diff --git a/include/sway/tree/container.h b/include/sway/tree/container.h
index d707df17e..423c0a22b 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/container.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/container.h
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ struct sway_container {
 	enum sway_container_layout prev_layout;
 	enum sway_container_layout workspace_layout;
 
-	// in output-local coordinates
+	// For C_ROOT, this has no meaning
+	// For C_OUTPUT, this is the output position in layout coordinates
+	// For other types, this is the position in output-local coordinates
 	double x, y;
 	// does not include borders or gaps.
 	double width, height;
diff --git a/include/sway/tree/layout.h b/include/sway/tree/layout.h
index 0a904c4b5..fecf1582a 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/layout.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/layout.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ struct sway_root {
 
 	struct wl_listener output_layout_change;
 
-	struct wl_list unmanaged_views; // sway_view::unmanaged_view_link
+	struct wl_list xwayland_unmanaged; // sway_xwayland_unmanaged::link
 
 	struct {
 		struct wl_signal new_container;
diff --git a/include/sway/tree/view.h b/include/sway/tree/view.h
index 4e753b2a1..4b84205ed 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/view.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/view.h
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ struct sway_xwayland_surface {
 	int pending_width, pending_height;
 };
 
+struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged {
+	struct wlr_xwayland_surface *wlr_xwayland_surface;
+	struct wl_list link;
+
+	struct wl_listener destroy;
+};
+
 struct sway_wl_shell_surface {
 	struct sway_view *view;
 
@@ -127,9 +134,6 @@ void view_damage_from(struct sway_view *view);
 
 void view_map(struct sway_view *view, struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface);
 
-void view_map_unmanaged(struct sway_view *view,
-	struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface);
-
 void view_unmap(struct sway_view *view);
 
 void view_update_position(struct sway_view *view, double ox, double oy);
diff --git a/sway/desktop/output.c b/sway/desktop/output.c
index 6c97ac37c..352f4af33 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/output.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/output.c
@@ -257,15 +257,15 @@ static void render_output(struct sway_output *output, struct timespec *when,
 	container_descendants(workspace, C_VIEW, render_view, &rdata);
 
 	// render unmanaged views on top
-	struct sway_view *view;
-	wl_list_for_each(view, &root_container.sway_root->unmanaged_views,
-			unmanaged_view_link) {
-		if (view->type != SWAY_XWAYLAND_VIEW) {
+	struct wl_list *unmanaged = &root_container.sway_root->xwayland_unmanaged;
+	struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged *sway_surface;
+	wl_list_for_each(sway_surface, unmanaged, link) {
+		struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface =
+			sway_surface->wlr_xwayland_surface;
+		if (xsurface->surface == NULL) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface = view->wlr_xwayland_surface;
-
 		const struct wlr_box view_box = {
 			.x = xsurface->x,
 			.y = xsurface->y,
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ static void render_output(struct sway_output *output, struct timespec *when,
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		render_surface(view->surface, wlr_output, &output->last_frame,
+		render_surface(xsurface->surface, wlr_output, &output->last_frame,
 			view_box.x - output_box->x, view_box.y - output_box->y, 0);
 	}
 
diff --git a/sway/desktop/xwayland.c b/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
index 39076fabd..bfef68cf3 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/xwayland.c
@@ -14,6 +14,33 @@
 #include "sway/input/input-manager.h"
 #include "log.h"
 
+static void unmanaged_handle_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
+	struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged *sway_surface =
+		wl_container_of(listener, sway_surface, destroy);
+	wl_list_remove(&sway_surface->destroy.link);
+	wl_list_remove(&sway_surface->link);
+	free(sway_surface);
+}
+
+static void create_unmanaged(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface) {
+	struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged *sway_surface =
+		calloc(1, sizeof(struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged));
+	if (!sway_assert(sway_surface, "Failed to allocate surface")) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	sway_surface->wlr_xwayland_surface = xsurface;
+
+	wl_signal_add(&xsurface->events.destroy, &sway_surface->destroy);
+	sway_surface->destroy.notify = unmanaged_handle_destroy;
+
+	wl_list_insert(&root_container.sway_root->xwayland_unmanaged,
+		&sway_surface->link);
+
+	// TODO: damage tracking
+}
+
+
 static bool assert_xwayland(struct sway_view *view) {
 	return sway_assert(view->type == SWAY_XWAYLAND_VIEW,
 		"Expected xwayland view!");
@@ -121,13 +148,8 @@ static void handle_map(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct sway_view *view = sway_surface->view;
 
 	// put it back into the tree
-	if (wlr_xwayland_surface_is_unmanaged(xsurface) ||
-			xsurface->override_redirect) {
-		view_map_unmanaged(view, xsurface->surface);
-	} else {
-		wlr_xwayland_surface_set_maximized(xsurface, true);
-		view_map(view, xsurface->surface);
-	}
+	wlr_xwayland_surface_set_maximized(xsurface, true);
+	view_map(view, xsurface->surface);
 }
 
 static void handle_request_configure(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
@@ -147,12 +169,19 @@ void handle_xwayland_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 			listener, server, xwayland_surface);
 	struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface = data;
 
