diff --git a/src/client/qwaylandwindow.cpp b/src/client/qwaylandwindow.cpp
index 1127a07d..715d08ef 100644
--- a/src/client/qwaylandwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/client/qwaylandwindow.cpp
@@ -132,10 +132,16 @@ void QWaylandWindow::initWindow()
     if (shouldCreateSubSurface()) {
         Q_ASSERT(!mSubSurfaceWindow);
 
+        // find the most topmost parent that has actualy been initialised
         auto *parent = static_cast<QWaylandWindow *>(QPlatformWindow::parent());
-        if (parent->wlSurface()) {
-            if (::wl_subsurface *subsurface = mDisplay->createSubSurface(this, parent))
-                mSubSurfaceWindow = new QWaylandSubSurface(this, parent, subsurface);
+        while (parent) {
+            if (parent->wlSurface() && (parent->mShellSurface || parent->mSubSurfaceWindow)) {
+                qDebug() << "Creating subsurface" << window() << " to " << parent->window();
+                if (::wl_subsurface *subsurface = mDisplay->createSubSurface(this, parent))
+                    mSubSurfaceWindow = new QWaylandSubSurface(this, parent, subsurface);
+                break;
+            }
+            parent = static_cast<QWaylandWindow *>(parent->QPlatformWindow::parent());
         }
     } else if (shouldCreateShellSurface()) {
         Q_ASSERT(!mShellSurface);
@@ -336,8 +342,16 @@ void QWaylandWindow::setGeometry_helper(const QRect &rect)
                 qBound(window()->minimumHeight(), rect.height(), window()->maximumHeight())));
 
     if (mSubSurfaceWindow) {
-        QMargins m = QPlatformWindow::parent()->frameMargins();
-        mSubSurfaceWindow->set_position(rect.x() + m.left(), rect.y() + m.top());
+        auto parent = QPlatformWindow::parent();
+        QPoint offset;
+        while (parent && parent != mSubSurfaceWindow->parent()) {
+            offset += parent->geometry().topLeft();
+            qDebug() << "Adding offset" << offset << "from " << parent->window();
+            parent = parent->parent();
+            qDebug() << parent->window();
+        }
+        QMargins m = mSubSurfaceWindow->parent()->frameMargins();
+        mSubSurfaceWindow->set_position(offset.x() + rect.x() + m.left(), offset.y() + rect.y() + m.top());
         mSubSurfaceWindow->parent()->window()->requestUpdate();
     }
 }