diff --git a/src/backend/wayland/wl_xdg.c b/src/backend/wayland/wl_xdg.c
index 54aa08e..44fddf2 100644
--- a/src/backend/wayland/wl_xdg.c
+++ b/src/backend/wayland/wl_xdg.c
@@ -241,9 +241,12 @@ handle_toplevel_map(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
         struct wl_frame_buf *_fb, *_next;
         wl_list_for_each_safe(_fb, _next, &wl_state.frame_list, link) {
             if (_fb->id >= 0x20000000 && !wl_find_view_by_id(_fb->id)) {
-                /* Stale WINGs frame_buf from a previous session whose
-                 * parent toplevel no longer exists — clean it up. */
-                if (_fb->parent_id && !frame_buf_find(_fb->parent_id)) {
+                /* Stale WINGs frame_buf from a previous session — clean it
+                 * up if its scene buffer was auto-destroyed (parent tree was
+                 * destroyed, cascade nulled the pointer) or if the parent
+                 * frame no longer exists. */
+                if (!_fb->scene_buf ||
+                    (_fb->parent_id && !frame_buf_find(_fb->parent_id))) {
                     W_UnregisterBacking(_fb->id);
                     wl_list_remove(&_fb->link);
                     wlr_buffer_drop(&_fb->base);