diff --git a/gdk/wayland/gdkwindow-wayland.c b/gdk/wayland/gdkwindow-wayland.c
index 7dff256914..1e8863311f 100644
--- a/gdk/wayland/gdkwindow-wayland.c
+++ b/gdk/wayland/gdkwindow-wayland.c
@@ -1227,36 +1227,27 @@ should_be_mapped (GdkWindow *window)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static gboolean
-should_map_as_subsurface (GdkWindow *window)
-{
-  GdkWindowImplWayland *impl = GDK_WINDOW_IMPL_WAYLAND (window->impl);
-
-  if (GDK_WINDOW_TYPE (window) == GDK_WINDOW_SUBSURFACE)
-    return TRUE;
-
-  switch (impl->hint)
-    {
-    case GDK_WINDOW_TYPE_HINT_TOOLTIP:
-      return TRUE;
-
-    case GDK_WINDOW_TYPE_HINT_UTILITY:
-      if (GDK_WINDOW_TYPE (window) == GDK_WINDOW_TEMP)
-        return TRUE;
-      break;
-
-    default:
-      break;
-    }
-
-  return FALSE;
-}
-
 static gboolean
 should_map_as_popup (GdkWindow *window)
 {
   GdkWindowImplWayland *impl = GDK_WINDOW_IMPL_WAYLAND (window->impl);
 
+  /* Ideally, popup would be temp windows with a parent and grab */
+  if (GDK_WINDOW_TYPE (window) == GDK_WINDOW_TEMP)
+    {
+      /* If a temp window has a parent and a grab, we can use a popup */
+      if (impl->transient_for)
+        {
+          if (impl->grab_input_seat)
+            return TRUE;
+        }
+      else
+        g_warning ("Window %p is a temporary window without parent, "
+                   "application will not be able to position it on screen.",
+                   window);
+    }
+
+  /* Yet we need to keep the window type hint tests for compatibility */
   switch (impl->hint)
     {
     case GDK_WINDOW_TYPE_HINT_POPUP_MENU:
@@ -1276,6 +1267,38 @@ should_map_as_popup (GdkWindow *window)
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+static gboolean
+should_map_as_subsurface (GdkWindow *window)
+{
+  GdkWindowImplWayland *impl = GDK_WINDOW_IMPL_WAYLAND (window->impl);
+
+  if (GDK_WINDOW_TYPE (window) == GDK_WINDOW_SUBSURFACE)
+    return TRUE;
+
+  if (GDK_WINDOW_TYPE (window) != GDK_WINDOW_TEMP)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  /* if we want a popup, we do not want a subsurface */
+  if (should_map_as_popup (window))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  if (impl->transient_for)
+    {
+      GdkWindowImplWayland *impl_parent;
+
+      impl_parent = GDK_WINDOW_IMPL_WAYLAND (impl->transient_for->impl);
+      /* subsurface require that the parent is mapped */
+      if (impl_parent->mapped)
+        return TRUE;
+      else
+        g_warning ("Couldn't map window %p as susburface because its parent is not mapped.",
+                   window);
+
+    }
+
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
 /* Get the window that can be used as a parent for a popup, i.e. a xdg_surface
  * or xdg_popup. If the window is not, traverse up the transiency parents until
  * we find one.
@@ -1313,7 +1336,7 @@ gdk_wayland_window_map (GdkWindow *window)
       if (impl->transient_for)
         gdk_wayland_window_create_subsurface (window);
       else
-        g_warning ("Couldn't map as window %p as susburface yet because it doesn't have a parent",
+        g_warning ("Couldn't map window %p as susburface yet because it doesn't have a parent",
                    window);
     }
   else if (should_map_as_popup (window))
diff --git a/gtk/gtkwindow.c b/gtk/gtkwindow.c
index b929a9c618..8b4e86a87f 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkwindow.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkwindow.c
@@ -3229,6 +3229,12 @@ gtk_window_unset_transient_for  (GtkWindow *window)
  *
  * Passing %NULL for @parent unsets the current transient window.
  *
+ * On Wayland, this function can also be used to attach a new
+ * #GTK_WINDOW_POPUP to a #GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL parent already mapped
+ * on screen so that the #GTK_WINDOW_POPUP will be created as a
+ * subsurface-based window #GDK_WINDOW_SUBSURFACE which can be
+ * positioned at will relatively to the #GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL surface.
+ *
  * On Windows, this function puts the child window on top of the parent,
  * much as the window manager would have done on X.
  */
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index f2123d97db..85d06bae6c 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ noinst_PROGRAMS =  $(TEST_PROGS)	\
 	gdkgears			\
 	listmodel			\
 	foreigndrawing			\
+	testpopup			\
 	$(NULL)
 
 if USE_X11
diff --git a/tests/testpopup.c b/tests/testpopup.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cd82468c49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testpopup.c
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#include <gtk/gtk.h>
+
+static gboolean
+draw_popup (GtkWidget *widget,
+            cairo_t   *cr,
+            gpointer   data)
+{
+  cairo_set_source_rgb (cr, 1, 0, 0);
+  cairo_paint (cr);
+
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
+static gboolean
+place_popup (GtkWidget *parent,
+             GdkEvent  *event,
+             GtkWidget *popup)
+{
+  GdkEventMotion *ev_motion = (GdkEventMotion *) event;
+  gint width, height;
+
+  gtk_window_get_size (GTK_WINDOW (popup), &width, &height);
+  gtk_window_move (GTK_WINDOW (popup),
+                   (int) ev_motion->x_root - width / 2,
+                   (int) ev_motion->y_root - height / 2);
+
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
+static gboolean
+on_map_event (GtkWidget *parent,
+              GdkEvent  *event,
+              gpointer   data)
+{
+  GtkWidget *popup;
+
+  popup = gtk_window_new (GTK_WINDOW_POPUP);
+
+  gtk_widget_set_size_request (GTK_WIDGET (popup), 20, 20);
+  gtk_widget_set_app_paintable (GTK_WIDGET (popup), TRUE);
+  gtk_window_set_transient_for (GTK_WINDOW (popup), GTK_WINDOW (parent));
+  g_signal_connect (popup, "draw", G_CALLBACK (draw_popup), NULL);
+  g_signal_connect (parent, "motion-notify-event", G_CALLBACK (place_popup), popup);
+
+  gtk_widget_show (popup);
+
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
+int
+main (int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+  GtkWidget *window;
+
+  gtk_init (&argc, &argv);
+
+  window = gtk_window_new (GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL);
+
+  gtk_widget_set_events (window, GDK_POINTER_MOTION_MASK);
+  g_signal_connect (window, "destroy", gtk_main_quit, NULL);
+  g_signal_connect (window, "map-event", G_CALLBACK (on_map_event), NULL);
+
+  gtk_widget_show (window);
+
+  gtk_main ();
+
+  return 0;
+}