diff --git a/autotests/integration/effects/CMakeLists.txt b/autotests/integration/effects/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/autotests/integration/effects/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/autotests/integration/effects/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
     integrationTest(NAME testSlidingPopups SRCS slidingpopups_test.cpp LIBS XCB::ICCCM)
 endif()
 integrationTest(NAME testFade SRCS fade_test.cpp)
+integrationTest(WAYLAND_ONLY NAME testEffectWindowGeometry SRCS windowgeometry_test.cpp)
diff --git a/autotests/integration/effects/windowgeometry_test.cpp b/autotests/integration/effects/windowgeometry_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autotests/integration/effects/windowgeometry_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+/********************************************************************
+KWin - the KDE window manager
+This file is part of the KDE project.
+
+Copyright (C) 2017 Martin Flöser <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 "kwin_wayland_test.h"
+#include "composite.h"
+#include "effects.h"
+#include "effectloader.h"
+#include "cursor.h"
+#include "platform.h"
+#include "shell_client.h"
+#include "wayland_server.h"
+#include "workspace.h"
+#include "effect_builtins.h"
+
+#include <KConfigGroup>
+
+#include <KWayland/Client/buffer.h>
+#include <KWayland/Client/shell.h>
+#include <KWayland/Client/surface.h>
+
+using namespace KWin;
+using namespace KWayland::Client;
+static const QString s_socketName = QStringLiteral("wayland_test_effects_windowgeometry-0");
+
+class WindowGeometryTest : public QObject
+{
+Q_OBJECT
+private Q_SLOTS:
+    void initTestCase();
+    void init();
+    void cleanup();
+
+    void testStartup();
+};
+
+void WindowGeometryTest::initTestCase()
+{
+    qRegisterMetaType<KWin::ShellClient*>();
+    qRegisterMetaType<KWin::AbstractClient*>();
+    qRegisterMetaType<KWin::Effect*>();
+    QSignalSpy workspaceCreatedSpy(kwinApp(), &Application::workspaceCreated);
+    QVERIFY(workspaceCreatedSpy.isValid());
+    kwinApp()->platform()->setInitialWindowSize(QSize(1280, 1024));
+    QVERIFY(waylandServer()->init(s_socketName.toLocal8Bit()));
+
+    // disable all effects - we don't want to have it interact with the rendering
+    auto config = KSharedConfig::openConfig(QString(), KConfig::SimpleConfig);
+    KConfigGroup plugins(config, QStringLiteral("Plugins"));
+    ScriptedEffectLoader loader;
+    const auto builtinNames = BuiltInEffects::availableEffectNames() << loader.listOfKnownEffects();
+    for (QString name : builtinNames) {
+        plugins.writeEntry(name + QStringLiteral("Enabled"), false);
+    }
+    plugins.writeEntry(BuiltInEffects::nameForEffect(BuiltInEffect::WindowGeometry) + QStringLiteral("Enabled"), true);
+
+    config->sync();
+    kwinApp()->setConfig(config);
+
+    qputenv("KWIN_EFFECTS_FORCE_ANIMATIONS", "1");
+    kwinApp()->start();
+    QVERIFY(workspaceCreatedSpy.wait());
+    QVERIFY(KWin::Compositor::self());
+}
+
+void WindowGeometryTest::init()
+{
+    QVERIFY(Test::setupWaylandConnection());
+}
+
+void WindowGeometryTest::cleanup()
+{
+    Test::destroyWaylandConnection();
+}
+
+void WindowGeometryTest::testStartup()
+{
+    // just a test to load the effect to verify it doesn't crash
+    EffectsHandlerImpl *e = static_cast<EffectsHandlerImpl*>(effects);
+    QVERIFY(e->isEffectLoaded(BuiltInEffects::nameForEffect(BuiltInEffect::WindowGeometry)));
+}
+
+WAYLANDTEST_MAIN(WindowGeometryTest)
+#include "windowgeometry_test.moc"
diff --git a/effects/windowgeometry/windowgeometry.h b/effects/windowgeometry/windowgeometry.h
--- a/effects/windowgeometry/windowgeometry.h
+++ b/effects/windowgeometry/windowgeometry.h
@@ -59,8 +59,9 @@
     void slotWindowFinishUserMovedResized(KWin::EffectWindow *w);
     void slotWindowStepUserMovedResized(KWin::EffectWindow *w, const QRect &geometry);
 private:
+    void createFrames();
     EffectWindow *myResizeWindow;
-    EffectFrame *myMeasure[3];
+    EffectFrame *myMeasure[3] = {nullptr, nullptr, nullptr};
     QRect myOriginalGeometry, myCurrentGeometry;
     QRect myExtraDirtyArea;
     bool iAmActive, iAmActivated, iHandleMoves, iHandleResizes;
diff --git a/effects/windowgeometry/windowgeometry.cpp b/effects/windowgeometry/windowgeometry.cpp
--- a/effects/windowgeometry/windowgeometry.cpp
+++ b/effects/windowgeometry/windowgeometry.cpp
@@ -48,15 +48,6 @@
                         " %3 and %4 are the resp. increments - avoid reformatting or suffixes like 'px'", \
                         "X: %1 (%3)\nY: %2 (%4)"
     reconfigure(ReconfigureAll);
-    QFont fnt; fnt.setBold(true); fnt.setPointSize(12);
-    for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
-        myMeasure[i] = effects->effectFrame(EffectFrameUnstyled, false);
-        myMeasure[i]->setFont(fnt);
-    }
-    myMeasure[0]->setAlignment(Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignTop);
-    myMeasure[1]->setAlignment(Qt::AlignCenter);
-    myMeasure[2]->setAlignment(Qt::AlignRight | Qt::AlignBottom);
-
     QAction* a = new QAction(this);
     a->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("WindowGeometry"));
     a->setText(i18n("Toggle window geometry display (effect only)"));
@@ -78,6 +69,22 @@
         delete myMeasure[i];
 }
 
+void WindowGeometry::createFrames()
+{
+    if (myMeasure[0]) {
+        return;
+    }
+    QFont fnt; fnt.setBold(true); fnt.setPointSize(12);
+    for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
+        myMeasure[i] = effects->effectFrame(EffectFrameUnstyled, false);
+        myMeasure[i]->setFont(fnt);
+    }
+    myMeasure[0]->setAlignment(Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignTop);
+    myMeasure[1]->setAlignment(Qt::AlignCenter);
+    myMeasure[2]->setAlignment(Qt::AlignRight | Qt::AlignBottom);
+
+}
+
 void WindowGeometry::reconfigure(ReconfigureFlags)
 {
     WindowGeometryConfiguration::self()->read();
@@ -97,6 +104,7 @@
 void WindowGeometry::toggle()
 {
     iAmActivated = !iAmActivated;
+    createFrames();
 }
 
 void WindowGeometry::slotWindowStartUserMovedResized(EffectWindow *w)
@@ -108,6 +116,7 @@
     if (w->isUserMove() && !iHandleMoves)
         return;
 
+    createFrames();
     iAmActive = true;
     myResizeWindow = w;
     myOriginalGeometry = w->geometry();