+	if (wlr_xwayland_surface_is_unmanaged(xsurface) ||
+			xsurface->override_redirect) {
+		wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "New xwayland unmanaged surface");
+		create_unmanaged(xsurface);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "New xwayland surface title='%s' class='%s'",
-			xsurface->title, xsurface->class);
+		xsurface->title, xsurface->class);
 
 	struct sway_xwayland_surface *sway_surface =
 		calloc(1, sizeof(struct sway_xwayland_surface));
-	if (!sway_assert(sway_surface, "Failed to allocate surface!")) {
+	if (!sway_assert(sway_surface, "Failed to allocate surface")) {
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/sway/input/cursor.c b/sway/input/cursor.c
index d608a9cf0..77ab9e311 100644
--- a/sway/input/cursor.c
+++ b/sway/input/cursor.c
@@ -47,14 +47,15 @@ static struct wlr_surface *layer_surface_at(struct sway_output *output,
 static struct sway_container *container_at_cursor(struct sway_cursor *cursor,
 		struct wlr_surface **surface, double *sx, double *sy) {
 	// check for unmanaged views first
-	struct wl_list *unmanaged = &root_container.sway_root->unmanaged_views;
-	struct sway_view *view;
-	wl_list_for_each_reverse(view, unmanaged, unmanaged_view_link) {
-		if (view->type != SWAY_XWAYLAND_VIEW) {
+	struct wl_list *unmanaged = &root_container.sway_root->xwayland_unmanaged;
+	struct sway_xwayland_unmanaged *sway_surface;
+	wl_list_for_each_reverse(sway_surface, unmanaged, link) {
+		struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface =
+			sway_surface->wlr_xwayland_surface;
+		if (xsurface->surface == NULL) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface = view->wlr_xwayland_surface;
 		struct wlr_box box = {
 			.x = xsurface->x,
 			.y = xsurface->y,
diff --git a/sway/tree/layout.c b/sway/tree/layout.c
index 3fec02a1c..122ea494e 100644
--- a/sway/tree/layout.c
+++ b/sway/tree/layout.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ void layout_init(void) {
 
 	root_container.sway_root = calloc(1, sizeof(*root_container.sway_root));
 	root_container.sway_root->output_layout = wlr_output_layout_create();
-	wl_list_init(&root_container.sway_root->unmanaged_views);
+	wl_list_init(&root_container.sway_root->xwayland_unmanaged);
 	wl_signal_init(&root_container.sway_root->events.new_container);
 
 	root_container.sway_root->output_layout_change.notify =
diff --git a/sway/tree/view.c b/sway/tree/view.c
index 73e3d4452..8f044621f 100644
--- a/sway/tree/view.c
+++ b/sway/tree/view.c
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ struct sway_view *view_create(enum sway_view_type type,
 	}
 	view->type = type;
 	view->impl = impl;
-	wl_list_init(&view->unmanaged_view_link);
 	return view;
 }
 
@@ -27,10 +26,8 @@ void view_destroy(struct sway_view *view) {
 	if (view->surface != NULL) {
 		view_unmap(view);
 	}
-	if (view->swayc != NULL) {
-		container_view_destroy(view->swayc);
-	}
 
+	container_view_destroy(view->swayc);
 	free(view);
 }
 
@@ -106,15 +103,10 @@ void view_damage_from(struct sway_view *view) {
 }
 
 static void view_get_layout_box(struct sway_view *view, struct wlr_box *box) {
-	struct sway_container *cont = container_parent(view->swayc, C_OUTPUT);
+	struct sway_container *output = container_parent(view->swayc, C_OUTPUT);
 
-	struct wlr_output_layout *output_layout =
-		root_container.sway_root->output_layout;
-	struct wlr_box *output_box = wlr_output_layout_get_box(output_layout,
-		cont->sway_output->wlr_output);
-
-	box->x = output_box->x + view->swayc->x;
-	box->y = output_box->y + view->swayc->y;
+	box->x = output->x + view->swayc->x;
+	box->y = output->y + view->swayc->y;
 	box->width = view->width;
 	box->height = view->height;
 }
@@ -161,23 +153,6 @@ void view_map(struct sway_view *view, struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface) {
 	view_update_outputs(view, NULL);
 }
 
-void view_map_unmanaged(struct sway_view *view,
-		struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface) {
-	if (!sway_assert(view->surface == NULL, "cannot map mapped view")) {
-		return;
-	}
-
-	view->surface = wlr_surface;
-	view->swayc = NULL;
-
-	wl_list_insert(&root_container.sway_root->unmanaged_views,
-		&view->unmanaged_view_link);
-
-	view_damage_whole(view);
-	// TODO: make this work for unmanaged views
-	//view_update_outputs(view, NULL);
-}
-
 void view_unmap(struct sway_view *view) {
 	if (!sway_assert(view->surface != NULL, "cannot unmap unmapped view")) {
 		return;
@@ -185,9 +160,6 @@ void view_unmap(struct sway_view *view) {
 
 	view_damage_whole(view);
 
-	wl_list_remove(&view->unmanaged_view_link);
-	wl_list_init(&view->unmanaged_view_link);
-
 	container_view_destroy(view->swayc);
 
 	view->swayc = NULL;