diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell.h
index d017a2ae4..d1072d0d1 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell.h
@@ -480,19 +480,13 @@ struct wlr_surface *wlr_xdg_surface_popup_surface_at(
 		struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface, double sx, double sy,
 		double *sub_x, double *sub_y);
 
-/**
- * Returns true if the surface has the xdg surface role.
- */
-bool wlr_surface_is_xdg_surface(struct wlr_surface *surface);
-
 /**
  * Get a struct wlr_xdg_surface from a struct wlr_surface.
- * Asserts that the surface has the xdg surface role.
- * May return NULL even if the surface has the xdg surface role if the
- * corresponding xdg surface has been destroyed.
+ *
+ * Returns NULL if the surface doesn't have the xdg_surface role or
+ * if the xdg_surface has been destroyed.
  */
-struct wlr_xdg_surface *wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(
-		struct wlr_surface *surface);
+struct wlr_xdg_surface *wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(struct wlr_surface *surface);
 
 /**
  * Get the surface geometry.
diff --git a/tinywl/tinywl.c b/tinywl/tinywl.c
index d3ff2d091..45b418775 100644
--- a/tinywl/tinywl.c
+++ b/tinywl/tinywl.c
@@ -119,9 +119,9 @@ static void focus_view(struct tinywl_view *view, struct wlr_surface *surface) {
 		 * it no longer has focus and the client will repaint accordingly, e.g.
 		 * stop displaying a caret.
 		 */
-		struct wlr_xdg_surface *previous = wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(
-					seat->keyboard_state.focused_surface);
-		assert(previous->role == WLR_XDG_SURFACE_ROLE_TOPLEVEL);
+		struct wlr_xdg_surface *previous =
+			wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(seat->keyboard_state.focused_surface);
+		assert(previous != NULL && previous->role == WLR_XDG_SURFACE_ROLE_TOPLEVEL);
 		wlr_xdg_toplevel_set_activated(previous->toplevel, false);
 	}
 	struct wlr_keyboard *keyboard = wlr_seat_get_keyboard(seat);
@@ -773,8 +773,9 @@ static void server_new_xdg_surface(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	 * we always set the user data field of xdg_surfaces to the corresponding
 	 * scene node. */
 	if (xdg_surface->role == WLR_XDG_SURFACE_ROLE_POPUP) {
-		struct wlr_xdg_surface *parent = wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(
-			xdg_surface->popup->parent);
+		struct wlr_xdg_surface *parent =
+			wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(xdg_surface->popup->parent);
+		assert(parent != NULL);
 		struct wlr_scene_tree *parent_tree = parent->data;
 		xdg_surface->data = wlr_scene_xdg_surface_create(
 			parent_tree, xdg_surface);
diff --git a/types/wlr_xdg_foreign_v1.c b/types/wlr_xdg_foreign_v1.c
index 9cca77149..a2d5c7927 100644
--- a/types/wlr_xdg_foreign_v1.c
+++ b/types/wlr_xdg_foreign_v1.c
@@ -29,13 +29,7 @@ static void xdg_imported_handle_destroy(struct wl_client *client,
 
 static struct wlr_xdg_toplevel *verify_is_toplevel(struct wl_resource *resource,
 		struct wlr_surface *surface) {
-	if (!wlr_surface_is_xdg_surface(surface)) {
-		wl_resource_post_error(resource, -1, "surface must be an xdg_surface");
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	struct wlr_xdg_surface *xdg_surface =
-		wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(surface);
+	struct wlr_xdg_surface *xdg_surface = wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(surface);
 	if (xdg_surface == NULL || xdg_surface->role != WLR_XDG_SURFACE_ROLE_TOPLEVEL) {
 		wl_resource_post_error(resource, -1, "surface must be an xdg_toplevel");
 		return NULL;
@@ -84,7 +78,7 @@ static void xdg_imported_handle_set_parent_of(struct wl_client *client,
 	}
 
 	struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface =
-		wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
+		wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
 
 	if (!surface->mapped) {
 		wlr_xdg_toplevel_set_parent(child_toplevel, NULL);
@@ -162,7 +156,8 @@ static void destroy_imported(struct wlr_xdg_imported_v1 *imported) {
 	struct wlr_xdg_imported_child_v1 *child, *child_tmp;
 	wl_list_for_each_safe(child, child_tmp, &imported->children, link) {
 		struct wlr_xdg_surface *xdg_child =
-			wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(child->surface);
+			wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(child->surface);
+		assert(xdg_child != NULL);
 		wlr_xdg_toplevel_set_parent(xdg_child->toplevel, NULL);
 	}
 
diff --git a/types/wlr_xdg_foreign_v2.c b/types/wlr_xdg_foreign_v2.c
index 43e65e0ef..11cc03f79 100644
--- a/types/wlr_xdg_foreign_v2.c
+++ b/types/wlr_xdg_foreign_v2.c
@@ -32,15 +32,7 @@ static struct wlr_xdg_toplevel *verify_is_toplevel(struct wl_resource *resource,
 	// Note: the error codes are the same for zxdg_exporter_v2 and
 	// zxdg_importer_v2
 
