diff --git a/src/desktop/LayerSurface.cpp b/src/desktop/LayerSurface.cpp
index 78dae0a91c0..f4ffaedfc9c 100644
--- a/src/desktop/LayerSurface.cpp
+++ b/src/desktop/LayerSurface.cpp
@@ -31,10 +31,9 @@ PHLLS CLayerSurface::create(SP<CLayerShellResource> resource) {
 
     pLS->szNamespace = resource->layerNamespace;
 
-    pLS->layer              = resource->current.layer;
-    pLS->popupHead          = makeUnique<CPopup>(pLS);
-    pLS->popupHead->m_pSelf = pLS->popupHead;
-    pLS->monitor            = pMonitor;
+    pLS->layer     = resource->current.layer;
+    pLS->popupHead = CPopup::create(pLS);
+    pLS->monitor   = pMonitor;
     pMonitor->m_aLayerSurfaceLayers[resource->current.layer].emplace_back(pLS);
 
     pLS->forceBlur = g_pConfigManager->shouldBlurLS(pLS->szNamespace);
diff --git a/src/desktop/LayerSurface.hpp b/src/desktop/LayerSurface.hpp
index ab259733f3c..f2be7459971 100644
--- a/src/desktop/LayerSurface.hpp
+++ b/src/desktop/LayerSurface.hpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class CLayerSurface {
     CBox                       geometry = {0, 0, 0, 0};
     Vector2D                   position;
     std::string                szNamespace = "";
-    UP<CPopup>                 popupHead;
+    SP<CPopup>                 popupHead;
 
     void                       onDestroy();
     void                       onMap();
diff --git a/src/desktop/Popup.cpp b/src/desktop/Popup.cpp
index dea94f556eb..20ff49d7951 100644
--- a/src/desktop/Popup.cpp
+++ b/src/desktop/Popup.cpp
@@ -12,23 +12,37 @@
 #include "../render/OpenGL.hpp"
 #include <ranges>
 
-CPopup::CPopup(PHLWINDOW pOwner) : m_pWindowOwner(pOwner) {
-    initAllSignals();
+SP<CPopup> CPopup::create(PHLWINDOW pOwner) {
+    auto popup            = SP<CPopup>(new CPopup());
+    popup->m_pWindowOwner = pOwner;
+    popup->m_pSelf        = popup;
+    popup->initAllSignals();
+    return popup;
 }
 
-CPopup::CPopup(PHLLS pOwner) : m_pLayerOwner(pOwner) {
-    initAllSignals();
+SP<CPopup> CPopup::create(PHLLS pOwner) {
+    auto popup           = SP<CPopup>(new CPopup());
+    popup->m_pLayerOwner = pOwner;
+    popup->m_pSelf       = popup;
+    popup->initAllSignals();
+    return popup;
 }
 
-CPopup::CPopup(SP<CXDGPopupResource> popup, WP<CPopup> pOwner) :
-    m_pWindowOwner(pOwner->m_pWindowOwner), m_pLayerOwner(pOwner->m_pLayerOwner), m_pParent(pOwner), m_pResource(popup) {
-    m_pWLSurface = CWLSurface::create();
-    m_pWLSurface->assign(popup->surface->surface.lock(), this);
-
-    m_vLastSize = popup->surface->current.geometry.size();
-    reposition();
-
-    initAllSignals();
+SP<CPopup> CPopup::create(SP<CXDGPopupResource> resource, WP<CPopup> pOwner) {
+    auto popup            = SP<CPopup>(new CPopup());
+    popup->m_pResource    = resource;
+    popup->m_pWindowOwner = pOwner->m_pWindowOwner;
+    popup->m_pLayerOwner  = pOwner->m_pLayerOwner;
+    popup->m_pParent      = pOwner;
+    popup->m_pSelf        = popup;
+    popup->m_pWLSurface   = CWLSurface::create();
+    popup->m_pWLSurface->assign(resource->surface->surface.lock(), popup.get());
+
+    popup->m_vLastSize = resource->surface->current.geometry.size();
+    popup->reposition();
+
+    popup->initAllSignals();
+    return popup;
 }
 
