diff --git a/include/rootston/view.h b/include/rootston/view.h
index af087182..a4fb6f01 100644
--- a/include/rootston/view.h
+++ b/include/rootston/view.h
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ struct roots_wl_shell_surface {
 	struct wl_listener request_set_maximized;
 
 	struct wl_listener surface_commit;
-
-	bool initialized;
 };
 
 struct roots_xdg_surface_v6 {
@@ -32,8 +30,6 @@ struct roots_xdg_surface_v6 {
 	struct wl_listener request_move;
 	struct wl_listener request_resize;
 	struct wl_listener request_show_window_menu;
-
-	bool initialized;
 };
 
 struct roots_xwayland_surface {
@@ -85,6 +81,6 @@ void view_activate(struct roots_view *view, bool active);
 void view_resize(struct roots_view *view, uint32_t width, uint32_t height);
 void view_close(struct roots_view *view);
 bool view_center(struct roots_view *view);
-bool view_initialize(struct roots_view *view);
+void view_initialize(struct roots_view *view);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_output_layout.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_output_layout.h
index fe09106f..ea8dbcd2 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_output_layout.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_output_layout.h
@@ -84,4 +84,10 @@ struct wlr_box *wlr_output_layout_get_box(
 void wlr_output_layout_add_auto(struct wlr_output_layout *layout,
 		struct wlr_output *output);
 
+/**
+ * Get the output closest to the center of the layout extents.
+ */
+struct wlr_output *wlr_output_layout_get_center_output(
+		struct wlr_output_layout *layout);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.h
index 48da6604..b0de41e2 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.h
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ struct wlr_xdg_surface_v6 {
 	struct wl_list popup_link;
 
 	bool configured;
+	bool added;
 	struct wl_event_source *configure_idle;
 	struct wl_list configure_list;
 
diff --git a/rootston/desktop.c b/rootston/desktop.c
index d5cac575..a7137255 100644
--- a/rootston/desktop.c
+++ b/rootston/desktop.c
@@ -67,35 +67,42 @@ void view_close(struct roots_view *view) {
 bool view_center(struct roots_view *view) {
 	struct wlr_box size;
 	view_get_size(view, &size);
-	if (size.width == 0 && size.height == 0) {
-		return false;
-	}
 
 	struct roots_desktop *desktop = view->desktop;
 	struct wlr_cursor *cursor = desktop->server->input->cursor;
-	struct wlr_output *output = wlr_output_layout_output_at(desktop->layout,
-		cursor->x, cursor->y);
-	const struct wlr_output_layout_output *output_layout =
-		wlr_output_layout_get(desktop->layout, output);
+
+	struct wlr_output *output =
+		wlr_output_layout_output_at(desktop->layout, cursor->x, cursor->y);
+
+	if (!output) {
+		output = wlr_output_layout_get_center_output(desktop->layout);
+	}
+
 	if (!output) {
+		// empty layout
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	view->x = (double)(output->width - size.width) / 2
-		+ output_layout->x;
-	view->y = (double)(output->height - size.height) / 2
-		+ output_layout->y;
+	const struct wlr_output_layout_output *l_output =
+		wlr_output_layout_get(desktop->layout, output);
+
+	int width, height;
+	wlr_output_effective_resolution(output, &width, &height);
+
+	view->x = (double)(width - size.width) / 2
+		+ l_output->x;
+	view->y = (double)(height - size.height) / 2
+		+ l_output->y;
+
 	return true;
 }
 
-bool view_initialize(struct roots_view *view) {
-	bool centered = view_center(view);
-	if (centered) {
-		struct roots_input *input = view->desktop->server->input;
-		set_view_focus(input, view->desktop, view);
-		wlr_seat_keyboard_notify_enter(input->wl_seat, view->wlr_surface);
-	}
-	return centered;
+void view_initialize(struct roots_view *view) {
+	view_center(view);
+	struct roots_input *input = view->desktop->server->input;
+
+	set_view_focus(input, view->desktop, view);
+	wlr_seat_keyboard_notify_enter(input->wl_seat, view->wlr_surface);
 }
 
