diff --git a/src/compton.c b/src/compton.c
index ebfd4888..61024948 100644
--- a/src/compton.c
+++ b/src/compton.c
@@ -475,6 +475,11 @@ static struct managed_win *paint_preprocess(session_t *ps, bool *fade_running) {
 			rc_region_unref(&w->reg_ignore);
 		}
 
+		// Clear flags if we are not using experimental backends
+		if (!ps->o.experimental_backends) {
+			w->flags = 0;
+		}
+
 		// log_trace("%d %d %s", w->a.map_state, w->ever_damaged, w->name);
 
 		// Give up if it's not damaged or invisible, or it's unmapped and its
@@ -700,7 +705,7 @@ static void destroy_backend(session_t *ps) {
 		if (!w) {
 			continue;
 		}
-		if (ps->o.experimental_backends) {
+		if (ps->backend_data) {
 			if (w->state == WSTATE_MAPPED) {
 				win_release_image(ps->backend_data, w);
 			} else {
@@ -712,12 +717,11 @@ static void destroy_backend(session_t *ps) {
 				                                     ps->root_image);
 				ps->root_image = NULL;
 			}
-		} else {
-			free_paint(ps, &w->paint);
 		}
+		free_paint(ps, &w->paint);
 	}
 
-	if (ps->o.experimental_backends) {
+	if (ps->backend_data) {
 		// deinit backend
 		ps->backend_data->ops->deinit(ps->backend_data);
 		ps->backend_data = NULL;
@@ -762,17 +766,20 @@ void configure_root(session_t *ps, int width, int height) {
 	log_info("Root configuration changed, new geometry: %dx%d", width, height);
 	// On root window changes
 	bool has_root_change = false;
-	if (ps->o.experimental_backends && ps->redirected) {
+	if (ps->o.experimental_backends) {
 		has_root_change = ps->backend_data->ops->root_change != NULL;
-		if (!has_root_change) {
-			// deinit/reinit backend and free up resources if the backend
-			// cannot handle root change
-			destroy_backend(ps);
-		}
 	} else {
-		free_paint(ps, &ps->tgt_buffer);
+		// Old backend can handle root change
+		has_root_change = true;
 	}
 
+	if (!has_root_change) {
+		// deinit/reinit backend and free up resources if the backend
+		// cannot handle root change
+		destroy_backend(ps);
+	}
+	free_paint(ps, &ps->tgt_buffer);
+
 	ps->root_width = width;
 	ps->root_height = height;
 
@@ -796,20 +803,21 @@ void configure_root(session_t *ps, int width, int height) {
 		glx_on_root_change(ps);
 	}
 #endif
-	if (ps->o.experimental_backends && ps->redirected) {
-		if (has_root_change) {
+	if (has_root_change) {
+		if (ps->backend_data != NULL) {
 			ps->backend_data->ops->root_change(ps->backend_data, ps);
-		} else {
-			if (!initialize_backend(ps)) {
-				log_fatal("Failed to re-initialize backend after root "
-				          "change, aborting...");
-				ps->quit = true;
-				// TODO only event handlers should request ev_break,
-				// otherwise it's too hard to keep track of what can break
-				// the event loop
-				ev_break(ps->loop, EVBREAK_ALL);
-				return;
-			}
+		}
+		// Old backend's root_change is not a specific function
+	} else {
+		if (!initialize_backend(ps)) {
+			log_fatal("Failed to re-initialize backend after root "
+			          "change, aborting...");
+			ps->quit = true;
+			// TODO only event handlers should request ev_break,
+			// otherwise it's too hard to keep track of what can break
+			// the event loop
+			ev_break(ps->loop, EVBREAK_ALL);
+			return;
 		}
 	}
 	force_repaint(ps);
@@ -900,7 +908,7 @@ void root_damaged(session_t *ps) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (ps->o.experimental_backends) {
+	if (ps->backend_data) {
 		if (ps->root_image) {
 			ps->backend_data->ops->release_image(ps->backend_data, ps->root_image);
 		}
@@ -1295,6 +1303,7 @@ static bool redir_start(session_t *ps) {
 	}
 
 	if (ps->o.experimental_backends) {
+		assert(ps->backend_data);
 		ps->ndamage = ps->backend_data->ops->max_buffer_age;
 	} else {
 		ps->ndamage = maximum_buffer_age(ps);
diff --git a/src/win.c b/src/win.c
index a6fa0a54..5f3c9929 100644
--- a/src/win.c
+++ b/src/win.c
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ void win_set_shadow(session_t *ps, struct managed_win *w, bool shadow_new) {
 
