diff --git a/glfw/cocoa_window.m b/glfw/cocoa_window.m
index 54b214082..36536c6c1 100644
--- a/glfw/cocoa_window.m
+++ b/glfw/cocoa_window.m
@@ -4214,7 +4214,7 @@ - (void)filePromiseProvider:(NSFilePromiseProvider*)filePromiseProvider
 }
 
 int
-_glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail, int make_toplevel) {@autoreleasepool{
+_glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail) {@autoreleasepool{
     (void)make_toplevel;
     if (!_glfw.ns.drag_session || !_glfw.ns.drag_view) return 0;
     _GLFWwindow *window = _glfwWindowForId(_glfw.drag.window_id);
diff --git a/glfw/input.c b/glfw/input.c
index 3a03e505f..0518a39dc 100644
--- a/glfw/input.c
+++ b/glfw/input.c
@@ -1166,7 +1166,7 @@ glfwStartDrag(GLFWwindow* handle, const GLFWDragSourceItem *items, size_t item_c
     assert(window != NULL);
     _GLFW_REQUIRE_INIT_OR_RETURN(EINVAL);
     if (operations == -1) return _glfwPlatformDragDataReady(items[0].mime_type);
-    if (operations == -2) return _glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(thumbnail, item_count);
+    if (operations == -2) return _glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(thumbnail);
     _glfwFreeDragSourceData();
     _glfw.drag.instance_id++;
     if (!items || !item_count) return 0;
diff --git a/glfw/internal.h b/glfw/internal.h
index b377e3ef7..d7e58e50a 100644
--- a/glfw/internal.h
+++ b/glfw/internal.h
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@ void _glfwFreeDragSourceData(void);
 void _glfwPlatformFreeDragSourceData(void);
 void _glfwInputDragSourceRequest(_GLFWwindow* window, GLFWDragEvent *ev);
 int _glfwPlatformDragDataReady(const char *mime_type);
-int _glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail, int make_toplevel);
+int _glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail);
 
 
 void _glfwInputColorScheme(GLFWColorScheme, bool);
diff --git a/glfw/null_window.c b/glfw/null_window.c
index 675332f34..b46279c9d 100644
--- a/glfw/null_window.c
+++ b/glfw/null_window.c
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ _glfwPlatformStartDrag(_GLFWwindow* window, const GLFWimage* thumbnail) {
 }
 void _glfwPlatformFreeDragSourceData(void) {}
 int _glfwPlatformDragDataReady(const char *mime_type) { (void) mime_type; return 0; }
-int _glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail, int make_toplevel) { (void)thumbnail; (void)make_toplevel; return 0; }
+int _glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail) { (void)thumbnail; return 0; }
 
 const char** _glfwPlatformGetDropMimeTypes(GLFWDropData* drop UNUSED, int* count)
 {
diff --git a/glfw/wl_platform.h b/glfw/wl_platform.h
index 0d6c2e929..930076ea5 100644
--- a/glfw/wl_platform.h
+++ b/glfw/wl_platform.h
@@ -418,7 +418,6 @@ typedef struct _GLFWlibraryWayland
         struct wl_surface *drag_icon;
         struct wp_viewport *drag_viewport;
         struct xdg_toplevel_drag_v1 *toplevel_drag;
-        struct wl_surface *toplevel_surface;
         struct xdg_surface *toplevel_xdg_surface;
         struct xdg_toplevel *toplevel_xdg_toplevel;
         struct wl_buffer *toplevel_buffer;
diff --git a/glfw/wl_window.c b/glfw/wl_window.c
index efc9e5ba6..989ca8167 100644
--- a/glfw/wl_window.c
+++ b/glfw/wl_window.c
@@ -3083,12 +3083,12 @@ static void
 drag_toplevel_xdg_surface_configure(void *data UNUSED, struct xdg_surface *surface, uint32_t serial) {
     xdg_surface_ack_configure(surface, serial);
     if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_buffer) {
-        wl_surface_attach(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface, _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_buffer, 0, 0);
-        wl_surface_damage(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface, 0, 0, INT32_MAX, INT32_MAX);
+        wl_surface_attach(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon, _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_buffer, 0, 0);
+        wl_surface_damage(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon, 0, 0, INT32_MAX, INT32_MAX);
         wl_buffer_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_buffer);
         _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_buffer = NULL;
     }
-    if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface) wl_surface_commit(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface);
+    if (_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon) wl_surface_commit(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon);
 }
 
 static const struct xdg_surface_listener drag_toplevel_xdg_surface_listener = {
@@ -3226,30 +3226,8 @@ add_drag_watch(int fd) {
 }
 