 struct roots_view *view_at(struct roots_desktop *desktop, double lx, double ly,
diff --git a/rootston/wl_shell.c b/rootston/wl_shell.c
index 34f53c7a..33f54a32 100644
--- a/rootston/wl_shell.c
+++ b/rootston/wl_shell.c
@@ -50,14 +50,7 @@ static void handle_request_resize(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 }
 
 static void handle_surface_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
-	struct roots_wl_shell_surface *roots_surface =
-		wl_container_of(listener, roots_surface, surface_commit);
-	struct roots_view *view = roots_surface->view;
-
-	if (view->wl_shell_surface->state == WLR_WL_SHELL_SURFACE_STATE_TOPLEVEL &&
-			!roots_surface->initialized) {
-		roots_surface->initialized = view_initialize(view);
-	}
+	// TODO do we need to do anything here?
 }
 
 static void handle_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
@@ -137,4 +130,5 @@ void handle_wl_shell_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	view->desktop = desktop;
 	roots_surface->view = view;
 	list_add(desktop->views, view);
+	view_initialize(view);
 }
diff --git a/rootston/xdg_shell_v6.c b/rootston/xdg_shell_v6.c
index 9b8d8882..1e21fa02 100644
--- a/rootston/xdg_shell_v6.c
+++ b/rootston/xdg_shell_v6.c
@@ -68,14 +68,7 @@ static void handle_request_resize(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 }
 
 static void handle_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
-	struct roots_xdg_surface_v6 *roots_xdg_surface =
-		wl_container_of(listener, roots_xdg_surface, commit);
-	struct roots_view *view = roots_xdg_surface->view;
-
-	if (view->xdg_surface_v6->role == WLR_XDG_SURFACE_V6_ROLE_TOPLEVEL &&
-			!roots_xdg_surface->initialized) {
-		roots_xdg_surface->initialized = view_initialize(view);
-	}
+	// TODO is there anything we need to do here?
 }
 
 static void handle_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
@@ -141,4 +134,6 @@ void handle_xdg_shell_v6_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	view->desktop = desktop;
 	roots_surface->view = view;
 	list_add(desktop->views, view);
+
+	view_initialize(view);
 }
diff --git a/types/wlr_output_layout.c b/types/wlr_output_layout.c
index 1890074b..8c3f1d88 100644
--- a/types/wlr_output_layout.c
+++ b/types/wlr_output_layout.c
@@ -343,3 +343,20 @@ void wlr_output_layout_add_auto(struct wlr_output_layout *layout,
 	l_output->state->auto_configured = true;
 	wlr_output_layout_reconfigure(layout);
 }
+
+struct wlr_output *wlr_output_layout_get_center_output(
+		struct wlr_output_layout *layout) {
+	if (wl_list_empty(&layout->outputs)) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	struct wlr_box *extents = wlr_output_layout_get_box(layout, NULL);
+	double center_x = extents->width / 2 + extents->x;
+	double center_y = extents->height / 2 + extents->y;
+
+	double dest_x = 0, dest_y = 0;
+	wlr_output_layout_closest_point(layout, NULL, center_x, center_y,
+		&dest_x, &dest_y);
+
+	return wlr_output_layout_output_at(layout, dest_x, dest_y);
+}
diff --git a/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.c b/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.c
index 3f5f22a0..31207c89 100644
--- a/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.c
+++ b/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.c
@@ -802,10 +802,7 @@ static void xdg_surface_ack_configure(struct wl_client *client,
 		break;
 	}
 
-	if (!surface->configured) {
-		surface->configured = true;
-		wl_signal_emit(&surface->client->shell->events.new_surface, surface);
-	}
+	surface->configured = true;
 
 	wl_signal_emit(&surface->events.ack_configure, surface);
 
@@ -1055,6 +1052,11 @@ static void handle_wlr_surface_committed(struct wl_listener *listener,
 		break;
 	}
 
+	if (surface->configured && !surface->added) {
+		surface->added = true;
+		wl_signal_emit(&surface->client->shell->events.new_surface, surface);
+	}
+
 	wl_signal_emit(&surface->events.commit, surface);
 }