c
@@ -72,8 +72,7 @@ static void output_frame_view(swayc_t *view, void *data) {
 }
 
 static void output_frame_notify(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
-	struct sway_output *soutput = wl_container_of(
-			listener, soutput, frame);
+	struct sway_output *soutput = wl_container_of(listener, soutput, frame);
 	struct wlr_output *wlr_output = data;
 	struct sway_server *server = soutput->server;
 
@@ -93,20 +92,17 @@ static void output_frame_notify(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 }
 
 static void output_resolution_notify(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
-	struct sway_output *soutput = wl_container_of(
-			listener, soutput, resolution);
+	struct sway_output *soutput = wl_container_of(listener, soutput, resolution);
 	arrange_windows(soutput->swayc, -1, -1);
 }
 
 static void output_scale_notify(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
-	struct sway_output *soutput = wl_container_of(
-			listener, soutput, scale);
+	struct sway_output *soutput = wl_container_of(listener, soutput, scale);
 	arrange_windows(soutput->swayc, -1, -1);
 }
 
 static void output_transform_notify(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
-	struct sway_output *soutput = wl_container_of(
-			listener, soutput, transform);
+	struct sway_output *soutput = wl_container_of(listener, soutput, transform);
 	arrange_windows(soutput->swayc, -1, -1);
 }
 
diff --git a/sway/desktop/xwayland.c b/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
index 65c7e1ec..e3799d2d 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static void set_position(struct sway_view *view, double ox, double oy) {
 	if (!sway_assert(root, "output must be within tree to set position")) {
 		return;
 	}
-	struct wlr_output_layout *layout = root->output_layout;
+	struct wlr_output_layout *layout = root->sway_root->output_layout;
 	struct wlr_output_layout_output *loutput =
 		wlr_output_layout_get(layout, output->sway_output->wlr_output);
 	if (!sway_assert(loutput, "output must be within layout to set position")) {
@@ -147,14 +147,14 @@ void handle_xwayland_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	// TODO remove from the tree when the surface goes away (unmapped)
 	sway_view->surface = xsurface->surface;
 	sway_surface->view = sway_view;
-	
+
 	// TODO:
 	// - Wire up listeners
 	// - Handle popups
 	// - Look up pid and open on appropriate workspace
 	// - Set new view to maximized so it behaves nicely
 	// - Criteria
-	
+
 	sway_surface->commit.notify = handle_commit;
 	wl_signal_add(&xsurface->surface->events.commit, &sway_surface->commit);
 	sway_surface->destroy.notify = handle_destroy;
diff --git a/sway/tree/container.c b/sway/tree/container.c
index e4c27d61..f70bccdc 100644
--- a/sway/tree/container.c
+++ b/sway/tree/container.c
@@ -26,13 +26,6 @@ void swayc_descendants_of_type(swayc_t *root, enum swayc_types type,
 	}
 }
 
-static void update_root_geometry() {
-	struct wlr_box *box =
-		wlr_output_layout_get_box(root_container.output_layout, NULL);
-	root_container.width = box->width;
-	root_container.height = box->height;
-}
-
 static swayc_t *new_swayc(enum swayc_types type) {
 	// next id starts at 1 because 0 is assigned to root_container in layout.c
 	static size_t next_id = 1;
@@ -94,7 +87,6 @@ swayc_t *new_output(struct sway_output *sway_output) {
 	sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Creating default workspace %s", ws_name);
 	new_workspace(output, ws_name);
 	free(ws_name);
-	update_root_geometry();
 	return output;
 }
 
@@ -195,7 +187,6 @@ swayc_t *destroy_output(swayc_t *output) {
 
 	sway_log(L_DEBUG, "OUTPUT: Destroying output '%s'", output->name);
 	free_swayc(output);
-	update_root_geometry();
 
 	return &root_container;
 }
diff --git a/sway/tree/layout.c b/sway/tree/layout.c
index cb39a361..fd17f8a5 100644
--- a/sway/tree/layout.c
+++ b/sway/tree/layout.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_output.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_output_layout.h>
 #include "sway/container.h"
+#include "sway/layout.h"
 #include "sway/output.h"
 #include "sway/view.h"
 #include "list.h"
@@ -14,13 +15,27 @@
 
 swayc_t root_container;
 
+static void output_layout_change_notify(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
+	struct wlr_box *box = wlr_output_layout_get_box(
+		root_container.sway_root->output_layout, NULL);
+	root_container.width = box->width;
+	root_container.height = box->height;
+}
+
 void init_layout(void) {
 	root_container.id = 0; // normally assigned in new_swayc()
 	root_container.type = C_ROOT;
 	root_container.layout = L_NONE;
 	root_container.name = strdup("root");
 	root_container.children = create_list();
-	root_container.output_layout = wlr_output_layout_create();
+
+	root_container.sway_root = calloc(1, sizeof(*root_container.sway_root));
+	root_container.sway_root->output_layout = wlr_output_layout_create();
+
+	root_container.sway_root->output_layout_change.notify =
+		output_layout_change_notify;
+	wl_signal_add(&root_container.sway_root->output_layout->events.change,
+		&root_container.sway_root->output_layout_change);
 }
 
 void add_child(swayc_t *parent, swayc_t *child) {