 int
-_glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail, int make_toplevel) {
-    if (make_toplevel && _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_drag && !_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface
-            && _glfw.wl.wmBase && thumbnail && thumbnail->pixels) {
-        _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface = wl_compositor_create_surface(_glfw.wl.compositor);
-        if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface) {
-            _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface = xdg_wm_base_get_xdg_surface(
-                    _glfw.wl.wmBase, _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface);
-            if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface) {
-                xdg_surface_add_listener(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface,
-                                         &drag_toplevel_xdg_surface_listener, NULL);
-                _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel = xdg_surface_get_toplevel(
-                        _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface);
-                if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel) {
-                    xdg_toplevel_add_listener(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel,
-                                              &drag_toplevel_listener, NULL);
-                    _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_buffer = createShmBuffer(thumbnail, false, true);
-                    xdg_toplevel_drag_v1_attach(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_drag,
-                                                _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel, 0, 0);
-                    wl_surface_commit(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface);
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    if (!_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon || !thumbnail || !thumbnail->pixels) return 0;
+_glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail) {
+    if (!thumbnail || !thumbnail->pixels) return 0;
     struct wl_buffer* icon_buffer = createShmBuffer(thumbnail, false, true);
     if (!icon_buffer) return ENOMEM;
     _GLFWwindow *window = _glfwWindowForId(_glfw.drag.window_id);
@@ -3364,12 +3342,11 @@ static const struct wl_data_source_listener drag_source_listener = {
 void
 _glfwPlatformFreeDragSourceData(void) {
     if (_glfw.wl.drag.drag_viewport) wp_viewport_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_viewport);
-    if (_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon) wl_surface_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon);
     if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_drag) xdg_toplevel_drag_v1_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_drag);
     if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_buffer) wl_buffer_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_buffer);
     if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel) xdg_toplevel_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel);
     if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface) xdg_surface_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface);
-    if (_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface) wl_surface_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_surface);
+    if (_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon) wl_surface_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon);
     if (_glfw.wl.drag.source) wl_data_source_destroy(_glfw.wl.drag.source);
     if (_glfw.wl.drag.data_requests) {
         for (size_t i = 0; i < _glfw.wl.drag.count; i++) {
@@ -3416,37 +3393,49 @@ _glfwPlatformStartDrag(_GLFWwindow* window, const GLFWimage* thumbnail) {
     wl_data_source_add_listener(_glfw.wl.drag.source, &drag_source_listener, NULL);
 
     // Set up the drag icon surface if thumbnail is provided
-    _glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon = wl_compositor_create_surface(_glfw.wl.compositor);
     if (thumbnail && thumbnail->pixels) {
+        _glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon = wl_compositor_create_surface(_glfw.wl.compositor);
+        if (!_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon) return ENOMEM;
         struct wl_buffer* icon_buffer = NULL;
-        if (_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon) {
-            icon_buffer = createShmBuffer(thumbnail, false, true);
-            if (icon_buffer) {
-                if (_glfw.wl.wp_viewporter) {
-                    double f_scale = _glfwWaylandWindowScale(window);
-                    int logical_width = (int)(thumbnail->width / f_scale);
-                    int logical_height = (int)(thumbnail->height / f_scale);
-                    _glfw.wl.drag.drag_viewport = wp_viewporter_get_viewport(
-                            _glfw.wl.wp_viewporter, _glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon);
-                    wp_viewport_set_destination(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_viewport, logical_width, logical_height);
-                } else {
-                    int scale = _glfwWaylandIntegerWindowScale(window);
-                    wl_surface_set_buffer_scale(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon, scale);
-                }
-                wl_surface_attach(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon, icon_buffer, 0, 0);
-                wl_surface_commit(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon);
-                wl_buffer_destroy(icon_buffer);
-            }
+        icon_buffer = createShmBuffer(thumbnail, false, true);
+        if (!icon_buffer) return ENOMEM;
+        if (_glfw.wl.wp_viewporter) {
+            double f_scale = _glfwWaylandWindowScale(window);
+            int logical_width = (int)(thumbnail->width / f_scale);
+            int logical_height = (int)(thumbnail->height / f_scale);
+            _glfw.wl.drag.drag_viewport = wp_viewporter_get_viewport(
+                    _glfw.wl.wp_viewporter, _glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon);
+            wp_viewport_set_destination(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_viewport, logical_width, logical_height);
+        } else {
+            int scale = _glfwWaylandIntegerWindowScale(window);
+            wl_surface_set_buffer_scale(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon, scale);
         }
-    }
-    // Create xdg_toplevel_drag_v1 before starting the drag (must precede start_drag)
-    if (_glfw.wl.xdg_toplevel_drag_manager_v1) {
-        _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_drag = xdg_toplevel_drag_manager_v1_get_xdg_toplevel_drag(
-            _glfw.wl.xdg_toplevel_drag_manager_v1, _glfw.wl.drag.source);
+
+        if (_glfw.wl.xdg_toplevel_drag_manager_v1) {
+            _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_drag = xdg_toplevel_drag_manager_v1_get_xdg_toplevel_drag(
+                _glfw.wl.xdg_toplevel_drag_manager_v1, _glfw.wl.drag.source);
+            if (!_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_drag) return ENOMEM;
+            _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface = xdg_wm_base_get_xdg_surface(
+                        _glfw.wl.wmBase, _glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon);
+            if (!_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface) return ENOMEM;
+            xdg_surface_add_listener(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface,
+                                        &drag_toplevel_xdg_surface_listener, NULL);
+            _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel = xdg_surface_get_toplevel(
+                    _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_surface);
+            if (!_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel) return ENOMEM;
+            xdg_toplevel_add_listener(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel, &drag_toplevel_listener, NULL);
+            _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_buffer = icon_buffer; icon_buffer = NULL;
+            xdg_toplevel_drag_v1_attach(_glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_drag,
+                                    _glfw.wl.drag.toplevel_xdg_toplevel, 0, 0);
+        } else wl_surface_attach(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon, icon_buffer, 0, 0);
+        wl_surface_commit(_glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon);
+        if (icon_buffer) wl_buffer_destroy(icon_buffer);
     }
     // Start the drag operation
-    wl_data_device_start_drag(_glfw.wl.dataDevice, _glfw.wl.drag.source, window->wl.surface, _glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon,
-                              _glfw.wl.pointer_serial);
+    wl_data_device_start_drag(
+        _glfw.wl.dataDevice, _glfw.wl.drag.source, window->wl.surface,
+        _glfw.wl.xdg_toplevel_drag_manager_v1 ? NULL : _glfw.wl.drag.drag_icon,
+        _glfw.wl.pointer_serial);
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/glfw/x11_window.c b/glfw/x11_window.c
index 4ced436db..5d52d5e91 100644
--- a/glfw/x11_window.c
+++ b/glfw/x11_window.c
@@ -4471,8 +4471,7 @@ _glfwPlatformFreeDragSourceData(void) {
 }
 
