diff --git a/rootston/output.c b/rootston/output.c
index 62327b0c..6187217e 100644
--- a/rootston/output.c
+++ b/rootston/output.c
@@ -420,10 +420,34 @@ void output_damage_whole_view(struct roots_output *output,
 	// TODO: subsurfaces, popups, etc
 }
 
+static void output_damage_from_surface(struct roots_output *output,
+		struct wlr_surface *surface, double lx, double ly) {
+	if (!wlr_surface_has_buffer(surface)) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	struct wlr_box box;
+	bool intersects = surface_intersect_output(surface,
+		output->desktop->layout, output->wlr_output, lx, ly, &box);
+	if (!intersects) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	pixman_region32_t damage;
+	pixman_region32_init(&damage);
+	pixman_region32_copy(&damage, &surface->current->surface_damage);
+	pixman_region32_translate(&damage, box.x, box.y);
+	pixman_region32_union(&output->damage, &output->damage, &damage);
+	pixman_region32_fini(&damage);
+}
+
 void output_damage_from_view(struct roots_output *output,
 		struct roots_view *view) {
-	// TODO: use surface damage
-	output_damage_whole_view(output, view);
+	if (view->wlr_surface != NULL) {
+		output_damage_from_surface(output, view->wlr_surface, view->x, view->y);
+	}
+
+	// TODO: subsurfaces, popups, etc
 }
 
 static void set_mode(struct wlr_output *output,
diff --git a/types/wlr_output.c b/types/wlr_output.c
index e55243ef..c5f2ce87 100644
--- a/types/wlr_output.c
+++ b/types/wlr_output.c
@@ -332,19 +332,22 @@ void wlr_output_make_current(struct wlr_output *output) {
 	output->impl->make_current(output);
 }
 
-static void output_fullscreen_surface_render(struct wlr_output *output,
-		struct wlr_surface *surface, const struct timespec *when) {
+static void output_fullscreen_surface_get_box(struct wlr_output *output,
+		struct wlr_surface *surface, struct wlr_box *box) {
 	int width, height;
 	wlr_output_effective_resolution(output, &width, &height);
 
 	int x = (width - surface->current->width) / 2;
 	int y = (height - surface->current->height) / 2;
 
-	int render_x = x * output->scale;
-	int render_y = y * output->scale;
-	int render_width = surface->current->width * output->scale;
-	int render_height = surface->current->height * output->scale;
+	box->x = x * output->scale;
+	box->y = y * output->scale;
+	box->width = surface->current->width * output->scale;
+	box->height = surface->current->height * output->scale;
+}
 
+static void output_fullscreen_surface_render(struct wlr_output *output,
+		struct wlr_surface *surface, const struct timespec *when) {
 	glViewport(0, 0, output->width, output->height);
 	glClearColor(0, 0, 0, 0);
 	glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
@@ -353,11 +356,14 @@ static void output_fullscreen_surface_render(struct wlr_output *output,
 		return;
 	}
 
+	struct wlr_box box;
+	output_fullscreen_surface_get_box(output, surface, &box);
+
 	float translate[16];
-	wlr_matrix_translate(&translate, render_x, render_y, 0);
+	wlr_matrix_translate(&translate, box.x, box.y, 0);
 
 	float scale[16];
-	wlr_matrix_scale(&scale, render_width, render_height, 1);
+	wlr_matrix_scale(&scale, box.width, box.height, 1);
 
 	float matrix[16];
 	wlr_matrix_mul(&translate, &scale, &matrix);
@@ -401,14 +407,14 @@ static void output_cursor_render(struct wlr_output_cursor *cursor,
 	glEnable(GL_BLEND);
 	glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
 
-	struct wlr_box cursor_box;
-	output_cursor_get_box(cursor, &cursor_box);
+	struct wlr_box box;
+	output_cursor_get_box(cursor, &box);
 
 	float translate[16];
-	wlr_matrix_translate(&translate, cursor_box.x, cursor_box.y, 0);
+	wlr_matrix_translate(&translate, box.x, box.y, 0);
 
 	float scale[16];
-	wlr_matrix_scale(&scale, cursor_box.width, cursor_box.height, 1);
+	wlr_matrix_scale(&scale, box.width, box.height, 1);
 
 	float matrix[16];
 	wlr_matrix_mul(&translate, &scale, &matrix);
@@ -477,8 +483,17 @@ static void output_fullscreen_surface_handle_commit(
 		struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct wlr_output *output = wl_container_of(listener, output,
 		fullscreen_surface_commit);
-	// TODO: use surface damage
-	output_damage_whole(output);
+	struct wlr_surface *surface = output->fullscreen_surface;
+
+	struct wlr_box box;
+	output_fullscreen_surface_get_box(output, surface, &box);
+
+	pixman_region32_t damage;
+	pixman_region32_init(&damage);
+	pixman_region32_copy(&damage, &surface->current->surface_damage);
+	pixman_region32_translate(&damage, box.x, box.y);
+	pixman_region32_union(&output->damage, &output->damage, &damage);
+	pixman_region32_fini(&damage);
 }
 
 static void output_fullscreen_surface_handle_destroy(
diff --git a/types/wlr_surface.c b/types/wlr_surface.c
index 8e024177..29cc7cad 100644
--- a/types/wlr_surface.c
+++ b/types/wlr_surface.c
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ static void wlr_surface_damage_subsurfaces(struct wlr_subsurface *subsurface) {
 	}
 }
 
-static void wlr_surface_flush_damage(struct wlr_surface *surface,
+static void wlr_surface_apply_damage(struct wlr_surface *surface,
 		bool reupload_buffer) {
 	if (!surface->current->buffer) {
 		return;
@@ -391,9 +391,6 @@ static void wlr_surface_flush_damage(struct wlr_surface *surface,
 	}
 
 release:
-	pixman_region32_clear(&surface->current->surface_damage);
-	pixman_region32_clear(&surface->current->buffer_damage);
-
 	wlr_surface_state_release_buffer(surface->current);
 }
 
@@ -413,7 +410,7 @@ static void wlr_surface_commit_pending(struct wlr_surface *surface) {
 
 	bool reupload_buffer = oldw != surface->current->buffer_width ||
 		oldh != surface->current->buffer_height;
-	wlr_surface_flush_damage(surface, reupload_buffer);
+	wlr_surface_apply_damage(surface, reupload_buffer);
 
 	// commit subsurface order
 	struct wlr_subsurface *subsurface;
@@ -434,6 +431,9 @@ static void wlr_surface_commit_pending(struct wlr_surface *surface) {
 
 	// TODO: add the invalid bitfield to this callback
 	wl_signal_emit(&surface->events.commit, surface);
+
+	pixman_region32_clear(&surface->current->surface_damage);
+	pixman_region32_clear(&surface->current->buffer_damage);
 }
 
 static bool wlr_subsurface_is_synchronized(struct wlr_subsurface *subsurface) {