diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index a8fd5f2e..09c1b87f 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -1912,13 +1912,14 @@ render_render_timer(struct terminal *term, struct timeval render_time)
         term->wl->shm, width, height, cookie, false, 1);
 
     wl_subsurface_set_position(
-        win->render_timer_sub_surface,
+        win->render_timer_surface.sub,
         margin / term->scale,
         (term->margins.top + term->cell_height - margin) / term->scale);
 
     render_osd(
         term,
-        win->render_timer_surface, win->render_timer_sub_surface,
+        win->render_timer_surface.surf,
+        win->render_timer_surface.sub,
         buf, text,
         term->colors.table[0], term->colors.table[8 + 1],
         width, height, margin, margin);
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index 0aab462b..2ff02783 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -2825,7 +2825,7 @@ term_surface_kind(const struct terminal *term, const struct wl_surface *surface)
         return TERM_SURF_SEARCH;
     else if (surface == term->window->scrollback_indicator_surface.surf)
         return TERM_SURF_SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR;
-    else if (surface == term->window->render_timer_surface)
+    else if (surface == term->window->render_timer_surface.surf)
         return TERM_SURF_RENDER_TIMER;
     else if (surface == term->window->csd.surface[CSD_SURF_TITLE].surf)
         return TERM_SURF_TITLE;
diff --git a/wayland.c b/wayland.c
index ca95663e..d8968ab6 100644
--- a/wayland.c
+++ b/wayland.c
@@ -1367,16 +1367,10 @@ wayl_win_init(struct terminal *term)
     wl_surface_commit(win->surface);
 
     if (conf->tweak.render_timer_osd) {
-        win->render_timer_surface = wl_compositor_create_surface(wayl->compositor);
-        if (win->render_timer_surface == NULL) {
+        if (!wayl_win_subsurface_new(win, &win->render_timer_surface)) {
             LOG_ERR("failed to create render timer surface");
             goto out;
         }
-        win->render_timer_sub_surface = wl_subcompositor_get_subsurface(
-            wayl->sub_compositor, win->render_timer_surface, win->surface);
-        wl_subsurface_set_sync(win->render_timer_sub_surface);
-        wl_surface_set_user_data(win->render_timer_surface, win);
-        wl_surface_commit(win->render_timer_surface);
     }
     return win;
 
@@ -1404,9 +1398,9 @@ wayl_win_destroy(struct wl_window *win)
      * nor mouse focus).
      */
 
-    if (win->render_timer_surface != NULL) {
-        wl_surface_attach(win->render_timer_surface, NULL, 0, 0);
-        wl_surface_commit(win->render_timer_surface);
+    if (win->render_timer_surface.surf != NULL) {
+        wl_surface_attach(win->render_timer_surface.surf, NULL, 0, 0);
+        wl_surface_commit(win->render_timer_surface.surf);
     }
 
     if (win->scrollback_indicator_surface.surf != NULL) {
@@ -1445,11 +1439,8 @@ wayl_win_destroy(struct wl_window *win)
     csd_destroy(win);
     wayl_win_subsurface_destroy(&win->search_surface);
     wayl_win_subsurface_destroy(&win->scrollback_indicator_surface);
+    wayl_win_subsurface_destroy(&win->render_timer_surface);
 
-    if (win->render_timer_sub_surface != NULL)
-        wl_subsurface_destroy(win->render_timer_sub_surface);
-    if (win->render_timer_surface != NULL)
-        wl_surface_destroy(win->render_timer_surface);
     if (win->frame_callback != NULL)
         wl_callback_destroy(win->frame_callback);
     if (win->xdg_toplevel_decoration != NULL)
diff --git a/wayland.h b/wayland.h
index 31ae3b82..4b146d57 100644
--- a/wayland.h
+++ b/wayland.h
@@ -379,9 +379,7 @@ struct wl_window {
 
     struct wl_surf_subsurf search_surface;
     struct wl_surf_subsurf scrollback_indicator_surface;
-
-    struct wl_surface *render_timer_surface;
-    struct wl_subsurface *render_timer_sub_surface;
+    struct wl_surf_subsurf render_timer_surface;
 
     struct wl_callback *frame_callback;