diff --git a/examples/layer-shell.c b/examples/layer-shell.c
index f3b9d3a0..08826251 100644
--- a/examples/layer-shell.c
+++ b/examples/layer-shell.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ static uint32_t output = 0;
 static uint32_t layer = ZWLR_LAYER_SHELL_V1_LAYER_BACKGROUND;
 static uint32_t anchor = 0;
 static int32_t width = 256, height = 256;
+static bool run_display = true;
 
 static struct {
 	struct timespec last_frame;
@@ -84,8 +85,18 @@ static void layer_surface_configure(void *data,
 	zwlr_layer_surface_v1_ack_configure(surface, serial);
 }
 
+static void layer_surface_closed(void *data,
+		struct zwlr_layer_surface_v1 *surface) {
+	eglDestroySurface(egl.display, egl_surface);
+	wl_egl_window_destroy(egl_window);
+	zwlr_layer_surface_v1_destroy(surface);
+	wl_surface_destroy(wl_surface);
+	run_display = false;
+}
+
 struct zwlr_layer_surface_v1_listener layer_surface_listener = {
 	.configure = layer_surface_configure,
+	.closed = layer_surface_closed,
 };
 
 static void handle_global(void *data, struct wl_registry *registry,
@@ -235,7 +246,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	wl_display_roundtrip(display);
 	draw();
 
-	while (wl_display_dispatch(display) != -1) {
+	while (wl_display_dispatch(display) != -1 && run_display) {
 		// This space intentionally left blank
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_layer_shell.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_layer_shell.h
index 3002345d..5d9feb27 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_layer_shell.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_layer_shell.h
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ struct wlr_layer_surface {
 	const char *namespace;
 	enum zwlr_layer_shell_v1_layer layer;
 
-	bool added, configured, mapped;
+	bool added, configured, mapped, closed;
 	uint32_t configure_serial;
 	struct wl_event_source *configure_idle;
 	uint32_t configure_next_serial;
@@ -99,4 +99,9 @@ void wlr_layer_shell_destroy(struct wlr_layer_shell *layer_shell);
 void wlr_layer_surface_configure(struct wlr_layer_surface *surface,
 		uint32_t width, uint32_t height);
 
+/**
+ * Unmaps this layer surface and notifies the client that it has been closed.
+ */
+void wlr_layer_surface_close(struct wlr_layer_surface *surface);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/protocol/wlr-layer-shell-unstable-v1.xml b/protocol/wlr-layer-shell-unstable-v1.xml
index d6de59ab..b5cb3d3a 100644
--- a/protocol/wlr-layer-shell-unstable-v1.xml
+++ b/protocol/wlr-layer-shell-unstable-v1.xml
@@ -237,6 +237,16 @@
       <arg name="height" type="uint"/>
     </event>
 
+    <event name="closed">
+      <description summary="surface should be closed">
+    The closed event is sent by the compositor when the surface will no
+    longer be shown. The output may have been destroyed or the user may have
+    asked for it to be removed. Further changes to the surface will be ignored.
+    The client should destroy the resource after receiving this event, and
+    create a new surface if they so choose.
+      </description>
+    </event>
+
     <enum name="error">
       <entry name="invalid_surface_state" value="0" summary="provided surface state is invalid"/>
       <entry name="invalid_size" value="1" summary="size is invalid"/>
diff --git a/rootston/layer_shell.c b/rootston/layer_shell.c
index ac7b2b20..114a5f29 100644
--- a/rootston/layer_shell.c
+++ b/rootston/layer_shell.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ static void handle_output_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct roots_layer_surface *layer =
 		wl_container_of(listener, layer, output_destroy);
 	layer->layer_surface->output = NULL;
-	wl_resource_destroy(layer->layer_surface->resource);
+	wlr_layer_surface_close(layer->layer_surface);
 }
 
 static void handle_surface_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
@@ -135,7 +135,9 @@ static void handle_surface_commit(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 
 static void unmap(struct wlr_layer_surface *layer_surface) {
 	struct roots_layer_surface *layer = layer_surface->data;
-	wl_list_remove(&layer->link);
+	if (layer->link.prev) {
+		wl_list_remove(&layer->link);
+	}
 
 	struct wlr_output *wlr_output = layer_surface->output;
 	if (wlr_output != NULL) {
diff --git a/types/wlr_layer_shell.c b/types/wlr_layer_shell.c
index 631b7009..59f8d568 100644
--- a/types/wlr_layer_shell.c
+++ b/types/wlr_layer_shell.c
@@ -244,6 +244,12 @@ void wlr_layer_surface_configure(struct wlr_layer_surface *surface,
 	wlr_layer_surface_schedule_configure(surface);
 }
 
+void wlr_layer_surface_close(struct wlr_layer_surface *surface) {
+	surface->closed = true;
+	layer_surface_unmap(surface);
+	zwlr_layer_surface_v1_send_closed(surface->resource);
+}
+
 static void handle_wlr_surface_committed(struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface,
 		void *role_data) {
 	struct wlr_layer_surface *surface = role_data;
@@ -255,6 +261,11 @@ static void handle_wlr_surface_committed(struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface,
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (surface->closed) {
+		// Ignore commits after the compositor has closed it
+		return;
+	}
+
 	surface->current.anchor = surface->client_pending.anchor;
 	surface->current.exclusive_zone = surface->client_pending.exclusive_zone;
 	surface->current.margin = surface->client_pending.margin;