diff --git a/metadata/animate.xml b/metadata/animate.xml
index 3626e418a..08817aa7e 100644
--- a/metadata/animate.xml
+++ b/metadata/animate.xml
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
 		<option name="startup_duration" type="animation">
 			<_short>System fade duration when Wayfire starts</_short>
 			<_long>Sets the duration of fading (in milliseconds) when Wayfire starts.</_long>
-			<default>600ms linear</default>
+			<default>250ms linear</default>
 		</option>
 		<!-- Fade animation -->
 		<option name="fade_enabled_for" type="string">
diff --git a/plugins/animate/animate.cpp b/plugins/animate/animate.cpp
index e7c657992..d058206a0 100644
--- a/plugins/animate/animate.cpp
+++ b/plugins/animate/animate.cpp
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 #include <wayfire/signal-definitions.hpp>
 #include <wayfire/render-manager.hpp>
 #include <wayfire/workspace-set.hpp>
+#include <wayfire/view-helpers.hpp>
 #include <wayfire/core.hpp>
+#include <wayfire/util.hpp>
 #include "animate.hpp"
 #include "plugins/common/wayfire/plugins/common/shared-core-data.hpp"
 #include "system_fade.hpp"
@@ -202,6 +204,12 @@ class wayfire_animation : public wf::plugin_interface_t, private wf::per_output_
 
     wf::shared_data::ref_ptr_t<wf::animate::animate_effects_registry_t> effects_registry;
 
+    /**
+     * Single-shot inhibit timer to uninhibit output rendering in case a
+     * client fails to place a surface on the background layer in time.
+     */
+    std::map<wf::output_t*, wf::wl_timer<false>> inhibit_timers;
+
     template<class animation_t>
     void register_effect(std::string name, wf::option_sptr_t<wf::animation_description_t> option)
     {
@@ -237,11 +245,20 @@ class wayfire_animation : public wf::plugin_interface_t, private wf::per_output_
         output->connect(&on_view_pre_unmap);
         output->connect(&on_render_start);
         output->connect(&on_minimize_request);
+        if (startup_duration.value().length_ms != 0)
+        {
+            output->render->add_inhibit(true);
+            inhibit_timers[output].set_timeout(400, [=] ()
+            {
+                output->render->add_inhibit(false);
+            });
+        }
     }
 
     void handle_output_removed(wf::output_t *output) override
     {
         cleanup_views_on_output(output);
+        inhibit_timers.erase(output);
     }
 
     void fini() override
@@ -408,6 +425,21 @@ class wayfire_animation : public wf::plugin_interface_t, private wf::per_output_
     /* TODO: enhance - add more animations */
     wf::signal::connection_t<wf::view_mapped_signal> on_view_mapped = [=] (wf::view_mapped_signal *ev)
     {
+        /* If a client has attached a surface to the background layer,
+         * uninhibit outputs which were inhibited when wayfire started. */
+        if (wf::get_view_layer(ev->view) == wf::scene::layer::BACKGROUND)
+        {
+            auto output = ev->view->get_output();
+            if (output && inhibit_timers.count(output))
+            {
+                if (inhibit_timers[output].is_connected())
+                {
+                    inhibit_timers[output].disconnect();
+                    output->render->add_inhibit(false);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         auto animation = get_animation_for_view("open", open_animation, ev->view);
         set_animation(ev->view, animation.animation_name,
             wf::animate::ANIMATION_TYPE_MAP, animation.duration);
diff --git a/plugins/protocols/wayfire-shell.cpp b/plugins/protocols/wayfire-shell.cpp
index 975a16e14..ee8f38710 100644
--- a/plugins/protocols/wayfire-shell.cpp
+++ b/plugins/protocols/wayfire-shell.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include "wayfire/output.hpp"
 #include "wayfire/core.hpp"
 #include "wayfire/output-layout.hpp"
-#include "wayfire/render-manager.hpp"
 #include "wayfire-shell-unstable-v2-protocol.h"
 #include "wayfire/signal-definitions.hpp"
 #include "wayfire/plugins/ipc/ipc-activator.hpp"
@@ -204,7 +203,6 @@ struct wayfire_shell_toggle_menu_signal
  */
 class wfs_output
 {
-    uint32_t num_inhibits = 0;
     wl_resource *shell_resource;
     wl_resource *resource;
     wf::output_t *output;
@@ -271,13 +269,6 @@ class wfs_output
         }
 
         disconnect_from_output();
-        /* Remove any remaining inhibits, otherwise the compositor will never
-         * be "unlocked" */
-        while (num_inhibits > 0)
-        {
-            this->output->render->add_inhibit(false);
-            --num_inhibits;
-        }
     }
 
     wfs_output(const wfs_output &) = delete;
@@ -287,26 +278,21 @@ class wfs_output
 
     void inhibit_output()
     {
-        ++this->num_inhibits;
         if (this->output)
         {
-            this->output->render->add_inhibit(true);
+            LOGW(
+                "Ignoring inhibit call, left in for historical reasons.\
+                Wayfire now manages all inhibits internally");
         }
     }
 
     void inhibit_output_done()
     {
-        if (this->num_inhibits == 0)
-        {
-            wl_resource_post_no_memory(resource);
-
-            return;
-        }
-
-        --this->num_inhibits;
         if (this->output)
         {
-            this->output->render->add_inhibit(false);
+            LOGW(
+                "Ignoring inhibit done call, left in for historical reasons.\
+                Wayfire now manages all inhibits internally");
         }
     }