 CPopup::~CPopup() {
@@ -59,7 +73,7 @@ void CPopup::initAllSignals() {
 }
 
 void CPopup::onNewPopup(SP<CXDGPopupResource> popup) {
-    const auto& POPUP = m_vChildren.emplace_back(makeShared<CPopup>(popup, m_pSelf));
+    const auto& POPUP = m_vChildren.emplace_back(CPopup::create(popup, m_pSelf));
     POPUP->m_pSelf    = POPUP;
     Debug::log(LOG, "New popup at {:x}", (uintptr_t)POPUP);
 }
@@ -91,8 +105,7 @@ void CPopup::onMap() {
 
     g_pInputManager->simulateMouseMovement();
 
-    m_pSubsurfaceHead          = makeUnique<CSubsurface>(m_pSelf);
-    m_pSubsurfaceHead->m_pSelf = m_pSubsurfaceHead;
+    m_pSubsurfaceHead = CSubsurface::create(m_pSelf);
 
     //unconstrain();
     sendScale();
diff --git a/src/desktop/Popup.hpp b/src/desktop/Popup.hpp
index 6051f7ebc65..a64af7eb563 100644
--- a/src/desktop/Popup.hpp
+++ b/src/desktop/Popup.hpp
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ class CXDGPopupResource;
 class CPopup {
   public:
     // dummy head nodes
-    CPopup(PHLWINDOW pOwner);
-    CPopup(PHLLS pOwner);
+    static SP<CPopup> create(PHLWINDOW pOwner);
+    static SP<CPopup> create(PHLLS pOwner);
 
     // real nodes
-    CPopup(SP<CXDGPopupResource> popup, WP<CPopup> pOwner);
+    static SP<CPopup> create(SP<CXDGPopupResource> popup, WP<CPopup> pOwner);
 
     ~CPopup();
 
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ class CPopup {
     bool           m_bMapped = false;
 
   private:
+    CPopup() = default;
+
     // T1 owners, each popup has to have one of these
     PHLWINDOWREF m_pWindowOwner;
     PHLLSREF     m_pLayerOwner;
diff --git a/src/desktop/Subsurface.cpp b/src/desktop/Subsurface.cpp
index 1d938f39c7b..33ee3553cde 100644
--- a/src/desktop/Subsurface.cpp
+++ b/src/desktop/Subsurface.cpp
@@ -7,28 +7,45 @@
 #include "../render/Renderer.hpp"
 #include "../managers/input/InputManager.hpp"
 
