diff --git a/clients/window.c b/clients/window.c
index d160b085..438eaf61 100644
--- a/clients/window.c
+++ b/clients/window.c
@@ -3009,7 +3009,7 @@ window_create_transient(struct display *display, struct window *parent,
 
 	if (display->shell)
 		wl_shell_surface_set_transient(window->shell_surface,
-					       window->parent->shell_surface,
+					       window->parent->surface,
 					       window->x, window->y, flags);
 
 	return window;
@@ -3155,7 +3155,7 @@ window_show_menu(struct display *display,
 	input_ungrab(input);
 	wl_shell_surface_set_popup(window->shell_surface, input->seat,
 				   display_get_serial(window->display),
-				   window->parent->shell_surface,
+				   window->parent->surface,
 				   window->x, window->y, 0);
 
 	widget_set_redraw_handler(menu->widget, menu_redraw_handler);
diff --git a/src/compositor.h b/src/compositor.h
index 5bb0ca63..a144e5f0 100644
--- a/src/compositor.h
+++ b/src/compositor.h
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ struct weston_shell_interface {
 	void (*set_toplevel)(struct shell_surface *shsurf);
 
 	void (*set_transient)(struct shell_surface *shsurf,
-			      struct shell_surface *pshsurf,
+			      struct weston_surface *parent,
 			      int x, int y, uint32_t flags);
 	int (*move)(struct shell_surface *shsurf, struct weston_seat *ws);
 	int (*resize)(struct shell_surface *shsurf,
diff --git a/src/shell.c b/src/shell.c
index 1d82e43f..5d79e2e0 100644
--- a/src/shell.c
+++ b/src/shell.c
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ struct shell_surface {
 
 	struct weston_surface *surface;
 	struct wl_listener surface_destroy_listener;
-	struct shell_surface *parent;
+	struct weston_surface *parent;
 	struct desktop_shell *shell;
 
 	enum shell_surface_type type, next_type;
@@ -1233,8 +1233,7 @@ static void
 set_surface_type(struct shell_surface *shsurf)
 {
 	struct weston_surface *surface = shsurf->surface;
-	struct shell_surface *pshsurf = shsurf->parent;
-	struct weston_surface *pes;
+	struct weston_surface *pes = shsurf->parent;
 
 	reset_shell_surface_type(shsurf);
 
@@ -1245,7 +1244,6 @@ set_surface_type(struct shell_surface *shsurf)
 	case SHELL_SURFACE_TOPLEVEL:
 		break;
 	case SHELL_SURFACE_TRANSIENT:
-		pes = pshsurf->surface;
 		weston_surface_set_position(surface,
 				pes->geometry.x + shsurf->transient.x,
 				pes->geometry.y + shsurf->transient.y);
@@ -1292,10 +1290,10 @@ shell_surface_set_toplevel(struct wl_client *client,
 
 static void
 set_transient(struct shell_surface *shsurf,
-	      struct shell_surface *pshsurf, int x, int y, uint32_t flags)
+	      struct weston_surface *parent, int x, int y, uint32_t flags)
 {
 	/* assign to parents output */
-	shsurf->parent = pshsurf;
+	shsurf->parent = parent;
 	shsurf->transient.x = x;
 	shsurf->transient.y = y;
 	shsurf->transient.flags = flags;
@@ -1309,9 +1307,9 @@ shell_surface_set_transient(struct wl_client *client,
 			    int x, int y, uint32_t flags)
 {
 	struct shell_surface *shsurf = resource->data;
-	struct shell_surface *pshsurf = parent_resource->data;
+	struct weston_surface *parent = parent_resource->data;
 
-	set_transient(shsurf, pshsurf, x, y, flags);
+	set_transient(shsurf, parent, x, y, flags);
 }
 
 static struct desktop_shell *
@@ -1584,7 +1582,7 @@ shell_map_popup(struct shell_surface *shsurf)
 {
 	struct wl_seat *seat = shsurf->popup.seat;
 	struct weston_surface *es = shsurf->surface;
-	struct weston_surface *parent = shsurf->parent->surface;
+	struct weston_surface *parent = shsurf->parent;
 
 	es->output = parent->output;
 	shsurf->popup.grab.interface = &popup_grab_interface;
@@ -2572,7 +2570,7 @@ map(struct desktop_shell *shell, struct weston_surface *surface,
 	switch (surface_type) {
 	case SHELL_SURFACE_POPUP:
 	case SHELL_SURFACE_TRANSIENT:
-		parent = shsurf->parent->surface;
+		parent = shsurf->parent;
 		wl_list_insert(parent->layer_link.prev, &surface->layer_link);
 		break;
 	case SHELL_SURFACE_FULLSCREEN:
diff --git a/src/xwayland/window-manager.c b/src/xwayland/window-manager.c
index ac724583..6e032eab 100644
--- a/src/xwayland/window-manager.c
+++ b/src/xwayland/window-manager.c
@@ -1329,7 +1329,7 @@ xserver_map_shell_surface(struct weston_wm *wm,
 	}
 
 	parent = hash_table_lookup(wm->window_hash, window->transient_for->id);
-	shell_interface->set_transient(window->shsurf, parent->shsurf,
+	shell_interface->set_transient(window->shsurf, parent->surface,
 				       window->x - parent->x + t->margin + t->width,
 				       window->y - parent->y + t->margin + t->titlebar_height,
 				       WL_SHELL_SURFACE_TRANSIENT_INACTIVE);