-	if (!wlr_surface_is_xdg_surface(surface)) {
-		wl_resource_post_error(resource,
-			ZXDG_EXPORTER_V2_ERROR_INVALID_SURFACE,
-			"surface must be an xdg_surface");
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	struct wlr_xdg_surface *xdg_surface =
-		wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(surface);
+	struct wlr_xdg_surface *xdg_surface = wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(surface);
 	if (xdg_surface == NULL || xdg_surface->role != WLR_XDG_SURFACE_ROLE_TOPLEVEL) {
 		wl_resource_post_error(resource,
 			ZXDG_EXPORTER_V2_ERROR_INVALID_SURFACE,
@@ -84,8 +76,7 @@ static void xdg_imported_handle_set_parent_of(struct wl_client *client,
 	struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface_child =
 		wlr_surface_from_resource(child_resource);
 
-	struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface =
-		wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
+	struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface = wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
 	struct wlr_xdg_toplevel *child_toplevel =
 		verify_is_toplevel(resource, wlr_surface_child);
 	if (!child_toplevel) {
@@ -168,7 +159,8 @@ static void destroy_imported(struct wlr_xdg_imported_v2 *imported) {
 	struct wlr_xdg_imported_child_v2 *child, *child_tmp;
 	wl_list_for_each_safe(child, child_tmp, &imported->children, link) {
 		struct wlr_xdg_surface *xdg_child =
-			wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(child->surface);
+			wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(child->surface);
+		assert(xdg_child != NULL);
 		wlr_xdg_toplevel_set_parent(xdg_child->toplevel, NULL);
 	}
 
diff --git a/types/xdg_shell/wlr_xdg_popup.c b/types/xdg_shell/wlr_xdg_popup.c
index d9c598812..33eba859a 100644
--- a/types/xdg_shell/wlr_xdg_popup.c
+++ b/types/xdg_shell/wlr_xdg_popup.c
@@ -477,10 +477,8 @@ void wlr_xdg_popup_destroy(struct wlr_xdg_popup *popup) {
 void wlr_xdg_popup_get_toplevel_coords(struct wlr_xdg_popup *popup,
 		int popup_sx, int popup_sy, int *toplevel_sx, int *toplevel_sy) {
 	struct wlr_surface *parent = popup->parent;
-	while (wlr_surface_is_xdg_surface(parent)) {
-		struct wlr_xdg_surface *xdg_surface =
-			wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(parent);
-
+	struct wlr_xdg_surface *xdg_surface;
+	while ((xdg_surface = wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(parent))) {
 		if (xdg_surface->role == WLR_XDG_SURFACE_ROLE_POPUP) {
 			popup_sx += xdg_surface->popup->current.geometry.x;
 			popup_sy += xdg_surface->popup->current.geometry.y;
diff --git a/types/xdg_shell/wlr_xdg_surface.c b/types/xdg_shell/wlr_xdg_surface.c
index f554eb6e2..9f6968680 100644
--- a/types/xdg_shell/wlr_xdg_surface.c
+++ b/types/xdg_shell/wlr_xdg_surface.c
@@ -5,14 +5,12 @@
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include "types/wlr_xdg_shell.h"
 
-bool wlr_surface_is_xdg_surface(struct wlr_surface *surface) {
-	return surface->role == &xdg_toplevel_surface_role ||
-		surface->role == &xdg_popup_surface_role;
-}
-
-struct wlr_xdg_surface *wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(
+struct wlr_xdg_surface *wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(
 		struct wlr_surface *surface) {
-	assert(wlr_surface_is_xdg_surface(surface));
+	if (surface->role != &xdg_toplevel_surface_role &&
+			surface->role != &xdg_popup_surface_role) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	return (struct wlr_xdg_surface *)surface->role_data;
 }
 
@@ -284,8 +282,8 @@ static void xdg_surface_handle_surface_commit(struct wl_listener *listener,
 }
 
 void xdg_surface_role_commit(struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface) {
-	struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface =
-		wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
+	struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface = wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
+	assert(surface != NULL);
 
 	surface->current = surface->pending;
 
@@ -315,8 +313,8 @@ void xdg_surface_role_commit(struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface) {
 
 void xdg_surface_role_precommit(struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface,
 		const struct wlr_surface_state *state) {
-	struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface =
-		wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
+	struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface = wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
+	assert(surface != NULL);
 
 	if (state->committed & WLR_SURFACE_STATE_BUFFER && state->buffer == NULL) {
 		// This is a NULL commit
@@ -327,8 +325,8 @@ void xdg_surface_role_precommit(struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface,
 }
 
 void xdg_surface_role_destroy(struct wlr_surface *wlr_surface) {
-	struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface =
-		wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
+	struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface = wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(wlr_surface);
+	assert(surface != NULL);
 
 	reset_xdg_surface(surface);
 
@@ -445,8 +443,8 @@ void wlr_xdg_surface_ping(struct wlr_xdg_surface *surface) {
 
 void wlr_xdg_popup_get_position(struct wlr_xdg_popup *popup,
 		double *popup_sx, double *popup_sy) {
-	struct wlr_xdg_surface *parent =
-		wlr_xdg_surface_from_wlr_surface(popup->parent);
+	struct wlr_xdg_surface *parent = wlr_xdg_surface_try_from_wlr_surface(popup->parent);
+	assert(parent != NULL);
 	struct wlr_box parent_geo;
 	wlr_xdg_surface_get_geometry(parent, &parent_geo);
 	*popup_sx = parent_geo.x + popup->current.geometry.x -