 int
-_glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail, int make_toplevel) {
-    (void)make_toplevel;
+_glfwPlatformChangeDragImage(const GLFWimage *thumbnail) {
     if (!_glfw.x11.drag.active) return 0;
     if (!thumbnail || !thumbnail->pixels || thumbnail->width <= 0 || thumbnail->height <= 0) return 0;
 
diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index f3a4a02e1..480b010b2 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -1902,7 +1902,7 @@ def on_drop_move(self, os_window_id: int, x: int, y: int, from_self: bool, is_le
                 central, tab_bar = viewport_for_window(os_window_id)[:2]
                 in_tab_bar = tab_bar.left <= x < tab_bar.right and tab_bar.top <= y < tab_bar.bottom
                 detach = not in_tab_bar or tab.os_window_id != tm.os_window_id or is_leave
-                change_drag_thumbnail(tab.os_window_id, 1 if detach else 0, detach)
+                change_drag_thumbnail(tab.os_window_id, 1 if detach else 0)
                 for q in self.all_tab_managers:
                     is_dest = q is tm and (in_tab_bar or os_window_id != tab.os_window_id) and not is_leave
                     q.on_tab_drop_move(tab_id, is_dest, x, y)
diff --git a/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi b/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi
index 98eb19bfb..d69c105dc 100644
--- a/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi
+++ b/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi
@@ -1817,7 +1817,7 @@ def start_drag_with_data(
     os_window_id: int, data_map: dict[str, bytes], thumbnails: Sequence[tuple[bytes, int, int]],
     operations: int = GLFW_DRAG_OPERATION_MOVE
 ) -> None: ...
-def change_drag_thumbnail(os_window_id: int, idx: int = -1, make_toplevel: bool = False) -> None: ...
+def change_drag_thumbnail(os_window_id: int, idx: int = -1) -> None: ...
 def draw_single_line_of_text(os_window_id: int, text: str, fg: int, bg: int, width: int, padding_y: int = 2) -> bytes: ...
 def set_tab_being_dragged(tab_id: int = 0, drag_started: bool = False, x: float = 0, y: float = 0) -> None: ...
 def get_tab_being_dragged() -> tuple[int, bool, float, float]: ...
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index 94e043f39..d7bc8a9da 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -2802,8 +2802,8 @@ get_thumbnail(PyObject *thumbnails, GLFWimage *thumbnail, int idx) {
 
 static PyObject*
 change_drag_thumbnail(PyObject *self UNUSED, PyObject *args) {
-    unsigned long long os_window_id; int idx = -1; int make_toplevel = 0;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "K|ip", &os_window_id, &idx, &make_toplevel)) return NULL;
+    unsigned long long os_window_id; int idx = -1;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "K|i", &os_window_id, &idx)) return NULL;
     if (global_state.drag_source.thumbnail_idx == idx) Py_RETURN_NONE;
     OSWindow *w = os_window_for_id(os_window_id);
     if (!w || !w->handle) { PyErr_SetString(PyExc_KeyError, "OS Window with specified id does not exist"); return NULL; }
@@ -2812,7 +2812,7 @@ change_drag_thumbnail(PyObject *self UNUSED, PyObject *args) {
         if (!get_thumbnail(global_state.drag_source.thumbnails, &thumbnail, idx)) return NULL;
         global_state.drag_source.thumbnail_idx = idx;
     } else global_state.drag_source.thumbnail_idx = -1;
-    errno = glfwStartDrag(w->handle, NULL, make_toplevel, thumbnail.pixels ? &thumbnail : NULL, -2);
+    errno = glfwStartDrag(w->handle, NULL, 0, thumbnail.pixels ? &thumbnail : NULL, -2);
     if (errno != 0) {
         PyErr_SetFromErrno(PyExc_OSError);
         return NULL;