diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface-private.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface-private.h
index fb5f88eed..b1c5ac00f 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface-private.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface-private.h
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ struct _MetaWaylandSurface
     GNode *subsurface_leaf_node;
     MetaMultiTexture *texture;
     int scale;
+    gboolean is_valid;
   } applied_state, committed_state;
 
   /* Extension resources. */
@@ -433,6 +434,8 @@ meta_wayland_surface_state_new (void)
 }
 gboolean meta_wayland_surface_is_xwayland (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);
 
+gboolean meta_wayland_surface_has_initial_commit (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);
+
 static inline GNode *
 meta_get_next_subsurface_sibling (GNode *n)
 {
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
index d45fc00a8..dfa54e3fd 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
@@ -762,6 +762,8 @@ meta_wayland_surface_apply_state (MetaWaylandSurface      *surface,
 
   g_signal_emit (surface, surface_signals[SURFACE_PRE_STATE_APPLIED], 0);
 
+  surface->applied_state.is_valid = surface->committed_state.is_valid;
+
   if (surface->role)
     {
       meta_wayland_surface_role_pre_apply_state (surface->role, state);
@@ -971,6 +973,8 @@ meta_wayland_surface_commit (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
   COGL_TRACE_BEGIN_SCOPED (MetaWaylandSurfaceCommit,
                            "Meta::WaylandSurface::commit()");
 
+  surface->committed_state.is_valid = TRUE;
+
   if (pending->scale > 0)
     surface->committed_state.scale = pending->scale;
 
@@ -2657,3 +2661,9 @@ meta_wayland_surface_get_main_monitor (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
 {
   return surface->main_monitor;
 }
+
+gboolean
+meta_wayland_surface_has_initial_commit (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
+{
+  return surface->committed_state.is_valid;
+}