diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index c67b2b7b0..75214baef 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -1282,6 +1282,9 @@ meta_window_actor_sync_actor_geometry (MetaWindowActor *self,
 
   meta_window_get_buffer_rect (priv->window, &window_rect);
 
+  /* Set a color to “see” when it's updated */
+  clutter_actor_set_background_color (CLUTTER_ACTOR (self), CLUTTER_COLOR_Red);
+
   /* When running as a Wayland compositor we catch size changes when new
    * buffers are attached */
   if (META_IS_SURFACE_ACTOR_X11 (priv->surface))
diff --git a/src/ui/frames.c b/src/ui/frames.c
index 129a9e59b..97fc044e1 100644
--- a/src/ui/frames.c
+++ b/src/ui/frames.c
@@ -1385,14 +1385,14 @@ meta_frames_draw (GtkWidget *widget,
   region = get_visible_frame_border_region (frame);
   gdk_cairo_region (cr, region);
   cairo_clip (cr);
-
+#if 0
   /* The target may be cleared to black or transparent, depending
    * on the frame's visual; we don't want decorations to appear
    * differently when the theme's decorations aren't fully opaque,
    * so clear to black first
    */
   cairo_paint (cr);
-
+#endif
   meta_ui_frame_paint (frame, cr);
   cairo_region_destroy (region);
 
diff --git a/src/ui/ui.c b/src/ui/ui.c
index 1e075b62d..94d4a52e0 100644
--- a/src/ui/ui.c
+++ b/src/ui/ui.c
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ meta_ui_create_frame (MetaUI *ui,
   gint attributes_mask;
   GdkWindow *window;
   GdkVisual *visual;
+  GdkRGBA background_color = { 1.0, 1.0, 0.0, 1.0 }; /* yellow to be seen */
 
   screen = gdk_display_get_default_screen (display);
 
@@ -192,6 +193,7 @@ meta_ui_create_frame (MetaUI *ui,
 
   gdk_window_resize (window, width, height);
   set_background_none (xdisplay, GDK_WINDOW_XID (window));
+  gdk_window_set_background_rgba (window, &background_color);
 
   return meta_frames_manage_window (ui->frames, meta_window, GDK_WINDOW_XID (window), window);
 }
