diff --git a/src/layersurface.c b/src/layersurface.c
index 11deb048f8e1184144c7dc1a24347fb440ca7dd8..e652ecc010bf1f1abf532809d34fd9f858461ce4 100644
--- a/src/layersurface.c
+++ b/src/layersurface.c
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ enum {
   PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_MARGIN_BOTTOM,
   PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_MARGIN_LEFT,
   PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_MARGIN_RIGHT,
+  PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_WIDTH,
+  PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_HEIGHT,
   PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_WIDTH,
   PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_HEIGHT,
   PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_NAMESPACE,
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ typedef struct {
   gint margin_top, margin_bottom;
   gint margin_left, margin_right;
   gint width, height;
+  guint configured_width, configured_height;
   gchar *namespace;
   struct zwlr_layer_shell_v1 *layer_shell;
   struct wl_output *wl_output;
@@ -64,10 +67,23 @@ static void layer_surface_configure(void                         *data,
                                     uint32_t                      height)
 {
   PhoshLayerSurface *self = data;
+  PhoshLayerSurfacePrivate *priv;
 
+  g_return_if_fail (PHOSH_IS_LAYER_SURFACE (self));
+  priv = phosh_layer_surface_get_instance_private (self);
   gtk_window_resize (GTK_WINDOW (self), width, height);
   zwlr_layer_surface_v1_ack_configure(surface, serial);
 
+  if (priv->configured_height != height) {
+    priv->configured_height = height;
+    g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (self), props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_HEIGHT]);
+  }
+
+  if (priv->configured_width != width) {
+    priv->configured_width = width;
+    g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (self), props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_WIDTH]);
+  }
+
   g_debug("Configured %p", self);
   g_signal_emit (self, signals[CONFIGURED], 0);
 }
@@ -86,8 +102,8 @@ static void layer_surface_closed (void                         *data,
 }
 
 static struct zwlr_layer_surface_v1_listener layer_surface_listener = {
-	.configure = layer_surface_configure,
-	.closed = layer_surface_closed,
+    .configure = layer_surface_configure,
+    .closed = layer_surface_closed,
 };
 
 static void
@@ -147,9 +163,15 @@ phosh_layer_surface_set_property (GObject      *object,
                                      priv->margin_left);
     break;
   case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_WIDTH:
-    priv->width = g_value_get_uint (value);
+    priv->configured_width = g_value_get_uint (value);
     break;
   case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_HEIGHT:
+    priv->configured_height = g_value_get_uint (value);
+    break;
+  case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_WIDTH:
+    priv->width = g_value_get_uint (value);
+    break;
+  case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_HEIGHT:
     priv->height = g_value_get_uint (value);
     break;
   case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_NAMESPACE:
@@ -204,9 +226,15 @@ phosh_layer_surface_get_property (GObject    *object,
     g_value_set_int (value, priv->margin_right);
     break;
   case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_WIDTH:
-    g_value_set_uint (value, priv->width);
+    g_value_set_uint (value, priv->configured_width);
     break;
   case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_HEIGHT:
+    g_value_set_uint (value, priv->configured_height);
+    break;
+  case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_WIDTH:
+    g_value_set_uint (value, priv->width);
+    break;
+  case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_HEIGHT:
     g_value_set_uint (value, priv->height);
     break;
   case PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_NAMESPACE:
@@ -242,6 +270,7 @@ on_phosh_layer_surface_mapped (PhoshLayerSurface *self, gpointer unused)
 {
   PhoshLayerSurfacePrivate *priv;
   GdkWindow *gdk_window;
+  guint wanted_width = 0, wanted_height = 0;
 
