diff --git a/autotests/client/test_wayland_surface.cpp b/autotests/client/test_wayland_surface.cpp
--- a/autotests/client/test_wayland_surface.cpp
+++ b/autotests/client/test_wayland_surface.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
     void testInput();
     void testScale();
     void testDestroy();
+    void testUnmapOfNotMappedSurface();
 
 private:
     KWayland::Server::Display *m_display;
@@ -706,5 +707,30 @@
     s->destroy();
 }
 
+void TestWaylandSurface::testUnmapOfNotMappedSurface()
+{
+    // this test verifies that a surface which doesn't have a buffer attached doesn't trigger the unmapped signal
+    using namespace KWayland::Client;
+    using namespace KWayland::Server;
+    // create surface
+    QSignalSpy serverSurfaceCreated(m_compositorInterface, &CompositorInterface::surfaceCreated);
+    QVERIFY(serverSurfaceCreated.isValid());
+    QScopedPointer<Surface> s(m_compositor->createSurface());
+    QVERIFY(serverSurfaceCreated.wait());
+    SurfaceInterface *serverSurface = serverSurfaceCreated.first().first().value<KWayland::Server::SurfaceInterface*>();
+
+    QSignalSpy unmappedSpy(serverSurface, &SurfaceInterface::unmapped);
+    QVERIFY(unmappedSpy.isValid());
+    QSignalSpy scaleChanged(serverSurface, &SurfaceInterface::scaleChanged);
+
+    // let's map a null buffer and change scale to trigger a signal we can wait for
+    s->attachBuffer(Buffer::Ptr());
+    s->setScale(2);
+    s->commit(Surface::CommitFlag::None);
+
+    QVERIFY(scaleChanged.wait());
+    QVERIFY(unmappedSpy.isEmpty());
+}
+
 QTEST_GUILESS_MAIN(TestWaylandSurface)
 #include "test_wayland_surface.moc"
diff --git a/src/server/surface_interface.cpp b/src/server/surface_interface.cpp
--- a/src/server/surface_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/server/surface_interface.cpp
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@
 void SurfaceInterface::Private::swapStates(State *source, State *target, bool emitChanged)
 {
     Q_Q(SurfaceInterface);
-    const bool bufferChanged = source->bufferIsSet;
+    bool bufferChanged = source->bufferIsSet;
     const bool opaqueRegionChanged = source->opaqueIsSet;
     const bool inputRegionChanged = source->inputIsSet;
     const bool scaleFactorChanged = source->scaleIsSet && (target->scale != source->scale);
@@ -271,6 +271,10 @@
             const QSize newSize = source->buffer->size();
             sizeChanged = newSize.isValid() && newSize != oldSize;
         }
+        if (!target->buffer && !source->buffer && emitChanged) {
+            // null buffer set on a not mapped surface, don't emit unmapped
+            bufferChanged = false;
+        }
         buffer = source->buffer;
     }
     // copy values