diff --git a/src/backend/drm/gbm/egl.rs b/src/backend/drm/gbm/egl.rs
index 742f66b..372be36 100644
--- a/src/backend/drm/gbm/egl.rs
+++ b/src/backend/drm/gbm/egl.rs
@@ -91,7 +91,12 @@ unsafe impl<D: RawDevice + 'static> NativeSurface for GbmSurface<D> {
     where
         F: FnOnce() -> ::std::result::Result<(), SwapBuffersError>,
     {
-        if self.0.crtc.commit_pending() {
+        if self.0.crtc.commit_pending() || {
+            let fb = self.0.front_buffer.take();
+            let res = fb.is_none();
+            self.0.front_buffer.set(fb);
+            res
+        } {
             self.recreate(flip).map_err(|_| SwapBuffersError::ContextLost)
         } else {
             self.page_flip(flip)
diff --git a/src/backend/drm/gbm/mod.rs b/src/backend/drm/gbm/mod.rs
index 208c317..a09043f 100644
--- a/src/backend/drm/gbm/mod.rs
+++ b/src/backend/drm/gbm/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use super::{Device, DeviceHandler, RawDevice, ResourceHandles, ResourceInfo, Surface};
 
-use drm::control::{connector, crtc, framebuffer, Device as ControlDevice, Mode};
+use drm::control::{connector, crtc, Device as ControlDevice, Mode};
 use gbm::{self, BufferObjectFlags, Format as GbmFormat};
 use nix::libc::dev_t;
 
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + ControlDevice + 'static> Device for GbmDevice<D> {
     ) -> Result<GbmSurface<D>> {
         info!(self.logger, "Initializing GbmSurface");
 
+        let drm_surface = Device::create_surface(&mut **self.dev.borrow_mut(), crtc, mode, connectors)
+                .chain_err(|| ErrorKind::UnderlyingBackendError)?;
+
         let (w, h) = mode.size();
         let surface = self
             .dev
@@ -138,19 +141,6 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + ControlDevice + 'static> Device for GbmDevice<D> {
                 BufferObjectFlags::SCANOUT | BufferObjectFlags::RENDERING,
             ).chain_err(|| ErrorKind::SurfaceCreationFailed)?;
 
-        // init the first screen
-        // (must be done before calling page_flip for the first time)
-        let mut front_bo = surface
-            .lock_front_buffer()
-            .chain_err(|| ErrorKind::FrontBufferLockFailed)?;
-
-        debug!(self.logger, "FrontBuffer color format: {:?}", front_bo.format());
-
-        // we need a framebuffer for the front buffer
-        let fb = framebuffer::create(&*self.dev.borrow(), &*front_bo)
-            .chain_err(|| ErrorKind::UnderlyingBackendError)?;
-        front_bo.set_userdata(fb).unwrap();
-
         let cursor = Cell::new((
             self.dev
                 .borrow()
@@ -166,11 +156,10 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + ControlDevice + 'static> Device for GbmDevice<D> {
         let backend = Rc::new(GbmSurfaceInternal {
             dev: self.dev.clone(),
             surface: RefCell::new(surface),
-            crtc: Device::create_surface(&mut **self.dev.borrow_mut(), crtc, mode, connectors)
-                .chain_err(|| ErrorKind::UnderlyingBackendError)?,
+            crtc: drm_surface,
             cursor,
-            current_frame_buffer: Cell::new(fb),
-            front_buffer: Cell::new(front_bo),
+            current_frame_buffer: Cell::new(None),
+            front_buffer: Cell::new(None),
             next_buffer: Cell::new(None),
             logger: self.logger.new(o!("crtc" => format!("{:?}", crtc))),
         });
diff --git a/src/backend/drm/gbm/session.rs b/src/backend/drm/gbm/session.rs
index ffb1948..f66245d 100644
--- a/src/backend/drm/gbm/session.rs
+++ b/src/backend/drm/gbm/session.rs
@@ -44,11 +44,12 @@ impl<S: SessionObserver + 'static, D: RawDevice + ControlDevice + AsSessionObser
         if let Some(backends) = self.backends.upgrade() {
             for (crtc, backend) in backends.borrow().iter() {
                 if let Some(backend) = backend.upgrade() {
-                    // restart rendering loop
-                    if let Err(err) = &backend
-                        .crtc
-                        .page_flip(backend.current_frame_buffer.get().handle())
-                    {
+                    // restart rendering loop, if it was previously running
+                    if let Some(Err(err)) = backend.current_frame_buffer.get().map(|fb|
+                        backend
+                            .crtc
+                            .page_flip(fb.handle())
+                    ) {
                         warn!(self.logger, "Failed to restart rendering loop. Error: {}", err);
                     }
                     // reset cursor
diff --git a/src/backend/drm/gbm/surface.rs b/src/backend/drm/gbm/surface.rs
index 97f4e5c..1ad8c6d 100644
--- a/src/backend/drm/gbm/surface.rs
+++ b/src/backend/drm/gbm/surface.rs
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ pub(super) struct GbmSurfaceInternal<D: RawDevice + 'static> {
     pub(super) surface: RefCell<gbm::Surface<framebuffer::Info>>,
     pub(super) crtc: <D as Device>::Surface,
     pub(super) cursor: Cell<(BufferObject<()>, (u32, u32))>,
-    pub(super) current_frame_buffer: Cell<framebuffer::Info>,
-    pub(super) front_buffer: Cell<SurfaceBufferHandle<framebuffer::Info>>,
+    pub(super) current_frame_buffer: Cell<Option<framebuffer::Info>>,
+    pub(super) front_buffer: Cell<Option<SurfaceBufferHandle<framebuffer::Info>>>,
     pub(super) next_buffer: Cell<Option<SurfaceBufferHandle<framebuffer::Info>>>,
     pub(super) logger: ::slog::Logger,
 }
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + 'static> GbmSurfaceInternal<D> {
         // this is called from the PageFlipHandler
         if let Some(next_buffer) = self.next_buffer.replace(None) {
             trace!(self.logger, "Releasing old front buffer");
-            self.front_buffer.set(next_buffer);
+            self.front_buffer.set(Some(next_buffer));
             // drop and release the old buffer
         }
     }
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + 'static> GbmSurfaceInternal<D> {
         trace!(self.logger, "Queueing Page flip");
         self.crtc.page_flip(fb.handle())?;
 
