diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f1700aad..0ceb2827 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ ifeq "$(NO_VSYNC_OPENGL)" ""
 	LIBS += -lGL
 endif
 
-CFLAGS ?= -DNDEBUG
+CFLAGS ?= -DNDEBUG -O2 -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2
 CFLAGS += $(CFG)
 
 LIBS += $(shell pkg-config --libs $(PACKAGES))
diff --git a/src/compton.c b/src/compton.c
index 032f2d3e..9b39fc83 100644
--- a/src/compton.c
+++ b/src/compton.c
@@ -1526,21 +1526,19 @@ paint_preprocess(Display *dpy, win *list) {
     }
 
 
+    // Avoid setting w->to_paint if w is to be freed
+    bool destroyed = (w->opacity_tgt == w->opacity && w->destroyed);
+
     if (to_paint) {
       w->prev_trans = t;
       t = w;
-      w->to_paint = to_paint;
     }
     else {
-      // Avoid setting w->to_paint if w is to be freed
-      if (!(w->opacity_tgt == w->opacity && w->destroyed)) {
-        check_fade_fin(dpy, w);
-        w->to_paint = to_paint;
-      }
-      else {
-        check_fade_fin(dpy, w);
-      }
+      check_fade_fin(dpy, w);
     }
+
+    if (!destroyed)
+      w->to_paint = to_paint;
   }
 
   return t;
@@ -3567,9 +3565,11 @@ fork_after(void) {
 
   setsid();
 
-  freopen("/dev/null", "r", stdin);
-  freopen("/dev/null", "w", stdout);
-  freopen("/dev/null", "w", stderr);
+  // Mainly to suppress the _FORTIFY_SOURCE warning
+  if (!freopen("/dev/null", "r", stdin)
+      || !freopen("/dev/null", "w", stdout)
+      || !freopen("/dev/null", "w", stderr))
+    fprintf(stderr, "fork_after(): freopen() failed.");
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_LIBCONFIG