diff --git a/panel/panel-base-window.c b/panel/panel-base-window.c
index 8bdb298..ad88641 100644
--- a/panel/panel-base-window.c
+++ b/panel/panel-base-window.c
@@ -192,6 +192,9 @@ panel_base_window_class_init (PanelBaseWindowClass *klass)
 static void
 panel_base_window_init (PanelBaseWindow *window)
 {
+  GdkColormap *colormap;
+  GdkScreen   *screen;
+
   window->priv = G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE (window, PANEL_TYPE_BASE_WINDOW, PanelBaseWindowPrivate);
 
   window->is_composited = FALSE;
@@ -210,7 +213,18 @@ panel_base_window_init (PanelBaseWindow *window)
    * the type-hint already takes care of that */
   gtk_window_stick (GTK_WINDOW (window));
 
-  panel_base_window_composited_changed (GTK_WIDGET (window));
+  /* set the rgba colormap if supported by the screen */
+  screen = gtk_window_get_screen (GTK_WINDOW (window));
+  colormap = gdk_screen_get_rgba_colormap (screen);
+  if (colormap != NULL)
+    {
+      gtk_widget_set_colormap (GTK_WIDGET (window), colormap);
+      window->is_composited = gtk_widget_is_composited (GTK_WIDGET (window));
+    }
+
+   panel_debug (PANEL_DEBUG_BASE_WINDOW,
+               "%p: rgba colormap=%s", window,
+               PANEL_DEBUG_BOOL (colormap != NULL));
 }
 
 
@@ -641,50 +655,17 @@ static void
 panel_base_window_composited_changed (GtkWidget *widget)
 {
   PanelBaseWindow *window = PANEL_BASE_WINDOW (widget);
-  GdkColormap     *colormap = NULL;
   gboolean         was_composited = window->is_composited;
-  gboolean         was_visible;
-  GdkScreen       *screen;
-  gboolean         colormap_changed;
-  gboolean         colormap_rgba = FALSE;
-
-  panel_return_if_fail (PANEL_IS_BASE_WINDOW (widget));
+  GdkWindow       *gdkwindow;
 
-  /* get the widget screen */
-  screen = gtk_window_get_screen (GTK_WINDOW (widget));
-  panel_return_if_fail (GDK_IS_SCREEN (screen));
-
-  /* get the rgba colormap */
-  colormap = gdk_screen_get_rgba_colormap (screen);
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (colormap == NULL))
-    {
-      window->is_composited = FALSE;
-      colormap = gdk_screen_get_rgb_colormap (screen);
-    }
-  else
-    {
-      colormap_rgba = TRUE;
-      window->is_composited = gtk_widget_is_composited (widget);
-      gtk_window_set_opacity (GTK_WINDOW (widget), window->priv->leave_opacity);
-    }
-
-  panel_return_if_fail (GDK_IS_COLORMAP (colormap));
-  colormap_changed = gtk_widget_get_colormap (widget) != colormap;
+  /* set new compositing state */
+  window->is_composited = gtk_widget_is_composited (widget);
+  if (window->is_composited)
+    gtk_window_set_opacity (GTK_WINDOW (widget), window->priv->leave_opacity);
 
   panel_debug (PANEL_DEBUG_BASE_WINDOW,
-               "%p: composited=%s, rgba=%s, visible=%s", window,
-               PANEL_DEBUG_BOOL (gtk_widget_is_composited (widget)),
-               PANEL_DEBUG_BOOL (colormap_rgba),
-               PANEL_DEBUG_BOOL (GTK_WIDGET_VISIBLE (widget)));
-
-  was_visible = GTK_WIDGET_VISIBLE (widget);
-  if (was_visible)
-    {
-      gtk_widget_hide (widget);
-
-      if (colormap_changed)
-        gtk_widget_unrealize (widget);
-    }
+               "%p: compositing=%s", window,
+               PANEL_DEBUG_BOOL (window->is_composited));
 
   /* clear cairo image cache */
   if (window->priv->bg_image_cache != NULL)
@@ -693,20 +674,12 @@ panel_base_window_composited_changed (GtkWidget *widget)
       window->priv->bg_image_cache = NULL;
     }
 
-  if (colormap_changed)
-    gtk_widget_set_colormap (widget, colormap);
-
-  if (was_visible)
-    {
-      /* restore the window */
-      if (colormap_changed)
-        gtk_widget_realize (widget);
-      gtk_widget_show (widget);
-    }
-
-  /* emit the property if it changed */
   if (window->is_composited != was_composited)
     g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (widget), "composited");
+
+  gdkwindow = gtk_widget_get_window (widget);
+  if (gdkwindow != NULL)
+    gdk_window_invalidate_rect (gdkwindow, NULL, TRUE);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/panel/panel-window.c b/panel/panel-window.c
index 046e2ec..1d5424d 100644
--- a/panel/panel-window.c
+++ b/panel/panel-window.c
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ static void         panel_window_style_set                  (GtkWidget        *w
 static void         panel_window_realize                    (GtkWidget        *widget);
 static StrutsEgde   panel_window_screen_struts_edge         (PanelWindow      *window);
 static void         panel_window_screen_struts_set          (PanelWindow      *window);
-static void         panel_window_screen_force_update        (PanelWindow      *window);
 static void         panel_window_screen_update_borders      (PanelWindow      *window);
 static SnapPosition panel_window_snap_position              (PanelWindow      *window);
 static void         panel_window_display_layout_debug       (GtkWidget        *widget);
@@ -457,10 +456,6 @@ panel_window_init (PanelWindow *window)
 
   /* set the screen */
   panel_window_screen_changed (GTK_WIDGET (window), NULL);
-
-  /* watch changes in the compositing */
-  g_signal_connect (G_OBJECT (window), "notify::composited",
-      G_CALLBACK (panel_window_screen_force_update), NULL);
 }
 
 
@@ -1577,25 +1572,6 @@ panel_window_screen_struts_set (PanelWindow *window)
 
 
 static void
-panel_window_screen_force_update (PanelWindow *window)
-{
-  panel_return_if_fail (PANEL_IS_WINDOW (window));
-
-  if (GTK_WIDGET_VISIBLE (window))
-    {
-      /* make sure the struts are set again, when enabled */
-      if (window->struts_edge != STRUTS_EDGE_NONE
-          && window->autohide_state == AUTOHIDE_DISABLED)
-        window->struts[0] = -1;
-
-      /* update the panel position */
-      panel_window_screen_layout_changed (window->screen, window);
-    }
-}
-
-
-
-static void
 panel_window_screen_update_borders (PanelWindow *window)
 {
   PanelBorders borders = PANEL_BORDER_NONE;