diff --git a/clients/simple-shm.c b/clients/simple-shm.c
index a09ec910..5bc26bf7 100644
--- a/clients/simple-shm.c
+++ b/clients/simple-shm.c
@@ -42,22 +42,39 @@ struct display {
 	uint32_t formats;
 };
 
+struct buffer {
+	struct wl_buffer *buffer;
+	void *shm_data;
+	int busy;
+};
+
 struct window {
 	struct display *display;
 	int width, height;
 	struct wl_surface *surface;
 	struct wl_shell_surface *shell_surface;
-	struct wl_buffer *buffer;
-	void *shm_data;
+	struct buffer buffers[2];
+	struct buffer *prev_buffer;
 	struct wl_callback *callback;
 };
 
-static struct wl_buffer *
-create_shm_buffer(struct display *display,
-		  int width, int height, uint32_t format, void **data_out)
+static void
+buffer_release(void *data, struct wl_buffer *buffer)
+{
+	struct buffer *mybuf = data;
+
+	mybuf->busy = 0;
+}
+
+static const struct wl_buffer_listener buffer_listener = {
+	buffer_release
+};
+
+static int
+create_shm_buffer(struct display *display, struct buffer *buffer,
+		  int width, int height, uint32_t format)
 {
 	struct wl_shm_pool *pool;
-	struct wl_buffer *buffer;
 	int fd, size, stride;
 	void *data;
 
@@ -68,25 +85,27 @@ create_shm_buffer(struct display *display,
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "creating a buffer file for %d B failed: %m\n",
 			size);
-		return NULL;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	data = mmap(NULL, size, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
 	if (data == MAP_FAILED) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "mmap failed: %m\n");
 		close(fd);
-		return NULL;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	pool = wl_shm_create_pool(display->shm, fd, size);
-	buffer = wl_shm_pool_create_buffer(pool, 0,
-					   width, height, stride, format);
+	buffer->buffer = wl_shm_pool_create_buffer(pool, 0,
+						   width, height,
+						   stride, format);
+	wl_buffer_add_listener(buffer->buffer, &buffer_listener, buffer);
 	wl_shm_pool_destroy(pool);
 	close(fd);
 
-	*data_out = data;
+	buffer->shm_data = data;
 
-	return buffer;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -117,18 +136,10 @@ static struct window *
 create_window(struct display *display, int width, int height)
 {
 	struct window *window;
-	
-	window = malloc(sizeof *window);
-
-	window->buffer = create_shm_buffer(display,
-					   width, height,
-					   WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB8888,
-					   &window->shm_data);
 
-	if (!window->buffer) {
-		free(window);
+	window = calloc(1, sizeof *window);
+	if (!window)
 		return NULL;
-	}
 
 	window->callback = NULL;
 	window->display = display;
@@ -155,12 +166,45 @@ destroy_window(struct window *window)
 	if (window->callback)
 		wl_callback_destroy(window->callback);
 
-	wl_buffer_destroy(window->buffer);
+	if (window->buffers[0].buffer)
+		wl_buffer_destroy(window->buffers[0].buffer);
+	if (window->buffers[1].buffer)
+		wl_buffer_destroy(window->buffers[1].buffer);
+
 	wl_shell_surface_destroy(window->shell_surface);
 	wl_surface_destroy(window->surface);
 	free(window);
 }
 
+static struct buffer *
+window_next_buffer(struct window *window)
+{
+	struct buffer *buffer;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	if (!window->buffers[0].busy)
+		buffer = &window->buffers[0];
+	else if (!window->buffers[1].busy)
+		buffer = &window->buffers[1];
+	else
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (!buffer->buffer) {
+		ret = create_shm_buffer(window->display, buffer,
+					window->width, window->height,
+					WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB8888);
+
+		if (ret < 0)
+			return NULL;
+
+		/* paint the padding */
+		memset(buffer->shm_data, 0xff,
+		       window->width * window->height * 4);
+	}
+
+	return buffer;
+}
+
 static void
 paint_pixels(void *image, int padding, int width, int height, uint32_t time)
 {
@@ -213,8 +257,23 @@ static void
 redraw(void *data, struct wl_callback *callback, uint32_t time)
 {
 	struct window *window = data;
+	struct buffer *buffer;
+
+	buffer = window_next_buffer(window);
+	if (!buffer) {
+		fprintf(stderr,
+			!callback ? "Failed to create the first buffer.\n" :
+			"Both buffers busy at redraw(). Server bug?\n");
+		abort();
+	}
+
+	paint_pixels(buffer->shm_data, 20, window->width, window->height, time);
+
+	if (window->prev_buffer != buffer) {
+		wl_surface_attach(window->surface, buffer->buffer, 0, 0);
+		window->prev_buffer = buffer;
+	}
 
-	paint_pixels(window->shm_data, 20, window->width, window->height, time);
 	wl_surface_damage(window->surface,
 			  20, 20, window->width - 40, window->height - 40);
 
@@ -224,6 +283,7 @@ redraw(void *data, struct wl_callback *callback, uint32_t time)
 	window->callback = wl_surface_frame(window->surface);
 	wl_callback_add_listener(window->callback, &frame_listener, window);
 	wl_surface_commit(window->surface);
+	buffer->busy = 1;
 }
 
 static const struct wl_callback_listener frame_listener = {
@@ -340,8 +400,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	sigint.sa_flags = SA_RESETHAND;
 	sigaction(SIGINT, &sigint, NULL);
 
-	memset(window->shm_data, 0xff, window->width * window->height * 4);
-	wl_surface_attach(window->surface, window->buffer, 0, 0);
+	/* Initialise damage to full surface, so the padding gets painted */
+	wl_surface_damage(window->surface, 0, 0,
+			  window->width, window->height);
 
 	redraw(window, NULL, 0);