diff --git a/river/Seat.zig b/river/Seat.zig
index d71ac1a..b91a309 100644
--- a/river/Seat.zig
+++ b/river/Seat.zig
@@ -196,29 +196,30 @@ pub fn setFocusRaw(self: *Self, new_focus: FocusTarget) void {
     // still clear the focus.
     if (if (target_surface) |wlr_surface| server.input_manager.inputAllowed(wlr_surface) else true) {
         // First clear the current focus
-        if (self.focused == .view) {
-            self.focused.view.pending.focus -= 1;
-            // This is needed because xwayland views don't double buffer
-            // activated state.
-            if (build_options.xwayland and self.focused.view.impl == .xwayland_view)
-                self.focused.view.impl.xwayland_view.xwayland_surface.activate(false);
-            if (self.focused.view.pending.focus == 0 and !self.focused.view.pending.fullscreen) {
-                self.focused.view.pending.target_opacity = server.config.opacity.unfocused;
-            }
+        switch (self.focused) {
+            .view => |view| {
+                view.pending.focus -= 1;
+                if (view.pending.focus == 0) {
+                    view.setActivated(false);
+                    if (!view.pending.fullscreen) {
+                        view.pending.target_opacity = server.config.opacity.unfocused;
+                    }
+                }
+            },
+            .layer, .none => {},
         }
 
         // Set the new focus
         switch (new_focus) {
             .view => |target_view| {
                 std.debug.assert(self.focused_output == target_view.output);
-                target_view.pending.focus += 1;
-                // This is needed because xwayland views don't double buffer
-                // activated state.
-                if (build_options.xwayland and target_view.impl == .xwayland_view)
-                    target_view.impl.xwayland_view.xwayland_surface.activate(true);
-                if (!target_view.pending.fullscreen) {
-                    target_view.pending.target_opacity = server.config.opacity.focused;
+                if (target_view.pending.focus == 0) {
+                    target_view.setActivated(true);
+                    if (!target_view.pending.fullscreen) {
+                        target_view.pending.target_opacity = server.config.opacity.focused;
+                    }
                 }
+                target_view.pending.focus += 1;
             },
             .layer => |target_layer| std.debug.assert(self.focused_output == target_layer.output),
             .none => {},
diff --git a/river/View.zig b/river/View.zig
index 71707ba..a8b9c63 100644
--- a/river/View.zig
+++ b/river/View.zig
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ pub fn applyPending(self: *Self) void {
     // If switching to fullscreen set the dimensions to the full area of the output
     // and turn the view fully opaque
     if (!self.current.fullscreen and self.pending.fullscreen) {
+        self.setFullscreen(true);
         self.post_fullscreen_box = self.current.box;
 
         self.pending.target_opacity = 1.0;
@@ -222,6 +223,7 @@ pub fn applyPending(self: *Self) void {
     }
 
     if (self.current.fullscreen and !self.pending.fullscreen) {
+        self.setFullscreen(false);
         self.pending.box = self.post_fullscreen_box;
 
         // Restore configured opacity
@@ -244,10 +246,6 @@ pub fn needsConfigure(self: Self) bool {
 }
 
 pub fn configure(self: Self) void {
-    if (self.foreign_toplevel_handle) |handle| {
-        handle.setActivated(self.pending.focus != 0);
-        handle.setFullscreen(self.pending.fullscreen);
-    }
     switch (self.impl) {
         .xdg_toplevel => |xdg_toplevel| xdg_toplevel.configure(),
         .xwayland_view => |xwayland_view| xwayland_view.configure(),
@@ -322,6 +320,23 @@ pub fn close(self: Self) void {
         .xwayland_view => |xwayland_view| xwayland_view.close(),
     }
 }
+
+pub fn setActivated(self: Self, activated: bool) void {
+    if (self.foreign_toplevel_handle) |handle| handle.setActivated(activated);
+    switch (self.impl) {
+        .xdg_toplevel => |xdg_toplevel| xdg_toplevel.setActivated(activated),
+        .xwayland_view => |xwayland_view| xwayland_view.setActivated(activated),
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn setFullscreen(self: Self, fullscreen: bool) void {
+    if (self.foreign_toplevel_handle) |handle| handle.setFullscreen(fullscreen);
+    switch (self.impl) {
+        .xdg_toplevel => |xdg_toplevel| xdg_toplevel.setFullscreen(fullscreen),
+        .xwayland_view => |xwayland_view| xwayland_view.setFullscreen(fullscreen),
+    }
+}
+
 pub inline fn forEachPopupSurface(
     self: Self,
     comptime T: type,
diff --git a/river/VoidView.zig b/river/VoidView.zig
index 4fe4d7d..e0d6edd 100644
--- a/river/VoidView.zig
+++ b/river/VoidView.zig
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ pub fn close(self: Self) void {
     unreachable;
 }
 
