diff --git a/include/rootston/desktop.h b/include/rootston/desktop.h
index 62050972..ef361d87 100644
--- a/include/rootston/desktop.h
+++ b/include/rootston/desktop.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ struct roots_desktop {
 	struct wl_listener output_add;
 	struct wl_listener output_remove;
 	struct wl_listener xdg_shell_v6_surface;
+	struct wl_listener wl_shell_surface;
 };
 
 struct roots_server;
@@ -55,5 +56,6 @@ void output_add_notify(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data);
 void output_remove_notify(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data);
 
 void handle_xdg_shell_v6_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data);
+void handle_wl_shell_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h
index 1443bbf0..614d785b 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h
@@ -7,20 +7,35 @@ struct wlr_wl_shell {
 	struct wl_global *wl_global;
 	struct wl_list wl_resources;
 	struct wl_list surfaces;
+	uint32_t ping_timeout;
+
+	struct {
+		struct wl_signal new_surface;
+	} events;
 
 	void *data;
 };
 
 struct wlr_wl_shell_surface {
+	struct wlr_wl_shell *shell;
+	struct wl_client *client;
 	struct wl_resource *surface;
 	struct wlr_texture *wlr_texture;
 	struct wl_list link;
 
+	uint32_t ping_serial;
+	struct wl_event_source *ping_timer;
+
+	struct {
+		struct wl_signal ping_timeout;
+	} events;
+
 	void *data;
 };
 
-
 struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell_create(struct wl_display *display);
 void wlr_wl_shell_destroy(struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell);
 
+void wlr_wl_shell_surface_ping(struct wlr_wl_shell_surface *surface);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/rootston/desktop.c b/rootston/desktop.c
index f0495fa1..f9af3b8e 100644
--- a/rootston/desktop.c
+++ b/rootston/desktop.c
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ struct roots_desktop *desktop_create(struct roots_server *server,
 	desktop->layout = wlr_output_layout_create();
 	desktop->compositor = wlr_compositor_create(
 			server->wl_display, server->renderer);
-	desktop->wl_shell = wlr_wl_shell_create(server->wl_display);
 
 	wlr_cursor_attach_output_layout(server->input->cursor, desktop->layout);
 	wlr_cursor_map_to_region(server->input->cursor, config->cursor.mapped_box);
@@ -79,6 +78,11 @@ struct roots_desktop *desktop_create(struct roots_server *server,
 		&desktop->xdg_shell_v6_surface);
 	desktop->xdg_shell_v6_surface.notify = handle_xdg_shell_v6_surface;
 
+	desktop->wl_shell = wlr_wl_shell_create(server->wl_display);
+	wl_signal_add(&desktop->wl_shell->events.new_surface,
+		&desktop->wl_shell_surface);
+	desktop->wl_shell_surface.notify = handle_wl_shell_surface;
+
 	desktop->gamma_control_manager = wlr_gamma_control_manager_create(
 			server->wl_display);
 
diff --git a/rootston/meson.build b/rootston/meson.build
index 30ae1548..de2d04de 100644
--- a/rootston/meson.build
+++ b/rootston/meson.build
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ executable(
 		'main.c',
 		'output.c',
 		'pointer.c',
-		'xdg_shell_v6.c'
+		'xdg_shell_v6.c',
+		'wl_shell.c'
 	], dependencies: wlroots
 )
diff --git a/rootston/wl_shell.c b/rootston/wl_shell.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0dcc0565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rootston/wl_shell.c
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <wayland-server.h>
+#include <wlr/types/wlr_box.h>
+#include <wlr/types/wlr_surface.h>
+#include <wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h>
+#include <wlr/util/log.h>
+#include "rootston/desktop.h"
+#include "rootston/server.h"
+#include "rootston/input.h"
+
+void handle_wl_shell_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
+	struct roots_desktop *desktop =
+		wl_container_of(listener, desktop, wl_shell_surface);
+
+	struct wlr_wl_shell_surface *surface = data;
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "new wl_shell surface");
+	wlr_wl_shell_surface_ping(surface);
+}
diff --git a/types/wlr_wl_shell.c b/types/wlr_wl_shell.c
index 84b40fc3..745299bf 100644
--- a/types/wlr_wl_shell.c
+++ b/types/wlr_wl_shell.c
@@ -3,10 +3,19 @@
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <wayland-server-protocol.h>
 