-        self.current_frame_buffer.set(fb);
+        self.current_frame_buffer.set(Some(fb));
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + 'static> GbmSurfaceInternal<D> {
 
         // Recreate the surface and the related resources to match the new
         // resolution.
-        debug!(self.logger, "Reinitializing surface for new mode: {}:{}", w, h);
+        debug!(self.logger, "(Re-)Initializing surface for mode: {}:{}", w, h);
         let surface = self
             .dev
             .borrow_mut()
@@ -107,8 +107,6 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + 'static> GbmSurfaceInternal<D> {
                 BufferObjectFlags::SCANOUT | BufferObjectFlags::RENDERING,
             ).chain_err(|| ErrorKind::SurfaceCreationFailed)?;
 
-        flip()?;
-
         // Clean up next_buffer
         {
             if let Some(mut old_bo) = self.next_buffer.take() {
@@ -123,9 +121,11 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + 'static> GbmSurfaceInternal<D> {
             }
         }
 
+        flip()?;
+        
         // Cleanup front_buffer and init the first screen on the new front_buffer
         // (must be done before calling page_flip for the first time)
-        let mut old_front_bo = self.front_buffer.replace({
+        let old_front_bo = self.front_buffer.replace({
             let mut front_bo = surface
                 .lock_front_buffer()
                 .chain_err(|| ErrorKind::FrontBufferLockFailed)?;
@@ -140,10 +140,11 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + 'static> GbmSurfaceInternal<D> {
                 .commit(fb.handle())
                 .chain_err(|| ErrorKind::UnderlyingBackendError)?;
 
+            self.current_frame_buffer.set(Some(fb));
             front_bo.set_userdata(fb).unwrap();
-            front_bo
+            Some(front_bo)
         });
-        if let Ok(Some(fb)) = old_front_bo.take_userdata() {
+        if let Some(Ok(Some(fb))) = old_front_bo.map(|mut bo| bo.take_userdata()) {
             if let Err(err) = framebuffer::destroy(&self.crtc, fb.handle()) {
                 warn!(
                     self.logger,
@@ -283,8 +284,6 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + 'static> Drop for GbmSurfaceInternal<D> {
         if let Ok(Some(fb)) = {
             if let Some(mut next) = self.next_buffer.take() {
                 next.take_userdata()
-            } else if let Ok(mut next) = self.surface.borrow().lock_front_buffer() {
-                next.take_userdata()
             } else {
                 Ok(None)
             }
@@ -293,7 +292,13 @@ impl<D: RawDevice + 'static> Drop for GbmSurfaceInternal<D> {
             let _ = framebuffer::destroy(&self.crtc, fb.handle());
         }
 
-        if let Ok(Some(fb)) = self.front_buffer.get_mut().take_userdata() {
+        if let Ok(Some(fb)) = {
+            if let Some(mut next) = self.front_buffer.take() {
+                next.take_userdata()
+            } else {
+                Ok(None)
+            }
+        } {
             // ignore failure at this point
             let _ = framebuffer::destroy(&self.crtc, fb.handle());
         }