   g_return_if_fail (PHOSH_IS_LAYER_SURFACE (self));
   priv = phosh_layer_surface_get_instance_private (self);
@@ -259,7 +288,20 @@ on_phosh_layer_surface_mapped (PhoshLayerSurface *self, gpointer unused)
                                                               priv->layer,
                                                               priv->namespace);
   zwlr_layer_surface_v1_set_exclusive_zone(priv->layer_surface, priv->exclusive_zone);
-  zwlr_layer_surface_v1_set_size(priv->layer_surface, priv->width, priv->height);
+
+  // Take into account that if the user wanted the compositor to choose a value,
+  // then it should be allowed again
+  // but at the same time, if an allocation was done with a specific value,
+  // then favor not resizing.
+  if (priv->width != 0) {
+      wanted_width = priv->configured_width;
+  }
+
+  if (priv->height != 0) {
+      wanted_height = priv->configured_height;
+  }
+
+  zwlr_layer_surface_v1_set_size(priv->layer_surface, wanted_width, wanted_height);
   zwlr_layer_surface_v1_set_anchor(priv->layer_surface, priv->anchor);
   zwlr_layer_surface_v1_set_margin(priv->layer_surface,
                                    priv->margin_top,
@@ -431,25 +473,45 @@ phosh_layer_surface_class_init (PhoshLayerSurfaceClass *klass)
       0,
       G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS | G_PARAM_EXPLICIT_NOTIFY);
 
-  props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_WIDTH] =
+  props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_WIDTH] =
     g_param_spec_uint (
       "width",
       "Width",
-      "The width of the layer surface",
+      "The requested width of the layer surface",
       0,
       G_MAXUINT,
       0,
-      G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY | G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
+      G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY | G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS | G_PARAM_EXPLICIT_NOTIFY);
 
-  props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_HEIGHT] =
+  props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_HEIGHT] =
     g_param_spec_uint (
       "height",
       "Height",
-      "The height of the layer surface",
+      "The requested height of the layer surface",
       0,
       G_MAXUINT,
       0,
-      G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY | G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
+      G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY | G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS | G_PARAM_EXPLICIT_NOTIFY);
+
+  props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_WIDTH] =
+    g_param_spec_uint (
+      "configured-width",
+      "Configured width",
+      "The width of the layer surface set by the compositor",
+      0,
+      G_MAXUINT,
+      0,
+      G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY | G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS | G_PARAM_EXPLICIT_NOTIFY);
+
+  props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_LAYER_HEIGHT] =
+    g_param_spec_uint (
+      "configured-height",
+      "Configured height",
+      "The height of the layer surface set by the compositor",
+      0,
+      G_MAXUINT,
+      0,
+      G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY | G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS | G_PARAM_EXPLICIT_NOTIFY);
 
   props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_NAMESPACE] =
     g_param_spec_string (
@@ -529,7 +591,8 @@ phosh_layer_surface_get_wl_surface(PhoshLayerSurface *self)
 /**
  * phosh_layer_surface_set_size:
  *
- * Set the size of a layer surface. A value of '-1' indicates 'use old value'
+ * Set the size of a layer surface.
+ * A value of '-1' indicates 'use configured value'
  */
 void
 phosh_layer_surface_set_size(PhoshLayerSurface *self, gint width, gint height)
@@ -539,16 +602,28 @@ phosh_layer_surface_set_size(PhoshLayerSurface *self, gint width, gint height)
   g_return_if_fail (PHOSH_IS_LAYER_SURFACE (self));
   priv = phosh_layer_surface_get_instance_private (self);
 
-  if (priv->height == height && priv->width == width)
-    return;
+  if (width == -1)
+    width = priv->configured_width;
+
+  if (height == -1)
+    height = priv->configured_height;
 
-  if (width != -1)
+  if (priv->width != width) {
     priv->width = width;
+    g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (self), props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_WIDTH]);
+  }
 
-  if (height != -1)
+  if (priv->height != height) {
     priv->height = height;
+    g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (self), props[PHOSH_LAYER_SURFACE_PROP_REQUESTED_HEIGHT]);
+  }
+
+  if (priv->configured_height == height && priv->configured_width == width)
+    return;
 
-  zwlr_layer_surface_v1_set_size(priv->layer_surface, priv->width, priv->height);
+  if (gtk_widget_get_mapped (GTK_WIDGET (self))) {
+    zwlr_layer_surface_v1_set_size(priv->layer_surface, priv->width, priv->height);
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -658,3 +733,4 @@ phosh_layer_surface_wl_surface_commit (PhoshLayerSurface *self)
   if (priv->wl_surface)
     wl_surface_commit (priv->wl_surface);
 }
+