 	log_debug("Updating shadow property of window %#010x (%s) to %d", w->base.id,
 	          w->name, shadow_new);
-	if (ps->o.experimental_backends && ps->redirected &&
+	if (ps->backend_data &&
 	    w->state != WSTATE_UNMAPPED && !(w->flags & WIN_FLAGS_IMAGE_ERROR)) {
 		assert(!w->shadow_image);
 		// Create shadow image
@@ -783,17 +783,15 @@ void win_on_win_size_change(session_t *ps, struct managed_win *w) {
 	w->shadow_dy = ps->o.shadow_offset_y;
 	w->shadow_width = w->widthb + ps->o.shadow_radius * 2;
 	w->shadow_height = w->heightb + ps->o.shadow_radius * 2;
+
 	// Invalidate the shadow we built
-	if (ps->o.experimental_backends && ps->redirected) {
-		if (w->state == WSTATE_MAPPED || w->state == WSTATE_MAPPING ||
-		    w->state == WSTATE_FADING) {
-			w->flags |= WIN_FLAGS_IMAGE_STALE;
-		} else {
-			assert(w->state == WSTATE_UNMAPPED);
-		}
+	if (w->state == WSTATE_MAPPED || w->state == WSTATE_MAPPING ||
+	    w->state == WSTATE_FADING) {
+		w->flags |= WIN_FLAGS_IMAGE_STALE;
 	} else {
-		free_paint(ps, &w->shadow_paint);
+		assert(w->state == WSTATE_UNMAPPED);
 	}
+	free_paint(ps, &w->shadow_paint);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1448,19 +1446,15 @@ void win_update_bounding_shape(session_t *ps, struct managed_win *w) {
 	}
 
 	// Window shape changed, we should free old wpaint and shadow pict
-	if (ps->o.experimental_backends) {
-		// log_trace("free out dated pict");
-		// Window shape changed, we should free win_data
-		if (ps->redirected && w->state != WSTATE_UNMAPPED) {
-			// Note we only do this when screen is redirected, because
-			// otherwise win_data is not valid
-			assert(w->state != WSTATE_UNMAPPING && w->state != WSTATE_DESTROYING);
-			w->flags |= WIN_FLAGS_IMAGE_STALE;
-		}
-	} else {
-		free_paint(ps, &w->paint);
-		free_paint(ps, &w->shadow_paint);
+	// log_trace("free out dated pict");
+	if (w->state != WSTATE_UNMAPPED) {
+		// Note we only do this when screen is redirected, because
+		// otherwise win_data is not valid
+		assert(w->state != WSTATE_UNMAPPING && w->state != WSTATE_DESTROYING);
+		w->flags |= WIN_FLAGS_IMAGE_STALE;
 	}
+	free_paint(ps, &w->paint);
+	free_paint(ps, &w->shadow_paint);
 
 	win_on_factor_change(ps, w);
 }
@@ -1557,15 +1551,12 @@ static void finish_unmap_win(session_t *ps, struct managed_win **_w) {
 	w->reg_ignore_valid = false;
 	w->state = WSTATE_UNMAPPED;
 
-	if (ps->o.experimental_backends) {
-		// We are in unmap_win, we definitely was viewable
-		if (ps->redirected) {
-			win_release_image(ps->backend_data, w);
-		}
-	} else {
-		free_paint(ps, &w->paint);
-		free_paint(ps, &w->shadow_paint);
+	// We are in unmap_win, this window definitely was viewable
+	if (ps->backend_data) {
+		win_release_image(ps->backend_data, w);
 	}
+	free_paint(ps, &w->paint);
+	free_paint(ps, &w->shadow_paint);
 
 	w->flags = 0;
 }
@@ -1898,7 +1889,7 @@ void map_win(session_t *ps, struct managed_win *w) {
 	w->flags &= ~WIN_FLAGS_IMAGE_STALE;
 
 	// Bind image after update_bounding_shape, so the shadow has the correct size.
-	if (ps->redirected && ps->o.experimental_backends) {
+	if (ps->backend_data) {
 		if (!win_bind_image(ps, w)) {
 			w->flags |= WIN_FLAGS_IMAGE_ERROR;
 		}