diff --git a/river/View.zig b/river/View.zig
index 5a1e4c4..adb3002 100644
--- a/river/View.zig
+++ b/river/View.zig
@@ -264,6 +264,16 @@ pub fn getDefaultFloatBox(self: Self) Box {
     };
 }
 
+/// Return the dimensions of the actual "visible bounds" that the client has
+/// committed. This excludes any "invisible" areas of the surface that show
+/// useless stuff like CSD shadows.
+pub fn getActualBox(self: Self) Box {
+    return switch (self.impl) {
+        .xdg_toplevel => |xdg_toplevel| xdg_toplevel.getActualBox(),
+        .xwayland_view => |xwayland_view| xwayland_view.getActualBox(),
+    };
+}
+
 /// Called by the impl when the surface is ready to be displayed
 pub fn map(self: *Self) void {
     const root = self.output.root;
diff --git a/river/VoidView.zig b/river/VoidView.zig
index 81392ff..1ddc8bf 100644
--- a/river/VoidView.zig
+++ b/river/VoidView.zig
@@ -54,3 +54,7 @@ pub fn surfaceAt(self: Self, ox: f64, oy: f64, sx: *f64, sy: *f64) ?*c.wlr_surfa
 pub fn getTitle(self: Self) [*:0]const u8 {
     unreachable;
 }
+
+pub fn getActualBox(self: Self) Box {
+    unreachable;
+}
diff --git a/river/XdgToplevel.zig b/river/XdgToplevel.zig
index 607bb92..7d71bd4 100644
--- a/river/XdgToplevel.zig
+++ b/river/XdgToplevel.zig
@@ -123,6 +123,15 @@ pub fn getTitle(self: Self) [*:0]const u8 {
     return wlr_xdg_toplevel.title orelse "NULL";
 }
 
+pub fn getActualBox(self: Self) Box {
+    return .{
+        .x = self.wlr_xdg_surface.geometry.x,
+        .y = self.wlr_xdg_surface.geometry.y,
+        .width = @intCast(u32, self.wlr_xdg_surface.geometry.width),
+        .height = @intCast(u32, self.wlr_xdg_surface.geometry.height),
+    };
+}
+
 /// Called when the xdg surface is destroyed
 fn handleDestroy(listener: ?*c.wl_listener, data: ?*c_void) callconv(.C) void {
     const self = @fieldParentPtr(Self, "listen_destroy", listener.?);
diff --git a/river/XwaylandView.zig b/river/XwaylandView.zig
index 1cd0143..fdc6ddf 100644
--- a/river/XwaylandView.zig
+++ b/river/XwaylandView.zig
@@ -114,6 +114,15 @@ pub fn getTitle(self: Self) [*:0]const u8 {
     return self.wlr_xwayland_surface.title;
 }
 
+pub fn getActualBox(self: Self) Box {
+    return .{
+        .x = self.wlr_xwayland_surface.x,
+        .y = self.wlr_xwayland_surface.y,
+        .width = self.wlr_xwayland_surface.width,
+        .height = self.wlr_xwayland_surface.height,
+    };
+}
+
 /// Called when the xwayland surface is destroyed
 fn handleDestroy(listener: ?*c.wl_listener, data: ?*c_void) callconv(.C) void {
     const self = @fieldParentPtr(Self, "listen_destroy", listener.?);
diff --git a/river/render.zig b/river/render.zig
index 6847ffe..433ce9c 100644
--- a/river/render.zig
+++ b/river/render.zig
@@ -241,28 +241,26 @@ fn renderTexture(
 fn renderBorders(output: Output, view: *View, now: *c.timespec) void {
     const config = &output.root.server.config;
     var border: Box = undefined;
-    const color = if (view.focused)
-        &output.root.server.config.border_color_focused
-    else
-        &output.root.server.config.border_color_unfocused;
-    const border_width = output.root.server.config.border_width;
+    const color = if (view.focused) &config.border_color_focused else &config.border_color_unfocused;
+    const border_width = config.border_width;
+    const actual_box = view.getActualBox();
 
     // left and right, covering the corners as well
     border.y = view.current.box.y - @intCast(i32, border_width);
     border.width = border_width;
-    border.height = view.current.box.height + border_width * 2;
+    border.height = actual_box.height + border_width * 2;
 
     // left
     border.x = view.current.box.x - @intCast(i32, border_width);
     renderRect(output, border, color);
 
     // right
-    border.x = view.current.box.x + @intCast(i32, view.current.box.width);
+    border.x = view.current.box.x + @intCast(i32, actual_box.width);
     renderRect(output, border, color);
 
     // top and bottom
     border.x = view.current.box.x;
-    border.width = view.current.box.width;
+    border.width = actual_box.width;
     border.height = border_width;
 
     // top
@@ -270,7 +268,7 @@ fn renderBorders(output: Output, view: *View, now: *c.timespec) void {
     renderRect(output, border, color);
 
     // bottom border
-    border.y = view.current.box.y + @intCast(i32, view.current.box.height);
+    border.y = view.current.box.y + @intCast(i32, actual_box.height);
     renderRect(output, border, color);
 }