diff --git a/src/protocols/LayerShell.cpp b/src/protocols/LayerShell.cpp
index 295ef4a9..17d3b22a 100644
--- a/src/protocols/LayerShell.cpp
+++ b/src/protocols/LayerShell.cpp
@@ -175,10 +175,6 @@ CLayerShellResource::~CLayerShellResource() {
         surface->resetRole();
 }
 
-eSurfaceRole CLayerShellResource::role() {
-    return SURFACE_ROLE_LAYER_SHELL;
-}
-
 bool CLayerShellResource::good() {
     return resource->resource();
 }
@@ -245,8 +241,12 @@ void CLayerShellProtocol::onGetLayerSurface(CZwlrLayerShellV1* pMgr, uint32_t id
         return;
     }
 
-    SURF->role = RESOURCE;
+    SURF->role = makeShared<CLayerShellRole>(RESOURCE);
     g_pCompositor->m_vLayers.emplace_back(CLayerSurface::create(RESOURCE));
 
     LOGM(LOG, "New wlr_layer_surface {:x}", (uintptr_t)RESOURCE.get());
 }
+
+CLayerShellRole::CLayerShellRole(SP<CLayerShellResource> ls) : layerSurface(ls) {
+    ;
+}
diff --git a/src/protocols/LayerShell.hpp b/src/protocols/LayerShell.hpp
index ee0b7859..801bdfd6 100644
--- a/src/protocols/LayerShell.hpp
+++ b/src/protocols/LayerShell.hpp
@@ -12,16 +12,26 @@
 
 class CMonitor;
 class CWLSurfaceResource;
+class CLayerShellResource;
 
-class CLayerShellResource : public ISurfaceRole {
+class CLayerShellRole : public ISurfaceRole {
+  public:
+    CLayerShellRole(SP<CLayerShellResource> ls);
+
+    virtual eSurfaceRole role() {
+        return SURFACE_ROLE_LAYER_SHELL;
+    }
+
+    WP<CLayerShellResource> layerSurface;
+};
+class CLayerShellResource {
   public:
     CLayerShellResource(SP<CZwlrLayerSurfaceV1> resource_, SP<CWLSurfaceResource> surf_, std::string namespace_, CMonitor* pMonitor, zwlrLayerShellV1Layer layer);
     ~CLayerShellResource();
 
-    bool                 good();
-    void                 configure(const Vector2D& size);
-    void                 sendClosed();
-    virtual eSurfaceRole role();
+    bool good();
+    void configure(const Vector2D& size);
+    void sendClosed();
 
     enum eCommittedState {
         STATE_SIZE          = (1 << 0),
diff --git a/src/protocols/XDGShell.cpp b/src/protocols/XDGShell.cpp
index 5e82b530..4aa5d373 100644
--- a/src/protocols/XDGShell.cpp
+++ b/src/protocols/XDGShell.cpp
@@ -443,10 +443,6 @@ CXDGSurfaceResource::~CXDGSurfaceResource() {
         surface->resetRole();
 }
 
-eSurfaceRole CXDGSurfaceResource::role() {
-    return SURFACE_ROLE_XDG_SHELL;
-}
-
 bool CXDGSurfaceResource::good() {
     return resource->resource();
 }
@@ -668,7 +664,7 @@ CXDGWMBase::CXDGWMBase(SP<CXdgWmBase> resource_) : resource(resource_) {
 
         RESOURCE->self    = RESOURCE;
         RESOURCE->surface = SURF;
-        SURF->role        = RESOURCE;
+        SURF->role        = makeShared<CXDGSurfaceRole>(RESOURCE);
 
         surfaces.emplace_back(RESOURCE);
 
