diff --git a/src/backend/wayland/wl_framebuf.c b/src/backend/wayland/wl_framebuf.c
index a4a1987..87bed74 100644
--- a/src/backend/wayland/wl_framebuf.c
+++ b/src/backend/wayland/wl_framebuf.c
@@ -738,35 +738,48 @@ wl_frame_paint_button(WCoreWindow *button, WTexture *texture,
         wwarning("btn: no fwin");
         return;
     }
-    wwarning("btn: paint button=%p is_right=%d", (void*)button, button == fwin->right_button ? 1 : 0);
-
     struct wl_frame_buf *btn_fb = frame_buf_find(button->window);
     if (!btn_fb || !btn_fb->image) {
-        wwarning("btn: no fb or no image (fb=%p)", (void*)btn_fb);
         return;
     }
 
     int bw = btn_fb->width;
     int bh = btn_fb->height;
+    if (bw < 3 || bh < 3)
+        return;
+
+    /* Build button icon RImages once (avoids XPM parser dependency) */
+    if (!wl_state.btn_close_img) {
+        wl_state.btn_close_img = RCreateImage(10, 10, True);
+        if (wl_state.btn_close_img) {
+            unsigned char *d = wl_state.btn_close_img->data;
+            memset(d, 0, 10 * 10 * 4);
+            for (int _i = 0; _i < 10; _i++) {
+                int _j = _i, _k = 9 - _i;
+                d[(_j * 10 + _i) * 4 + 3] = 0xFF;  /* alpha=255 on X diagonals */
+                d[(_k * 10 + _i) * 4 + 3] = 0xFF;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if (!wl_state.btn_iconify_img) {
+        wl_state.btn_iconify_img = RCreateImage(10, 10, True);
+        if (wl_state.btn_iconify_img) {
+            unsigned char *d = wl_state.btn_iconify_img->data;
+            memset(d, 0, 10 * 10 * 4);
+            for (int _i = 0; _i < 10; _i++) {
+                d[(8 * 10 + _i) * 4 + 3] = 0xFF;  /* alpha=255 on two rows */
+                d[(9 * 10 + _i) * 4 + 3] = 0xFF;
+            }
+        }
+    }
 
     RImage *icon = NULL;
-    if (button == fwin->right_button) {
-        if (!wl_state.btn_close_img)
-            wl_state.btn_close_img = RGetImageFromXPMData(
-                button->screen_ptr->rcontext, PRED_CLOSE_XPM);
+    if (button == fwin->right_button)
         icon = wl_state.btn_close_img;
-        wwarning("btn: close img=%p", (void*)icon);
-    } else if (button == fwin->left_button) {
-        if (!wl_state.btn_iconify_img)
-            wl_state.btn_iconify_img = RGetImageFromXPMData(
-                button->screen_ptr->rcontext, PRED_ICONIFY_XPM);
+    else if (button == fwin->left_button)
         icon = wl_state.btn_iconify_img;
-        wwarning("btn: iconify img=%p", (void*)icon);
-    }
-    if (!icon) {
-        wwarning("btn: no icon!");
+    if (!icon)
         return;
-    }
 
     struct wl_frame_buf *tb_fb = fwin->titlebar ? frame_buf_find(fwin->titlebar->window) : NULL;
     uint32_t bg_pixel = 0xFF333333;