diff --git a/include/pool-buffer.h b/include/pool-buffer.h
index 0ebf787..38e8218 100644
--- a/include/pool-buffer.h
+++ b/include/pool-buffer.h
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@ struct pool_buffer {
 	bool busy;
 };
 
+struct pool_buffer *create_buffer(struct wl_shm *shm, struct pool_buffer *buf,
+	int32_t width, int32_t height, uint32_t format);
 struct pool_buffer *get_next_buffer(struct wl_shm *shm,
-		struct pool_buffer pool[static 2], uint32_t width, uint32_t height);
+	struct pool_buffer pool[static 2], uint32_t width, uint32_t height);
 void destroy_buffer(struct pool_buffer *buffer);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/swaylock.h b/include/swaylock.h
index 9de8ab6..bb71c8c 100644
--- a/include/swaylock.h
+++ b/include/swaylock.h
@@ -98,11 +98,10 @@ struct swaylock_surface {
 	struct swaylock_state *state;
 	struct wl_output *output;
 	uint32_t output_global_name;
-	struct wl_surface *surface;
-	struct wl_surface *child; // surface made into subsurface
+	struct wl_surface *surface; // surface for background
+	struct wl_surface *child; // indicator surface made into subsurface
 	struct wl_subsurface *subsurface;
 	struct ext_session_lock_surface_v1 *ext_session_lock_surface_v1;
-	struct pool_buffer buffers[2];
 	struct pool_buffer indicator_buffers[2];
 	bool frame_pending, dirty;
 	uint32_t width, height;
@@ -110,6 +109,8 @@ struct swaylock_surface {
 	enum wl_output_subpixel subpixel;
 	char *output_name;
 	struct wl_list link;
+	// Dimensions of last wl_buffer committed to background surface
+	int last_buffer_width, last_buffer_height;
 };
 
 // There is exactly one swaylock_image for each -i argument
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 26d30a5..ca89be7 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -100,8 +100,6 @@ static void destroy_surface(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 	if (surface->surface != NULL) {
 		wl_surface_destroy(surface->surface);
 	}
-	destroy_buffer(&surface->buffers[0]);
-	destroy_buffer(&surface->buffers[1]);
 	destroy_buffer(&surface->indicator_buffers[0]);
 	destroy_buffer(&surface->indicator_buffers[1]);
 	wl_output_destroy(surface->output);
diff --git a/pool-buffer.c b/pool-buffer.c
index 02884de..dfb4d0d 100644
--- a/pool-buffer.c
+++ b/pool-buffer.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ static const struct wl_buffer_listener buffer_listener = {
 	.release = buffer_release
 };
 
-static struct pool_buffer *create_buffer(struct wl_shm *shm,
+struct pool_buffer *create_buffer(struct wl_shm *shm,
 		struct pool_buffer *buf, int32_t width, int32_t height,
 		uint32_t format) {
 	uint32_t stride = width * 4;
diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index 3ce7a80..b7febc1 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "cairo.h"
 #include "background-image.h"
 #include "swaylock.h"
+#include "log.h"
 
 #define M_PI 3.14159265358979323846
 const float TYPE_INDICATOR_RANGE = M_PI / 3.0f;
@@ -41,30 +42,40 @@ void render_frame_background(struct swaylock_surface *surface) {
 		return; // not yet configured
 	}
 
-	struct pool_buffer *buffer = get_next_buffer(state->shm,
-			surface->buffers, buffer_width, buffer_height);
-	if (buffer == NULL) {
-		return;
-	}
+	if (buffer_width != surface->last_buffer_width ||
+			buffer_height != surface->last_buffer_height) {
+		struct pool_buffer buffer;
+		if (!create_buffer(state->shm, &buffer, buffer_width, buffer_height,
+				WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888)) {
+			swaylock_log(LOG_ERROR,
+				"Failed to create new buffer for frame background.");
+			return;
+		}
 
-	cairo_t *cairo = buffer->cairo;
-	cairo_set_antialias(cairo, CAIRO_ANTIALIAS_BEST);
+		cairo_t *cairo = buffer.cairo;
+		cairo_set_antialias(cairo, CAIRO_ANTIALIAS_BEST);
 
-	cairo_save(cairo);
-	cairo_set_operator(cairo, CAIRO_OPERATOR_SOURCE);
-	cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, state->args.colors.background);
-	cairo_paint(cairo);
-	if (surface->image && state->args.mode != BACKGROUND_MODE_SOLID_COLOR) {
-		cairo_set_operator(cairo, CAIRO_OPERATOR_OVER);
-		render_background_image(cairo, surface->image,
-			state->args.mode, buffer_width, buffer_height);
+		cairo_save(cairo);
+		cairo_set_operator(cairo, CAIRO_OPERATOR_SOURCE);
+		cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, state->args.colors.background);
+		cairo_paint(cairo);
+		if (surface->image && state->args.mode != BACKGROUND_MODE_SOLID_COLOR) {
+			cairo_set_operator(cairo, CAIRO_OPERATOR_OVER);
+			render_background_image(cairo, surface->image,
+				state->args.mode, buffer_width, buffer_height);
+		}
+		cairo_restore(cairo);
+		cairo_identity_matrix(cairo);
+
+		wl_surface_attach(surface->surface, buffer.buffer, 0, 0);
+		wl_surface_damage_buffer(surface->surface, 0, 0, INT32_MAX, INT32_MAX);
+		destroy_buffer(&buffer);
+
+		surface->last_buffer_width = buffer_width;
+		surface->last_buffer_height = buffer_height;
 	}
-	cairo_restore(cairo);
-	cairo_identity_matrix(cairo);
 
 	wl_surface_set_buffer_scale(surface->surface, surface->scale);
-	wl_surface_attach(surface->surface, buffer->buffer, 0, 0);
-	wl_surface_damage_buffer(surface->surface, 0, 0, INT32_MAX, INT32_MAX);
 	wl_surface_commit(surface->surface);
 }