+pub fn setActivated(self: Self, activated: bool) void {
+    unreachable;
+}
+
+pub fn setFullscreen(self: Self, fullscreen: bool) void {
+    unreachable;
+}
+
 pub fn surfaceAt(self: Self, ox: f64, oy: f64, sx: *f64, sy: *f64) ?*wlr.Surface {
     unreachable;
 }
diff --git a/river/XdgToplevel.zig b/river/XdgToplevel.zig
index 3870fa7..91664d8 100644
--- a/river/XdgToplevel.zig
+++ b/river/XdgToplevel.zig
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ pub fn deinit(self: *Self) void {
     }
 }
 
-/// Returns true if a configure must be sent to ensure the dimensions of the
-/// pending_box are applied.
+/// Returns true if a configure must be sent to ensure that the pending
+/// dimensions are applied.
 pub fn needsConfigure(self: Self) bool {
     const server_pending = &self.xdg_surface.role_data.toplevel.server_pending;
     const state = &self.view.pending;
@@ -95,8 +95,10 @@ pub fn needsConfigure(self: Self) bool {
     // sync with the current dimensions or be the dimensions sent with the
     // most recent configure. In both cases server_pending has the values we
     // want to check against.
-    return (state.focus != 0) != server_pending.activated or
-        state.box.width != server_pending.width or
+    // Furthermore, we avoid a special case for newly mapped views which we
+    // have not yet configured by setting server_pending.width/height to the
+    // initial width/height of the view in handleMap().
+    return state.box.width != server_pending.width or
         state.box.height != server_pending.height;
 }
 
@@ -104,8 +106,6 @@ pub fn needsConfigure(self: Self) bool {
 pub fn configure(self: Self) void {
     const toplevel = self.xdg_surface.role_data.toplevel;
     const state = &self.view.pending;
-    _ = toplevel.setActivated(state.focus != 0);
-    _ = toplevel.setFullscreen(state.fullscreen);
     self.view.pending_serial = toplevel.setSize(state.box.width, state.box.height);
 }
 
@@ -113,6 +113,15 @@ pub fn configure(self: Self) void {
 pub fn close(self: Self) void {
     self.xdg_surface.role_data.toplevel.sendClose();
 }
+
+pub fn setActivated(self: Self, activated: bool) void {
+    _ = self.xdg_surface.role_data.toplevel.setActivated(activated);
+}
+
+pub fn setFullscreen(self: Self, fullscreen: bool) void {
+    _ = self.xdg_surface.role_data.toplevel.setFullscreen(fullscreen);
+}
+
 pub inline fn forEachPopupSurface(
     self: Self,
     comptime T: type,
@@ -189,6 +198,11 @@ fn handleMap(listener: *wl.Listener(*wlr.XdgSurface), xdg_surface: *wlr.XdgSurfa
     view.float_box.y = std.math.max(0, @divTrunc(@intCast(i32, view.output.usable_box.height) -
         @intCast(i32, view.float_box.height), 2));
 
+    // We initialize these to avoid special-casing newly mapped views in
+    // the check preformed in needsConfigure().
+    toplevel.server_pending.width = @intCast(u32, initial_box.width);
+    toplevel.server_pending.height = @intCast(u32, initial_box.height);
+
     // Also use the view's  "natural" size as the initial regular dimensions,
     // for the case that it does not get arranged by a lyaout.
     view.pending.box = view.float_box;
diff --git a/river/XwaylandView.zig b/river/XwaylandView.zig
index 4f9cfab..c474be6 100644
--- a/river/XwaylandView.zig
+++ b/river/XwaylandView.zig
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ pub fn configure(self: Self) void {
     const output_box = server.root.output_layout.getBox(output.wlr_output).?;
 
     const state = &self.view.pending;
-    self.xwayland_surface.setFullscreen(state.fullscreen);
     self.xwayland_surface.configure(
         @intCast(i16, state.box.x + output_box.x),
         @intCast(i16, state.box.y + output_box.y),
@@ -98,6 +97,14 @@ pub fn close(self: Self) void {
     self.xwayland_surface.close();
 }
 
+pub fn setActivated(self: Self, activated: bool) void {
+    self.xwayland_surface.activate(activated);
+}
+
+pub fn setFullscreen(self: Self, fullscreen: bool) void {
+    self.xwayland_surface.setFullscreen(fullscreen);
+}
+
 /// Return the surface at output coordinates ox, oy and set sx, sy to the
 /// corresponding surface-relative coordinates, if there is a surface.
 pub fn surfaceAt(self: Self, ox: f64, oy: f64, sx: *f64, sy: *f64) ?*wlr.Surface {