diff --git a/plugins/scenes/opengl/scene_opengl.cpp b/plugins/scenes/opengl/scene_opengl.cpp
--- a/plugins/scenes/opengl/scene_opengl.cpp
+++ b/plugins/scenes/opengl/scene_opengl.cpp
@@ -1569,10 +1569,6 @@
 bool OpenGLWindowPixmap::bind()
 {
     if (!m_texture->isNull()) {
-        // always call updateBuffer to get the sub-surface tree updated
-        if (subSurface().isNull() && !toplevel()->damage().isEmpty()) {
-            updateBuffer();
-        }
         if (needsPixmapUpdate(this)) {
             m_texture->updateFromPixmap(this);
             // mipmaps need to be updated
@@ -1587,11 +1583,6 @@
         }
         return true;
     }
-    // also bind all children, needs to be done before checking isValid
-    // as there might be valid children to render, see https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG-52192
-    if (subSurface().isNull()) {
-        updateBuffer();
-    }
     for (auto it = children().constBegin(); it != children().constEnd(); ++it) {
         static_cast<OpenGLWindowPixmap*>(*it)->bind();
     }
diff --git a/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.h b/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.h
--- a/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.h
+++ b/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.h
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@
     explicit QPainterWindowPixmap(Scene::Window *window);
     ~QPainterWindowPixmap() override;
     void create() override;
+    void update() override;
     bool isValid() const override;
 
-    void updateBuffer() override;
     const QImage &image();
 
 protected:
diff --git a/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp b/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp
--- a/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp
+++ b/plugins/scenes/qpainter/scene_qpainter.cpp
@@ -271,10 +271,7 @@
     if (!pixmap || !pixmap->isValid()) {
         return;
     }
-    if (!toplevel->damage().isEmpty()) {
-        pixmap->updateBuffer();
-        toplevel->resetDamage();
-    }
+    toplevel->resetDamage();
 
     QPainter *scenePainter = m_scene->scenePainter();
     QPainter *painter = scenePainter;
@@ -451,10 +448,10 @@
     return new QPainterWindowPixmap(subSurface, this);
 }
 
-void QPainterWindowPixmap::updateBuffer()
+void QPainterWindowPixmap::update()
 {
     const auto oldBuffer = buffer();
-    WindowPixmap::updateBuffer();
+    WindowPixmap::update();
     const auto &b = buffer();
     if (!surface()) {
         // That's an internal client.
diff --git a/scene.h b/scene.h
--- a/scene.h
+++ b/scene.h
@@ -344,6 +344,7 @@
     void referencePreviousPixmap();
     void unreferencePreviousPixmap();
     void invalidateQuadsCache();
+    void preprocess();
 protected:
     WindowQuadList makeDecorationQuads(const QRect *rects, const QRegion &region, qreal textureScale = 1.0) const;
     WindowQuadList makeContentsQuads() const;
@@ -362,8 +363,8 @@
      *
      * @return The WindowPixmap casted to T* or @c NULL if there is no valid window pixmap.
      */
-    template<typename T> T *windowPixmap();
-    template<typename T> T *previousWindowPixmap();
+    template<typename T> T *windowPixmap() const;
+    template<typename T> T *previousWindowPixmap() const;
     /**
      * @brief Factory method to create a WindowPixmap.
      *
@@ -415,6 +416,10 @@
      * native pixmap to the rendering format.
      */
     virtual void create();
+    /**
+     * @brief Recursively updates the mapping between the WindowPixmap and the buffer.
+     */
+    virtual void update();
     /**
      * @return @c true if the pixmap has been created and is valid, @c false otherwise
      */
@@ -495,12 +500,6 @@
      */
     Scene::Window *window();
 
