diff --git a/desktop-shell/shell.c b/desktop-shell/shell.c
index c962d269..3d586eca 100644
--- a/desktop-shell/shell.c
+++ b/desktop-shell/shell.c
@@ -508,8 +508,7 @@ create_focus_surface(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 	fsurf->view = weston_view_create (surface);
 	fsurf->view->output = output;
 
-	surface->width = output->width;
-	surface->height = output->height;
+	weston_surface_set_size(surface, output->width, output->height);
 	weston_view_set_position(fsurf->view, output->x, output->y);
 	weston_surface_set_color(surface, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
 	pixman_region32_fini(&surface->opaque);
@@ -2471,8 +2470,7 @@ create_black_surface(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 	pixman_region32_fini(&surface->input);
 	pixman_region32_init_rect(&surface->input, 0, 0, w, h);
 
-	surface->width = w;
-	surface->height = h;
+	weston_surface_set_size(surface, w, y);
 	weston_view_set_position(view, x, y);
 
 	return view;
@@ -4593,8 +4591,7 @@ shell_fade_create_surface(struct desktop_shell *shell)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	surface->width = 8192;
-	surface->height = 8192;
+	weston_surface_set_size(surface, 8192, 8192);
 	weston_view_set_position(view, 0, 0);
 	weston_surface_set_color(surface, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
 	wl_list_insert(&compositor->fade_layer.view_list,
diff --git a/src/compositor.c b/src/compositor.c
index c4ffb5e9..d273e3fa 100644
--- a/src/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor.c
@@ -1219,8 +1219,7 @@ weston_surface_is_mapped(struct weston_surface *surface)
 }
 
 static void
-weston_surface_set_size(struct weston_surface *surface,
-			int32_t width, int32_t height)
+surface_set_size(struct weston_surface *surface, int32_t width, int32_t height)
 {
 	struct weston_view *view;
 
@@ -1234,13 +1233,21 @@ weston_surface_set_size(struct weston_surface *surface,
 		weston_view_geometry_dirty(view);
 }
 
+WL_EXPORT void
+weston_surface_set_size(struct weston_surface *surface,
+			int32_t width, int32_t height)
+{
+	assert(!surface->resource);
+	surface_set_size(surface, width, height);
+}
+
 static void
 weston_surface_set_size_from_buffer(struct weston_surface *surface)
 {
 	int32_t width, height;
 
 	if (!surface->buffer_ref.buffer) {
-		weston_surface_set_size(surface, 0, 0);
+		surface_set_size(surface, 0, 0);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -1260,7 +1267,7 @@ weston_surface_set_size_from_buffer(struct weston_surface *surface)
 
 	width = width / surface->buffer_viewport.scale;
 	height = height / surface->buffer_viewport.scale;
-	weston_surface_set_size(surface, width, height);
+	surface_set_size(surface, width, height);
 }
 
 WL_EXPORT uint32_t
diff --git a/src/compositor.h b/src/compositor.h
index f5a0ba42..f32a4976 100644
--- a/src/compositor.h
+++ b/src/compositor.h
@@ -1152,6 +1152,10 @@ weston_view_schedule_repaint(struct weston_view *view);
 int
 weston_surface_is_mapped(struct weston_surface *surface);
 
+WL_EXPORT void
+weston_surface_set_size(struct weston_surface *surface,
+			int32_t width, int32_t height);
+
 void
 weston_surface_schedule_repaint(struct weston_surface *surface);