diff --git a/src/draw.c b/src/draw.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25287e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/draw.c
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#include "draw.h"
+
+#include <cairo.h>
+#include <pango/pango-attributes.h>
+#include <pango/pango-font.h>
+#include <pango/pango-layout.h>
+#include <pango/pango-types.h>
+#include <pango/pangocairo.h>
+
+#include "notification.h"
+#include "x11/x.h"
+
+typedef struct {
+        PangoLayout *l;
+        color_t fg;
+        color_t bg;
+        color_t frame;
+        char *text;
+        PangoAttrList *attr;
+        cairo_surface_t *icon;
+        notification *n;
+} colored_layout;
+
+cairo_surface_t *root_surface;
+cairo_t *c_context;
+
+PangoFontDescription *pango_fdesc;
+
+void draw_setup(void)
+{
+        x_setup();
+
+        root_surface = x_create_cairo_surface();
+        c_context = cairo_create(root_surface);
+        pango_fdesc = pango_font_description_from_string(settings.font);
+}
+
+void draw(void)
+{
+        x_win_draw();
+}
+
+void draw_deinit(void)
+{
+        cairo_destroy(c_context);
+        cairo_surface_destroy(root_surface);
+
+        x_free();
+}
+/* vim: set tabstop=8 shiftwidth=8 expandtab textwidth=0: */
diff --git a/src/draw.h b/src/draw.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de9fb28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/draw.h
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#ifndef DUNST_DRAW_H
+#define DUNST_DRAW_H
+
+void draw_setup(void);
+
+void draw(void);
+
+void draw_deinit(void);
+
+#endif
+/* vim: set tabstop=8 shiftwidth=8 expandtab textwidth=0: */
diff --git a/src/dunst.c b/src/dunst.c
index 2bf6899..f6f3a24 100644
--- a/src/dunst.c
+++ b/src/dunst.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "dbus.h"
+#include "draw.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "menu.h"
 #include "notification.h"
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ static gboolean run(void *data)
         }
 
         if (xctx.visible) {
-                x_win_draw();
+                draw();
         }
 
         if (xctx.visible) {
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ static void teardown(void)
 
         teardown_queues();
 
-        x_free();
+        draw_deinit();
 }
 
 int dunst_main(int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -154,7 +155,7 @@ int dunst_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         int owner_id = initdbus();
 
-        x_setup();
+        draw_setup();
 
         if (settings.startup_notification) {
                 notification *n = notification_create();
diff --git a/src/x11/x.c b/src/x11/x.c
index b0130ab..1c0310f 100644
--- a/src/x11/x.c
+++ b/src/x11/x.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include "src/draw.h"
 #include "src/dbus.h"
 #include "src/dunst.h"
 #include "src/icon.h"
@@ -148,6 +149,12 @@ static void x_cairo_setup(void)
         cairo_ctx.desc = pango_font_description_from_string(settings.font);
 }
 
+cairo_surface_t *x_create_cairo_surface(void)
+{
+        return cairo_xlib_surface_create(xctx.dpy,
+                        xctx.win, DefaultVisual(xctx.dpy, 0), WIDTH, HEIGHT);
+}
+
 static void r_setup_pango_layout(PangoLayout *layout, int width)
 {
         pango_layout_set_wrap(layout, PANGO_WRAP_WORD_CHAR);
@@ -725,7 +732,7 @@ gboolean x_mainloop_fd_dispatch(GSource *source, GSourceFunc callback, gpointer
                 switch (ev.type) {
                 case Expose:
                         if (ev.xexpose.count == 0 && xctx.visible) {
-                                x_win_draw();
+                                draw();
                         }
                         break;
                 case SelectionNotify:
@@ -790,7 +797,7 @@ gboolean x_mainloop_fd_dispatch(GSource *source, GSourceFunc callback, gpointer
                          */
                                    && xctx.visible
                                    && get_active_screen()->scr != xctx.cur_screen) {
-                                x_win_draw();
+                                draw();
                         }
                         break;
                 default:
diff --git a/src/x11/x.h b/src/x11/x.h
index 8ee757a..b6ac16e 100644
--- a/src/x11/x.h
+++ b/src/x11/x.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #ifndef DUNST_X_H
 #define DUNST_X_H
 
+#include <cairo.h>
 #include <X11/X.h>
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
 #include <X11/extensions/scrnsaver.h>
@@ -59,6 +60,8 @@ bool x_is_idle(void);
 void x_setup(void);
 void x_free(void);
 
+cairo_surface_t *x_create_cairo_surface(void);
+
 gboolean x_mainloop_fd_dispatch(GSource *source, GSourceFunc callback,
                                 gpointer user_data);
 gboolean x_mainloop_fd_check(GSource *source);