diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
index dd306835c..c9b921583 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
@@ -701,8 +701,6 @@ meta_wayland_surface_apply_placement_ops (MetaWaylandSurface      *parent,
       MetaWaylandSurface *surface = op->surface;
       GNode *sibling_node;
 
-      g_node_unlink (surface->applied_state.subsurface_branch_node);
-
       if (!op->sibling)
         {
           surface->applied_state.parent = NULL;
@@ -711,6 +709,8 @@ meta_wayland_surface_apply_placement_ops (MetaWaylandSurface      *parent,
 
       surface->applied_state.parent = parent;
 
+      g_node_unlink (surface->applied_state.subsurface_branch_node);
+
       if (op->sibling == parent)
         sibling_node = parent->applied_state.subsurface_leaf_node;
       else
@@ -1520,6 +1520,7 @@ meta_wayland_surface_finalize (GObject *object)
 {
   MetaWaylandSurface *surface = META_WAYLAND_SURFACE (object);
   MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor = surface->compositor;
+  MetaWaylandSurface *subsurface_surface;
   MetaWaylandFrameCallback *cb, *next;
 
   g_clear_object (&surface->scanout_candidate);
@@ -1555,6 +1556,10 @@ meta_wayland_surface_finalize (GObject *object)
 
   meta_wayland_surface_discard_presentation_feedback (surface);
 
+  META_WAYLAND_SURFACE_FOREACH_SUBSURFACE (&surface->applied_state,
+                                           subsurface_surface)
+    g_node_unlink (subsurface_surface->applied_state.subsurface_branch_node);
+
   g_clear_pointer (&surface->applied_state.subsurface_branch_node, g_node_destroy);
 
   g_hash_table_destroy (surface->shortcut_inhibited_seats);