diff --git a/src/plugins/platforms/wayland/qwaylandwindow.cpp b/src/plugins/platforms/wayland/qwaylandwindow.cpp
index 2b7f199c05f..7634aedd6e9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/platforms/wayland/qwaylandwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/platforms/wayland/qwaylandwindow.cpp
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ void QWaylandWindow::initWindow()
         Q_ASSERT(!mSubSurfaceWindow);
 
         auto *parent = static_cast<QWaylandWindow *>(QPlatformWindow::parent());
+        if (!parent->mSurface)
+            parent->initializeWlSurface();
         if (parent->wlSurface()) {
             if (::wl_subsurface *subsurface = mDisplay->createSubSurface(this, parent))
                 mSubSurfaceWindow = new QWaylandSubSurface(this, parent, subsurface);
diff --git a/tests/auto/wayland/surface/tst_surface.cpp b/tests/auto/wayland/surface/tst_surface.cpp
index 083bc4faa90..b583390f024 100644
--- a/tests/auto/wayland/surface/tst_surface.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/wayland/surface/tst_surface.cpp
@@ -199,6 +199,10 @@ void tst_surface::createSubsurfaceForHiddenParent()
 
     // Make sure the client doesn't quit before it has a chance to crash
     xdgPingAndWaitForPong();
+
+    // Make sure the subsurface was actually created
+    const Subsurface *subsurface = exec([=] {return subSurface(0);});
+    QVERIFY(subsurface);
 }
 
 QCOMPOSITOR_TEST_MAIN(tst_surface)