diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_surface.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_surface.h
index 72dc4b30a..98721ddee 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_surface.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_surface.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ struct wlr_surface_output {
 };
 
 struct wlr_surface {
-	struct wl_resource *resource;
+	struct wl_resource *resource; // can be NULL if destroyed by the client
 	struct wlr_renderer *renderer;
 	/**
 	 * The surface's buffer, if any. A surface has an attached buffer when it
diff --git a/types/wlr_surface.c b/types/wlr_surface.c
index abfcbf73b..123b43e75 100644
--- a/types/wlr_surface.c
+++ b/types/wlr_surface.c
@@ -683,8 +683,14 @@ static void subsurface_destroy(struct wlr_subsurface *subsurface) {
 
 static void surface_output_destroy(struct wlr_surface_output *surface_output);
 
-static void surface_handle_resource_destroy(struct wl_resource *resource) {
-	struct wlr_surface *surface = wlr_surface_from_resource(resource);
+/**
+ * Destroys the wlr_surface if the client has destroyed the protocol object
+ * and the compositor has released all cache locks.
+ */
+static void surface_consider_destroy(struct wlr_surface *surface) {
+	if (surface->resource != NULL || !wl_list_empty(&surface->cached)) {
+		return;
+	}
 
 	struct wlr_surface_output *surface_output, *surface_output_tmp;
 	wl_list_for_each_safe(surface_output, surface_output_tmp,
@@ -712,6 +718,11 @@ static void surface_handle_resource_destroy(struct wl_resource *resource) {
 	free(surface);
 }
 
+static void surface_handle_resource_destroy(struct wl_resource *resource) {
+	struct wlr_surface *surface = wlr_surface_from_resource(resource);
+	surface_consider_destroy(surface);
+}
+
 static void surface_handle_renderer_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener,
 		void *data) {
 	struct wlr_surface *surface =
@@ -847,6 +858,8 @@ void wlr_surface_unlock_cached(struct wlr_surface *surface, uint32_t seq) {
 		surface_commit_state(surface, next);
 		surface_state_destroy_cached(next);
 	}
+
+	surface_consider_destroy(surface);
 }
 
 static const struct wl_subsurface_interface subsurface_implementation;