diff --git a/include/ssd-internal.h b/include/ssd-internal.h
index fda196e6..5a215a52 100644
--- a/include/ssd-internal.h
+++ b/include/ssd-internal.h
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ struct ssd {
 		} title;
 	} state;
 
+	struct wlr_scene_rect *view_background;
+
 	/* An invisible area around the view which allows resizing */
 	struct ssd_sub_tree extents;
 
diff --git a/src/ssd/ssd-border.c b/src/ssd/ssd-border.c
index 63604244..120c2fba 100644
--- a/src/ssd/ssd-border.c
+++ b/src/ssd/ssd-border.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ ssd_border_update(struct ssd *ssd)
 
 	struct theme *theme = view->server->theme;
 
-	int width = view->current.width;
+	int width = MAX(view->current.width, LAB_MIN_VIEW_WIDTH);
 	int height = view_effective_height(view, /* use_pending */ false);
 	int full_width = width + 2 * theme->border_width;
 
diff --git a/src/ssd/ssd-extents.c b/src/ssd/ssd-extents.c
index 4bb5b69d..c8edcd1e 100644
--- a/src/ssd/ssd-extents.c
+++ b/src/ssd/ssd-extents.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ ssd_extents_update(struct ssd *ssd)
 
 	struct theme *theme = view->server->theme;
 
-	int width = view->current.width;
+	int width = MAX(view->current.width, LAB_MIN_VIEW_WIDTH);
 	int height = view_effective_height(view, /* use_pending */ false);
 	int full_height = height + theme->border_width * 2 + ssd->titlebar.height;
 	int full_width = width + 2 * theme->border_width;
diff --git a/src/ssd/ssd-shadow.c b/src/ssd/ssd-shadow.c
index 3e6227aa..57212866 100644
--- a/src/ssd/ssd-shadow.c
+++ b/src/ssd/ssd-shadow.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ set_shadow_geometry(struct ssd *ssd)
 	struct view *view = ssd->view;
 	struct theme *theme = view->server->theme;
 	int titlebar_height = ssd->titlebar.height;
-	int width = view->current.width;
+	int width = MAX(view->current.width, LAB_MIN_VIEW_WIDTH);
 	int height = view_effective_height(view, false) + titlebar_height;
 
 	struct ssd_part *part;
diff --git a/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c b/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
index 32d6131a..26800b89 100644
--- a/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
+++ b/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@ ssd_titlebar_update(struct ssd *ssd)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	int title_bar_width = MAX(0, width - SSD_BUTTON_WIDTH * SSD_BUTTON_COUNT);
+
 	struct ssd_part *part;
 	struct ssd_sub_tree *subtree;
 	FOR_EACH_STATE(ssd, subtree) {
@@ -218,25 +220,25 @@ ssd_titlebar_update(struct ssd *ssd)
 			case LAB_SSD_PART_TITLEBAR:
 				wlr_scene_rect_set_size(
 					wlr_scene_rect_from_node(part->node),
-					width - SSD_BUTTON_WIDTH * SSD_BUTTON_COUNT,
+					title_bar_width,
 					theme->title_height);
 				continue;
 			case LAB_SSD_BUTTON_ICONIFY:
 				if (is_direct_child(part->node, subtree)) {
 					wlr_scene_node_set_position(part->node,
-						width - SSD_BUTTON_WIDTH * 3, 0);
+						title_bar_width + 1 * SSD_BUTTON_WIDTH, 0);
 				}
 				continue;
 			case LAB_SSD_BUTTON_MAXIMIZE:
 				if (is_direct_child(part->node, subtree)) {
 					wlr_scene_node_set_position(part->node,
-						width - SSD_BUTTON_WIDTH * 2, 0);
+						title_bar_width + 2 * SSD_BUTTON_WIDTH, 0);
 				}
 				continue;
 			case LAB_SSD_PART_CORNER_TOP_RIGHT:
 				if (is_direct_child(part->node, subtree)) {
 					wlr_scene_node_set_position(part->node,
-						width - SSD_BUTTON_WIDTH * 1, 0);
+						title_bar_width + 3 * SSD_BUTTON_WIDTH, 0);
 				}
 				continue;
 			default:
diff --git a/src/ssd/ssd.c b/src/ssd/ssd.c
index 86ac1272..e2da63b2 100644
--- a/src/ssd/ssd.c
+++ b/src/ssd/ssd.c
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ ssd_get_part_type(const struct ssd *ssd, struct wlr_scene_node *node)
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	if (ssd->view_background && node == &ssd->view_background->node) {
+		return LAB_SSD_CLIENT;
+	}
+
 	return LAB_SSD_NONE;
 }
 
@@ -230,16 +235,6 @@ ssd_update_geometry(struct ssd *ssd)
 	int eff_width = current.width;
 	int eff_height = view_effective_height(ssd->view, /* use_pending */ false);
 
-	if (eff_width > 0 && eff_width < LAB_MIN_VIEW_WIDTH) {
-		/*
-		 * Prevent negative values in calculations like
-		 * `width - SSD_BUTTON_WIDTH * SSD_BUTTON_COUNT`
-		 */
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR,
-			"view width is smaller than its minimal value");
-		return;
-	}
-
 	if (eff_width == cached.width && eff_height == cached.height) {
 		if (current.x != cached.x || current.y != cached.y) {
 			/* Dynamically resize extents based on position and usable_area */
@@ -267,6 +262,25 @@ ssd_update_geometry(struct ssd *ssd)
 		}
 		return;
 	}
+
+	if (current.width < LAB_MIN_VIEW_WIDTH) {
+		/*
+		 * This draws a border-colored background behind the
+		 * view for poorly behaving clients that don't follow
+		 * our requested minimal size.
+		 */
+		if (!ssd->view_background) {
+			ssd->view_background = wlr_scene_rect_create(ssd->tree, 0, 0,
+				ssd->view == ssd->view->server->active_view
+					? rc.theme->window_active_border_color
+					: rc.theme->window_inactive_border_color);
+		}
+		wlr_scene_rect_set_size(ssd->view_background, LAB_MIN_VIEW_WIDTH, current.height);
+		wlr_scene_node_set_enabled(&ssd->view_background->node, true);
+	} else if (ssd->view_background) {
+		wlr_scene_node_set_enabled(&ssd->view_background->node, false);
+	}
+
 	ssd_extents_update(ssd);
 	ssd_titlebar_update(ssd);
 	ssd_border_update(ssd);
@@ -385,6 +399,11 @@ ssd_set_active(struct ssd *ssd, bool active)
 		wlr_scene_node_set_enabled(
 			&ssd->shadow.inactive.tree->node, !active);
 	}
+	if (ssd->view_background) {
+		wlr_scene_rect_set_color(ssd->view_background, active
+			? rc.theme->window_active_border_color
+			: rc.theme->window_inactive_border_color);
+	}
 }
 
 void
@@ -465,5 +484,17 @@ ssd_debug_get_node_name(const struct ssd *ssd, struct wlr_scene_node *node)
 	if (node == &ssd->extents.tree->node) {
 		return "extents";
 	}
+
+	/* These are only created on demand */
+	if (ssd->shadow.active.tree && node == &ssd->shadow.active.tree->node) {
+		return "shadow.active";
+	}
+	if (ssd->shadow.inactive.tree && node == &ssd->shadow.inactive.tree->node) {
+		return "shadow.inactive";
+	}
+	if (ssd->view_background && node == &ssd->view_background->node) {
+		return "view_background";
+	}
+
 	return NULL;
 }