diff --git a/src/backend/winit.rs b/src/backend/winit.rs
index f9f14fa..fb25010 100644
--- a/src/backend/winit.rs
+++ b/src/backend/winit.rs
@@ -236,6 +236,8 @@ pub fn run_winit() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
                 let full_redraw = &mut backend.full_redraw;
                 *full_redraw = full_redraw.saturating_sub(1);
 
+                state.focus_state.fix_up_focus(&mut state.space);
+
                 let output_render_elements = crate::render::generate_render_elements(
                     &state.space,
                     &state.windows,
diff --git a/src/focus.rs b/src/focus.rs
index 0464958..25739b8 100644
--- a/src/focus.rs
+++ b/src/focus.rs
@@ -50,9 +50,7 @@ impl FocusState {
     /// to back to correct their z locations.
     pub fn fix_up_focus(&self, space: &mut Space<WindowElement>) {
         for win in self.focus_stack.iter() {
-            if let Some(loc) = space.element_location(win) {
-                space.map_element(win.clone(), loc, false);
-            }
+            space.raise_element(win, false);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/handlers.rs b/src/handlers.rs
index fc2b61a..23133e4 100644
--- a/src/handlers.rs
+++ b/src/handlers.rs
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ impl CompositorHandler for State {
 
         // correct focus layering
         // TODO: maybe do this at the end of every event loop cycle instead?
-        self.focus_state.fix_up_focus(&mut self.space);
+        // self.focus_state.fix_up_focus(&mut self.space);
     }
 
     fn client_compositor_state<'a>(&self, client: &'a Client) -> &'a CompositorClientState {
diff --git a/src/layout.rs b/src/layout.rs
index 40f972a..13f6e97 100644
--- a/src/layout.rs
+++ b/src/layout.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 use itertools::{Either, Itertools};
 use smithay::{
-    desktop::layer_map_for_output,
+    desktop::{layer_map_for_output, space::SpaceElement},
     output::Output,
     utils::{Logical, Point, Rectangle, Size},
 };
@@ -462,13 +462,27 @@ impl State {
             }
         }
 
-        // TODO: don't use the focused output, use the outputs the two windows are on
-        let output = self
-            .focus_state
-            .focused_output
-            .clone()
-            .expect("no focused output");
-        self.update_windows(&output);
-        // self.re_layout(&output);
+        // Some windows just don't want to commit on a timely basis, like VS Code on Wayland,
+        // unless their sizes change. In this case, if the two windows have the same size,
+        // just map them to the other's location instead of going through update_windows().
+        if win1.geometry().size == win2.geometry().size {
+            let win1_loc = self.space.element_location(win1);
+            let win2_loc = self.space.element_location(win2);
+
+            if let Some(win1_loc) = win1_loc {
+                if let Some(win2_loc) = win2_loc {
+                    self.space.map_element(win1.clone(), win2_loc, false);
+                    self.space.map_element(win2.clone(), win1_loc, false);
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            // TODO: don't use the focused output, use the outputs the two windows are on
+            let output = self
+                .focus_state
+                .focused_output
+                .clone()
+                .expect("no focused output");
+            self.update_windows(&output);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/render.rs b/src/render.rs
index c2b8a1e..b0fc997 100644
--- a/src/render.rs
+++ b/src/render.rs
@@ -271,14 +271,8 @@ where
                 overlay,
             } = layer_render_elements(output, renderer);
 
-            let tags = space
-                .outputs()
-                .flat_map(|op| {
-                    op.with_state(|state| state.focused_tags().cloned().collect::<Vec<_>>())
-                })
-                .collect::<Vec<_>>();
             let window_render_elements: Vec<WaylandSurfaceRenderElement<R>> =
-                Tag::tag_render_elements(&tags, windows, space, renderer);
+                Tag::tag_render_elements(windows, space, renderer);
 
             let mut output_render_elements =
                 Vec::<OutputRenderElements<R, WaylandSurfaceRenderElement<R>>>::new();
diff --git a/src/tag.rs b/src/tag.rs
index 0acd870..39c6ab1 100644
--- a/src/tag.rs
+++ b/src/tag.rs
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ impl Tag {
 
     /// Get the render_elements for the provided tags.
     pub fn tag_render_elements<R, C>(
-        tags: &[Tag],
         windows: &[WindowElement],
         space: &Space<WindowElement>,
         renderer: &mut R,
@@ -132,14 +131,8 @@ impl Tag {
     {
         let elements = windows
             .iter()
-            .filter(|win| {
-                win.with_state(|state| {
-                    state
-                        .tags
-                        .iter()
-                        .any(|tag| tags.iter().any(|tag2| tag == tag2))
-                })
-            })
+            .rev() // rev because I treat the focus stack backwards vs how the renderer orders it
+            .filter(|win| win.is_on_active_tag(space.outputs()))
             .flat_map(|win| {
                 // subtract win.geometry().loc to align decorations correctly
                 let loc = (space.element_location(win).unwrap_or((0, 0).into())