diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_compositor.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_compositor.h
index 6524aea25..dc54a5f12 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_compositor.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_compositor.h
@@ -538,6 +538,12 @@ void wlr_surface_synced_finish(struct wlr_surface_synced *synced);
 void *wlr_surface_synced_get_state(struct wlr_surface_synced *synced,
 	const struct wlr_surface_state *state);
 
+/*
+ * Consumes buffer and damage state of the buffer so that the compositor may
+ * drop references to any of these resources.
+ */
+void wlr_surface_consume(struct wlr_surface *surface);
+
 /**
  * Get a Pixman region from a wl_region resource.
  */
diff --git a/types/wlr_compositor.c b/types/wlr_compositor.c
index 24bdaa8fc..6f7c5061f 100644
--- a/types/wlr_compositor.c
+++ b/types/wlr_compositor.c
@@ -419,6 +419,10 @@ static void surface_apply_damage(struct wlr_surface *surface) {
 		return;
 	}
 
+	// lock the buffer during the commit so that everything watching the surface
+	// can have a chance to take a look at the buffer.
+	wlr_buffer_lock(surface->current.buffer);
+
 	wl_signal_add(&surface->current.buffer->events.release,
 		&surface->current_buffer_release);
 
@@ -427,6 +431,7 @@ static void surface_apply_damage(struct wlr_surface *surface) {
 	if (surface->buffer != NULL) {
 		if (wlr_client_buffer_apply_damage(surface->buffer,
 				surface->current.buffer, &surface->buffer_damage)) {
+			wlr_surface_consume(surface);
 			return;
 		}
 	}
@@ -437,6 +442,7 @@ static void surface_apply_damage(struct wlr_surface *surface) {
 
 	struct wlr_client_buffer *buffer = wlr_client_buffer_create(
 			surface->current.buffer, surface->compositor->renderer);
+	wlr_surface_consume(surface);
 
 	if (buffer == NULL) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to upload buffer");
@@ -783,6 +789,15 @@ static void surface_handle_current_buffer_release(struct wl_listener *listener,
 	surface_clean_state(surface);
 }
 
+void wlr_surface_consume(struct wlr_surface *surface) {
+	if (surface->consumed || !surface->current.buffer) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	surface->consumed = true;
+	wlr_buffer_unlock(surface->current.buffer);
+}
+
 static struct wlr_surface *surface_create(struct wl_client *client,
 		uint32_t version, uint32_t id, struct wlr_compositor *compositor) {
 	struct wlr_surface *surface = calloc(1, sizeof(*surface));