@@ -765,3 +761,7 @@ void CXDGShellProtocol::onPopupDestroy(WP<CXDGPopupResource> popup) {
     if (popup->surface)
         grab->remove(popup->surface->surface.lock());
 }
+
+CXDGSurfaceRole::CXDGSurfaceRole(SP<CXDGSurfaceResource> xdg) : xdgSurface(xdg) {
+    ;
+}
diff --git a/src/protocols/XDGShell.hpp b/src/protocols/XDGShell.hpp
index e6812c38..81d10613 100644
--- a/src/protocols/XDGShell.hpp
+++ b/src/protocols/XDGShell.hpp
@@ -141,15 +141,24 @@ class CXDGToplevelResource {
     void             applyState();
 };
 
-class CXDGSurfaceResource : public ISurfaceRole {
+class CXDGSurfaceRole : public ISurfaceRole {
+  public:
+    CXDGSurfaceRole(SP<CXDGSurfaceResource> xdg);
+
+    virtual eSurfaceRole role() {
+        return SURFACE_ROLE_XDG_SHELL;
+    }
+
+    WP<CXDGSurfaceResource> xdgSurface;
+};
+
+class CXDGSurfaceResource {
   public:
     CXDGSurfaceResource(SP<CXdgSurface> resource_, SP<CXDGWMBase> owner_, SP<CWLSurfaceResource> surface_);
     ~CXDGSurfaceResource();
 
     static SP<CXDGSurfaceResource> fromResource(wl_resource*);
 
-    virtual eSurfaceRole           role();
-
     bool                           good();
 
     WP<CXDGWMBase>                 owner;
diff --git a/src/protocols/core/Compositor.cpp b/src/protocols/core/Compositor.cpp
index bff52133..4a6fa40f 100644
--- a/src/protocols/core/Compositor.cpp
+++ b/src/protocols/core/Compositor.cpp
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ void CWLSurfaceResource::bfHelper(std::vector<SP<CWLSurfaceResource>> nodes, std
     for (auto& n : nodes) {
         Vector2D offset = {};
         if (n->role->role() == SURFACE_ROLE_SUBSURFACE) {
-            auto subsurface = (CWLSubsurfaceResource*)n->role.get();
+            auto subsurface = ((CSubsurfaceRole*)n->role.get())->subsurface.lock();
             offset          = subsurface->posRelativeToParent();
         }
 
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ void CWLSurfaceResource::commitPendingState() {
 
     // TODO: we should _accumulate_ and not replace above if sync
     if (role->role() == SURFACE_ROLE_SUBSURFACE) {
-        auto subsurface = (CWLSubsurfaceResource*)role.get();
+        auto subsurface = ((CSubsurfaceRole*)role.get())->subsurface.lock();
         if (subsurface->sync)
             return;
 
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ void CWLSurfaceResource::commitPendingState() {
         breadthfirst(
             [](SP<CWLSurfaceResource> surf, const Vector2D& offset, void* data) {
                 if (surf->role->role() == SURFACE_ROLE_SUBSURFACE) {
-                    auto subsurface = (CWLSubsurfaceResource*)surf->role.get();
+                    auto subsurface = ((CSubsurfaceRole*)surf->role.get())->subsurface.lock();
                     if (!subsurface->sync)
                         return;
                 }
diff --git a/src/protocols/core/Subcompositor.cpp b/src/protocols/core/Subcompositor.cpp
index 90f89d91..2a7c06dc 100644
--- a/src/protocols/core/Subcompositor.cpp
+++ b/src/protocols/core/Subcompositor.cpp
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ Vector2D CWLSubsurfaceResource::posRelativeToParent() {
     while (surf->role->role() == SURFACE_ROLE_SUBSURFACE &&
            std::find_if(surfacesVisited.begin(), surfacesVisited.end(), [surf](const auto& other) { return surf == other; }) == surfacesVisited.end()) {
         surfacesVisited.emplace_back(surf);
-        auto subsurface = (CWLSubsurfaceResource*)parent->role.get();
+        auto subsurface = ((CSubsurfaceRole*)parent->role.get())->subsurface.lock();
         pos += subsurface->position;
         surf = subsurface->parent.lock();
     }
@@ -130,10 +130,6 @@ bool CWLSubsurfaceResource::good() {
     return resource->resource();
 }
 
