diff --git a/gdk/win32/gdkdevice-win32.c b/gdk/win32/gdkdevice-win32.c
index 190372de2d..3ca8e03a51 100644
--- a/gdk/win32/gdkdevice-win32.c
+++ b/gdk/win32/gdkdevice-win32.c
@@ -150,7 +150,18 @@ gdk_device_win32_query_state (GdkDevice        *device,
 
   if (child_window)
     {
-      hwndc = ChildWindowFromPoint (hwnd, point);
+      if (window == gdk_screen_get_root_window (screen))
+        {
+          /* Always use WindowFromPoint when searching from the root window.
+          *  Only WindowFromPoint is able to look through transparent
+          *  layered windows.
+          */
+          hwndc = GetAncestor (WindowFromPoint (point), GA_ROOT);
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          hwndc = ChildWindowFromPoint (hwnd, point);
+        }
 
       if (hwndc && hwndc != hwnd)
         *child_window = gdk_win32_handle_table_lookup (hwndc);
@@ -201,71 +212,46 @@ _gdk_device_win32_window_at_position (GdkDevice       *device,
   GdkWindow *window = NULL;
   GdkWindowImplWin32 *impl = NULL;
   POINT screen_pt, client_pt;
-  HWND hwnd, hwndc;
+  HWND hwnd;
   RECT rect;
 
-  GetCursorPos (&screen_pt);
+  if (!GetCursorPos (&screen_pt))
+    return NULL;
+
+  hwnd = WindowFromPoint (screen_pt);
 
   if (get_toplevel)
     {
-      /* Only consider visible children of the desktop to avoid the various
-       * non-visible windows you often find on a running Windows box. These
-       * might overlap our windows and cause our walk to fail. As we assume
-       * WindowFromPoint() can find our windows, we follow similar logic
-       * here, and ignore invisible and disabled windows.
-       */
-      hwnd = GetDesktopWindow ();
-      do {
-        window = gdk_win32_handle_table_lookup (hwnd);
-
-        if (window != NULL &&
-            GDK_WINDOW_TYPE (window) != GDK_WINDOW_ROOT &&
-            GDK_WINDOW_TYPE (window) != GDK_WINDOW_FOREIGN)
-          break;
-
-        screen_to_client (hwnd, screen_pt, &client_pt);
-        hwndc = ChildWindowFromPointEx (hwnd, client_pt, CWP_SKIPDISABLED  |
-                                                         CWP_SKIPINVISIBLE);
-
-	/* Verify that we're really inside the client area of the window */
-	if (hwndc != hwnd)
-	  {
-	    GetClientRect (hwndc, &rect);
-	    screen_to_client (hwndc, screen_pt, &client_pt);
-	    if (!PtInRect (&rect, client_pt))
-	      hwndc = hwnd;
-	  }
-
-      } while (hwndc != hwnd && (hwnd = hwndc, 1));
-
+      /* Use WindowFromPoint instead of ChildWindowFromPoint(Ex).
+      *  Only WindowFromPoint is able to look through transparent
+      *  layered windows.
+      */
+      hwnd = GetAncestor (hwnd, GA_ROOT);
     }
-  else
+
+  /* Verify that we're really inside the client area of the window */
+  GetClientRect (hwnd, &rect);
+  screen_to_client (hwnd, screen_pt, &client_pt);
+  if (!PtInRect (&rect, client_pt))
+    hwnd = NULL;
+
+  if (!get_toplevel && hwnd == NULL)
     {
-      hwnd = WindowFromPoint (screen_pt);
+      /* If we didn't hit any window, return the root window */
+      /* note that the root window ain't a toplevel window */
+      window = gdk_get_default_root_window ();
+      impl = GDK_WINDOW_IMPL_WIN32 (window->impl);
 
-      /* Verify that we're really inside the client area of the window */
-      GetClientRect (hwnd, &rect);
-      screen_to_client (hwnd, screen_pt, &client_pt);
-      if (!PtInRect (&rect, client_pt))
-	hwnd = NULL;
+      if (win_x)
+        *win_x = (screen_pt.x + _gdk_offset_x) / impl->window_scale;
+      if (win_y)
+        *win_y = (screen_pt.y + _gdk_offset_y) / impl->window_scale;
 
-      /* If we didn't hit any window at that point, return the desktop */
-      if (hwnd == NULL)
-        {
-          window = gdk_get_default_root_window ();
-          impl = GDK_WINDOW_IMPL_WIN32 (window->impl);
-
-          if (win_x)
-            *win_x = (screen_pt.x + _gdk_offset_x) / impl->window_scale;
-          if (win_y)
-            *win_y = (screen_pt.y + _gdk_offset_y) / impl->window_scale;
-
-          return window;
-        }
-
-      window = gdk_win32_handle_table_lookup (hwnd);
+      return window;
     }
 
+  window = gdk_win32_handle_table_lookup (hwnd);
+
   if (window && (win_x || win_y))
     {
       impl = GDK_WINDOW_IMPL_WIN32 (window->impl);