diff --git a/src/xwayland_xdg_shell/client.rs b/src/xwayland_xdg_shell/client.rs
index 51eb466d..225e5d18 100644
--- a/src/xwayland_xdg_shell/client.rs
+++ b/src/xwayland_xdg_shell/client.rs
@@ -1304,6 +1304,12 @@ impl WaylandSurface for SubSurface {
     }
 }
 
+impl Drop for SubSurface {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.subsurface.destroy();
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct XWaylandSubSurface {
     pub local_subsurface: SubSurface,
@@ -1330,10 +1336,10 @@ impl XWaylandSubSurface {
             .unwrap();
 
         let local_subsurface = SubSurface {
-            subsurface: subsurface.clone(),
+            subsurface,
             surface: local_surface,
         };
-        subsurface.set_desync();
+        local_subsurface.subsurface.set_desync();
 
         let x11_surface = surface.get_x11_surface().location(loc!())?;
         let geometry = x11_surface.geometry();
diff --git a/src/xwayland_xdg_shell/mod.rs b/src/xwayland_xdg_shell/mod.rs
index ad763323..92df63d8 100644
--- a/src/xwayland_xdg_shell/mod.rs
+++ b/src/xwayland_xdg_shell/mod.rs
@@ -399,7 +399,6 @@ impl WprsState {
             self.remove_surface(&child);
         }
 
-        self.surface_bimap.remove_by_left(surface_id);
         if let Some(xwayland_surface) = self.surfaces.remove(surface_id) {
             if let Some(parent) = xwayland_surface.parent {
                 let parent_xwayland_surface = self.surfaces.get_mut(&parent.surface_id).unwrap();
@@ -408,6 +407,12 @@ impl WprsState {
                     .retain(|child_surface_id| child_surface_id != surface_id);
             }
         }
+
+        // this MUST come after removing xwayland_surface, because xwayland_surface's role needs
+        // to be destroyed before it's client wl_surface.
+        // ultimately, the wayland object should be destroyed in order from:
+        // xdg_popup/xdg_toplevel -> xdg_surface -> wl_surface
+        self.surface_bimap.remove_by_left(surface_id);
     }
 
     #[instrument(