-eSurfaceRole CWLSubsurfaceResource::role() {
-    return SURFACE_ROLE_SUBSURFACE;
-}
-
 SP<CWLSurfaceResource> CWLSubsurfaceResource::t1Parent() {
     SP<CWLSurfaceResource>              surf = parent.lock();
     std::vector<SP<CWLSurfaceResource>> surfacesVisited;
@@ -141,7 +137,7 @@ SP<CWLSurfaceResource> CWLSubsurfaceResource::t1Parent() {
     while (surf->role->role() == SURFACE_ROLE_SUBSURFACE &&
            std::find_if(surfacesVisited.begin(), surfacesVisited.end(), [surf](const auto& other) { return surf == other; }) == surfacesVisited.end()) {
         surfacesVisited.emplace_back(surf);
-        auto subsurface = (CWLSubsurfaceResource*)parent->role.get();
+        auto subsurface = ((CSubsurfaceRole*)parent->role.get())->subsurface.lock();
         surf            = subsurface->parent.lock();
     }
     return surf;
@@ -171,7 +167,7 @@ CWLSubcompositorResource::CWLSubcompositorResource(SP<CWlSubcompositor> resource
         SP<CWLSurfaceResource> t1Parent = nullptr;
 
         if (PARENT->role->role() == SURFACE_ROLE_SUBSURFACE) {
-            auto subsurface = (CWLSubsurfaceResource*)PARENT->role.get();
+            auto subsurface = ((CSubsurfaceRole*)PARENT->role.get())->subsurface.lock();
             t1Parent        = subsurface->t1Parent();
         } else
             t1Parent = PARENT;
@@ -191,7 +187,7 @@ CWLSubcompositorResource::CWLSubcompositorResource(SP<CWlSubcompositor> resource
         }
 
         RESOURCE->self = RESOURCE;
-        SURF->role     = RESOURCE;
+        SURF->role     = makeShared<CSubsurfaceRole>(RESOURCE);
         PARENT->subsurfaces.emplace_back(RESOURCE);
 
         LOGM(LOG, "New wl_subsurface with id {} at {:x}", id, (uintptr_t)RESOURCE.get());
@@ -225,3 +221,7 @@ void CWLSubcompositorProtocol::destroyResource(CWLSubcompositorResource* resourc
 void CWLSubcompositorProtocol::destroyResource(CWLSubsurfaceResource* resource) {
     std::erase_if(m_vSurfaces, [&](const auto& other) { return other.get() == resource; });
 }
+
+CSubsurfaceRole::CSubsurfaceRole(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> sub) : subsurface(sub) {
+    ;
+}
diff --git a/src/protocols/core/Subcompositor.hpp b/src/protocols/core/Subcompositor.hpp
index 824f0ffc..2e6b10bb 100644
--- a/src/protocols/core/Subcompositor.hpp
+++ b/src/protocols/core/Subcompositor.hpp
@@ -16,15 +16,26 @@
 #include "../types/SurfaceRole.hpp"
 
 class CWLSurfaceResource;
+class CWLSubsurfaceResource;
 
-class CWLSubsurfaceResource : public ISurfaceRole {
+class CSubsurfaceRole : public ISurfaceRole {
+  public:
+    CSubsurfaceRole(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> sub);
+
+    virtual eSurfaceRole role() {
+        return SURFACE_ROLE_SUBSURFACE;
+    }
+
+    WP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> subsurface;
+};
+
+class CWLSubsurfaceResource {
   public:
     CWLSubsurfaceResource(SP<CWlSubsurface> resource_, SP<CWLSurfaceResource> surface_, SP<CWLSurfaceResource> parent_);
     ~CWLSubsurfaceResource();
 
     Vector2D                  posRelativeToParent();
     bool                      good();
-    virtual eSurfaceRole      role();
     SP<CWLSurfaceResource>    t1Parent();
 
     bool                      sync = false;