 static void shell_surface_pong(struct wl_client *client, struct wl_resource
 		*resource, uint32_t serial) {
 	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: implement shell surface pong");
+	struct wlr_wl_shell_surface *surface = wl_resource_get_user_data(resource);
+
+	if (surface->ping_serial != serial) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	wl_event_source_timer_update(surface->ping_timer, 0);
+	surface->ping_serial = 0;
 }
 
 static void shell_surface_move(struct wl_client *client, struct wl_resource
@@ -77,6 +86,14 @@ static void destroy_shell_surface(struct wl_resource *resource) {
 	free(state);
 }
 
+static int wlr_wl_shell_surface_ping_timeout(void *user_data) {
+	struct wlr_wl_shell_surface *surface = user_data;
+	wl_signal_emit(&surface->events.ping_timeout, surface);
+
+	surface->ping_serial = 0;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 static void wl_shell_get_shell_surface(struct wl_client *client,
 		struct wl_resource *resource, uint32_t id,
 		struct wl_resource *surface) {
@@ -84,14 +101,33 @@ static void wl_shell_get_shell_surface(struct wl_client *client,
 	struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell = wl_resource_get_user_data(resource);
 	struct wlr_wl_shell_surface *state =
 		calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_wl_shell_surface));
+	if (state == NULL) {
+		wl_client_post_no_memory(client);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	state->shell = wlr_wl_shell;
+	state->client = client;
 	state->wlr_texture = wlr_texture;
 	state->surface = surface;
+
 	struct wl_resource *shell_surface_resource = wl_resource_create(client,
 			&wl_shell_surface_interface, wl_resource_get_version(resource), id);
 	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "New wl_shell %p (res %p)", state, shell_surface_resource);
 	wl_resource_set_implementation(shell_surface_resource,
 			&shell_surface_interface, state, destroy_shell_surface);
 	wl_list_insert(&wlr_wl_shell->surfaces, &state->link);
+	wl_signal_emit(&wlr_wl_shell->events.new_surface, state);
+
+	wl_signal_init(&state->events.ping_timeout);
+
+	struct wl_display *display = wl_client_get_display(client);
+	struct wl_event_loop *loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(display);
+	state->ping_timer = wl_event_loop_add_timer(loop,
+		wlr_wl_shell_surface_ping_timeout, state);
+	if (state->ping_timer == NULL) {
+		wl_client_post_no_memory(client);
+	}
 }
 
 static struct wl_shell_interface wl_shell_impl = {
@@ -124,6 +160,7 @@ struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell_create(struct wl_display *display) {
 	if (!wlr_wl_shell) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
+	wlr_wl_shell->ping_timeout = 10000;
 	struct wl_global *wl_global = wl_global_create(display,
 		&wl_shell_interface, 1, wlr_wl_shell, wl_shell_bind);
 	if (!wl_global) {
@@ -133,6 +170,7 @@ struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell_create(struct wl_display *display) {
 	wlr_wl_shell->wl_global = wl_global;
 	wl_list_init(&wlr_wl_shell->wl_resources);
 	wl_list_init(&wlr_wl_shell->surfaces);
+	wl_signal_init(&wlr_wl_shell->events.new_surface);
 	return wlr_wl_shell;
 }
 
@@ -150,3 +188,17 @@ void wlr_wl_shell_destroy(struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell) {
 	// wl_global_destroy(wlr_wl_shell->wl_global);
 	free(wlr_wl_shell);
 }
+
+void wlr_wl_shell_surface_ping(struct wlr_wl_shell_surface *surface) {
+	if (surface->ping_serial != 0) {
+		// already pinged
+		return;
+	}
+
+	surface->ping_serial =
+		wl_display_next_serial(wl_client_get_display(surface->client));
+	wl_event_source_timer_update(surface->ping_timer,
+		surface->shell->ping_timeout);
+	wl_shell_surface_send_ping(surface->surface,
+		surface->ping_serial);
+}