-    /**
-     * Should be called by the implementing subclasses when the Wayland Buffer changed and needs
-     * updating.
-     */
-    virtual void updateBuffer();
-
     /**
      * Sets the sub-surface tree to @p children.
      */
@@ -631,15 +630,8 @@
 
 template <typename T>
 inline
-T* Scene::Window::windowPixmap()
+T *Scene::Window::windowPixmap() const
 {
-    if (m_currentPixmap.isNull()) {
-        m_currentPixmap.reset(createWindowPixmap());
-    }
-    if (m_currentPixmap->isValid()) {
-        return static_cast<T*>(m_currentPixmap.data());
-    }
-    m_currentPixmap->create();
     if (m_currentPixmap->isValid()) {
         return static_cast<T*>(m_currentPixmap.data());
     } else {
@@ -649,7 +641,7 @@
 
 template <typename T>
 inline
-T* Scene::Window::previousWindowPixmap()
+T *Scene::Window::previousWindowPixmap() const
 {
     return static_cast<T*>(m_previousPixmap.data());
 }
diff --git a/scene.cpp b/scene.cpp
--- a/scene.cpp
+++ b/scene.cpp
@@ -211,6 +211,9 @@
     foreach (Window * w, stacking_order) { // bottom to top
         Toplevel* topw = w->window();
 
+        // Let the scene window update the window pixmap tree.
+        w->preprocess();
+
         // Reset the repaint_region.
         // This has to be done here because many effects schedule a repaint for
         // the next frame within Effects::prePaintWindow.
@@ -266,6 +269,9 @@
         data.paint = region;
         data.paint |= toplevel->repaints();
 
+        // Let the scene window update the window pixmap tree.
+        window->preprocess();
+
         // Reset the repaint_region.
         // This has to be done here because many effects schedule a repaint for
         // the next frame within Effects::prePaintWindow.
@@ -732,7 +738,9 @@
     if (m_currentPixmap.isNull()) {
         m_currentPixmap.reset(createWindowPixmap());
     }
-    if (!m_currentPixmap->isValid()) {
+    if (m_currentPixmap->isValid()) {
+        m_currentPixmap->update();
+    } else {
         m_currentPixmap->create();
     }
 }
@@ -1018,6 +1026,16 @@
     m_shadow = shadow;
 }
 
+void Scene::Window::preprocess()
+{
+    // The tracked damage will be reset after the scene is done with copying buffer's data.
+    // Note that we have to be prepared for the case where no damage has occurred since kwin
+    // core may discard the current window pixmap at any moment.
+    if (!m_currentPixmap || !window()->damage().isEmpty()) {
+        updatePixmap();
+    }
+}
+
 //****************************************
 // WindowPixmap
 //****************************************
@@ -1059,7 +1077,7 @@
     // always update from Buffer on Wayland, don't try using XPixmap
     if (kwinApp()->shouldUseWaylandForCompositing()) {
         // use Buffer
-        updateBuffer();
+        update();
         if ((m_buffer || !m_fbo.isNull()) && m_subSurface.isNull()) {
             m_window->unreferencePreviousPixmap();
         }
@@ -1094,21 +1112,7 @@
     m_window->unreferencePreviousPixmap();
 }
 
-WindowPixmap *WindowPixmap::createChild(const QPointer<KWaylandServer::SubSurfaceInterface> &subSurface)
-{
-    Q_UNUSED(subSurface)
-    return nullptr;
-}
-
-bool WindowPixmap::isValid() const
-{
-    if (!m_buffer.isNull() || !m_fbo.isNull() || !m_internalImage.isNull()) {
-        return true;
-    }
-    return m_pixmap != XCB_PIXMAP_NONE;
-}
-
-void WindowPixmap::updateBuffer()
+void WindowPixmap::update()
 {
     using namespace KWaylandServer;
     if (SurfaceInterface *s = surface()) {
@@ -1123,7 +1127,7 @@
             auto it = std::find_if(oldTree.begin(), oldTree.end(), [subSurface] (WindowPixmap *p) { return p->m_subSurface == subSurface; });
             if (it != oldTree.end()) {
                 children << *it;
-                (*it)->updateBuffer();
+                (*it)->update();
                 oldTree.erase(it);
             } else {
                 WindowPixmap *p = createChild(subSurface);
@@ -1167,6 +1171,20 @@
     }
 }
 
+WindowPixmap *WindowPixmap::createChild(const QPointer<KWaylandServer::SubSurfaceInterface> &subSurface)
+{
+    Q_UNUSED(subSurface)
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
+bool WindowPixmap::isValid() const
+{
+    if (!m_buffer.isNull() || !m_fbo.isNull() || !m_internalImage.isNull()) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    return m_pixmap != XCB_PIXMAP_NONE;
+}
+
 KWaylandServer::SurfaceInterface *WindowPixmap::surface() const
 {
     if (!m_subSurface.isNull()) {