diff --git a/autotests/CMakeLists.txt b/autotests/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/autotests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/autotests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 add_definitions(-DKWIN_UNIT_TEST)
 remove_definitions(-DQT_USE_QSTRINGBUILDER)
+add_subdirectory(libxrenderutils)
 add_subdirectory(wayland)
 if (HAVE_INPUT)
     add_subdirectory(libinput)
diff --git a/autotests/libxrenderutils/CMakeLists.txt b/autotests/libxrenderutils/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autotests/libxrenderutils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+add_executable(blendPictureTest blendpicture_test.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(blendPictureTest
+    kwinxrenderutils
+    Qt5::Test
+    Qt5::Gui
+    Qt5::X11Extras
+    XCB::XCB
+    XCB::RENDER
+    XCB::XFIXES
+    )
+ecm_mark_as_test(blendPictureTest)
diff --git a/autotests/libxrenderutils/blendpicture_test.cpp b/autotests/libxrenderutils/blendpicture_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autotests/libxrenderutils/blendpicture_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/********************************************************************
+KWin - the KDE window manager
+This file is part of the KDE project.
+
+Copyright (C) 2016 Martin Gräßlin <mgraesslin@kde.org>
+
+This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+(at your option) any later version.
+
+This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*********************************************************************/
+#include <QtTest/QtTest>
+#include <QLoggingCategory>
+#include <QX11Info>
+
+#include "../../libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.h"
+
+class BlendPictureTest : public QObject
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+private Q_SLOTS:
+    void initTestCase();
+    void cleanupTestCase();
+
+    void testDontCrashOnTeardown();
+};
+
+void BlendPictureTest::initTestCase()
+{
+    KWin::XRenderUtils::init(QX11Info::connection(), QX11Info::appRootWindow());
+}
+
+void BlendPictureTest::cleanupTestCase()
+{
+    KWin::XRenderUtils::cleanup();
+}
+
+void BlendPictureTest::testDontCrashOnTeardown()
+{
+    // this test uses xrenderBlendPicture - the only idea is to trigger the creation
+    // closing the application should not crash
+    // see BUG 363251
+    const auto picture = KWin::xRenderBlendPicture(0.5);
+    // and a second one
+    const auto picture2 = KWin::xRenderBlendPicture(0.6);
+    Q_UNUSED(picture)
+    Q_UNUSED(picture2)
+}
+
+QTEST_MAIN(BlendPictureTest)
+#include "blendpicture_test.moc"
diff --git a/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.h b/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.h
--- a/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.h
+++ b/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.h
@@ -180,6 +180,11 @@
  */
 KWINXRENDERUTILS_EXPORT const xcb_render_directformat_t *findPictFormatInfo(xcb_render_pictformat_t format);
 
+/**
+ * @internal
+ **/
+KWINXRENDERUTILS_EXPORT void cleanup();
+
 } // namespace XRenderUtils
 
 } // namespace KWin
diff --git a/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.cpp b/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.cpp
--- a/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.cpp
+++ b/libkwineffects/kwinxrenderutils.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "kwinxrenderutils.h"
 #include "logging_p.h"
 
+#include <QCoreApplication>
 #include <QStack>
 #include <QPixmap>
 #include <QGlobalStatic>
@@ -32,13 +33,21 @@
 {
 static xcb_connection_t *s_connection = nullptr;
 static xcb_window_t s_rootWindow = XCB_WINDOW_NONE;
+static XRenderPicture s_blendPicture(XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE);
 
 void init(xcb_connection_t *connection, xcb_window_t rootWindow)
 {
     s_connection = connection;
     s_rootWindow = rootWindow;
 }
 
+void cleanup()
+{
+    s_blendPicture = XRenderPicture(XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE);
+    s_connection = nullptr;
+    s_rootWindow = XCB_WINDOW_NONE;
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 // adapted from Qt, because this really sucks ;)
@@ -78,16 +87,15 @@
 
 XRenderPicture xRenderBlendPicture(double opacity)
 {
-    static XRenderPicture s_blendPicture(XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE);
     static xcb_render_color_t s_blendColor = {0, 0, 0, 0};
     s_blendColor.alpha = uint16_t(opacity * 0xffff);
-    if (s_blendPicture == XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE) {
-        s_blendPicture = xRenderFill(s_blendColor);
+    if (XRenderUtils::s_blendPicture == XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE) {
+        XRenderUtils::s_blendPicture = xRenderFill(s_blendColor);
     } else {
         xcb_rectangle_t rect = {0, 0, 1, 1};
-        xcb_render_fill_rectangles(XRenderUtils::s_connection, XCB_RENDER_PICT_OP_SRC, s_blendPicture, s_blendColor, 1, &rect);
+        xcb_render_fill_rectangles(XRenderUtils::s_connection, XCB_RENDER_PICT_OP_SRC, XRenderUtils::s_blendPicture, s_blendColor, 1, &rect);
     }
-    return s_blendPicture;
+    return XRenderUtils::s_blendPicture;
 }
 
 static xcb_render_picture_t createPicture(xcb_pixmap_t pix, int depth)
@@ -150,8 +158,10 @@
 
 XRenderPictureData::~XRenderPictureData()
 {
-    if (picture != XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE)
+    if (picture != XCB_RENDER_PICTURE_NONE) {
+        Q_ASSERT(qApp);
         xcb_render_free_picture(XRenderUtils::s_connection, picture);
+    }
 }
 
 XFixesRegion::XFixesRegion(const QRegion &region)
diff --git a/workspace.cpp b/workspace.cpp
--- a/workspace.cpp
+++ b/workspace.cpp
@@ -465,6 +465,9 @@
 
     // TODO: ungrabXServer();
 
+    if (kwinApp()->operationMode() == Application::OperationModeX11) {
+        XRenderUtils::cleanup();
+    }
     Xcb::Extensions::destroy();
     _self = 0;
 }