-CSubsurface::CSubsurface(PHLWINDOW pOwner) : m_pWindowParent(pOwner) {
-    initSignals();
-    initExistingSubsurfaces(pOwner->m_pWLSurface->resource());
-}
-
-CSubsurface::CSubsurface(WP<CPopup> pOwner) : m_pPopupParent(pOwner) {
-    initSignals();
-    initExistingSubsurfaces(pOwner->m_pWLSurface->resource());
-}
-
-CSubsurface::CSubsurface(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> pSubsurface, PHLWINDOW pOwner) : m_pSubsurface(pSubsurface), m_pWindowParent(pOwner) {
-    m_pWLSurface = CWLSurface::create();
-    m_pWLSurface->assign(pSubsurface->surface.lock(), this);
-    initSignals();
-    initExistingSubsurfaces(pSubsurface->surface.lock());
-}
-
-CSubsurface::CSubsurface(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> pSubsurface, WP<CPopup> pOwner) : m_pSubsurface(pSubsurface), m_pPopupParent(pOwner) {
-    m_pWLSurface = CWLSurface::create();
-    m_pWLSurface->assign(pSubsurface->surface.lock(), this);
-    initSignals();
-    initExistingSubsurfaces(pSubsurface->surface.lock());
+UP<CSubsurface> CSubsurface::create(PHLWINDOW pOwner) {
+    auto subsurface             = UP<CSubsurface>(new CSubsurface());
+    subsurface->m_pWindowParent = pOwner;
+    subsurface->m_pSelf         = subsurface;
+
+    subsurface->initSignals();
+    subsurface->initExistingSubsurfaces(pOwner->m_pWLSurface->resource());
+    return subsurface;
+}
+
+UP<CSubsurface> CSubsurface::create(WP<CPopup> pOwner) {
+    auto subsurface            = UP<CSubsurface>(new CSubsurface());
+    subsurface->m_pPopupParent = pOwner;
+    subsurface->m_pSelf        = subsurface;
+    subsurface->initSignals();
+    subsurface->initExistingSubsurfaces(pOwner->m_pWLSurface->resource());
+    return subsurface;
+}
+
+UP<CSubsurface> CSubsurface::create(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> pSubsurface, PHLWINDOW pOwner) {
+    auto subsurface             = UP<CSubsurface>(new CSubsurface());
+    subsurface->m_pWindowParent = pOwner;
+    subsurface->m_pSelf         = subsurface;
+    subsurface->m_pWLSurface    = CWLSurface::create();
+    subsurface->m_pWLSurface->assign(pSubsurface->surface.lock(), subsurface.get());
+    subsurface->initSignals();
+    subsurface->initExistingSubsurfaces(pSubsurface->surface.lock());
+    return subsurface;
+}
+
+UP<CSubsurface> CSubsurface::create(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> pSubsurface, WP<CPopup> pOwner) {
+    auto subsurface            = UP<CSubsurface>(new CSubsurface());
+    subsurface->m_pPopupParent = pOwner;
+    subsurface->m_pSelf        = subsurface;
+    subsurface->m_pWLSurface   = CWLSurface::create();
+    subsurface->m_pWLSurface->assign(pSubsurface->surface.lock(), subsurface.get());
+    subsurface->initSignals();
+    subsurface->initExistingSubsurfaces(pSubsurface->surface.lock());
+    return subsurface;
 }
 
 void CSubsurface::initSignals() {
@@ -131,9 +148,9 @@ void CSubsurface::onNewSubsurface(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> pSubsurface) {
     WP<CSubsurface> PSUBSURFACE;
 
     if (!m_pWindowParent.expired())
-        PSUBSURFACE = m_vChildren.emplace_back(makeUnique<CSubsurface>(pSubsurface, m_pWindowParent.lock()));
+        PSUBSURFACE = m_vChildren.emplace_back(CSubsurface::create(pSubsurface, m_pWindowParent.lock()));
     else if (m_pPopupParent)
-        PSUBSURFACE = m_vChildren.emplace_back(makeUnique<CSubsurface>(pSubsurface, m_pPopupParent));
+        PSUBSURFACE = m_vChildren.emplace_back(CSubsurface::create(pSubsurface, m_pPopupParent));
 
     PSUBSURFACE->m_pSelf = PSUBSURFACE;
 
diff --git a/src/desktop/Subsurface.hpp b/src/desktop/Subsurface.hpp
index 41958671f06..2983c7c1758 100644
--- a/src/desktop/Subsurface.hpp
+++ b/src/desktop/Subsurface.hpp
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ class CWLSubsurfaceResource;
 class CSubsurface {
   public:
     // root dummy nodes
-    CSubsurface(PHLWINDOW pOwner);
-    CSubsurface(WP<CPopup> pOwner);
+    static UP<CSubsurface> create(PHLWINDOW pOwner);
+    static UP<CSubsurface> create(WP<CPopup> pOwner);
 
     // real nodes
-    CSubsurface(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> pSubsurface, PHLWINDOW pOwner);
-    CSubsurface(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> pSubsurface, WP<CPopup> pOwner);
+    static UP<CSubsurface> create(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> pSubsurface, PHLWINDOW pOwner);
+    static UP<CSubsurface> create(SP<CWLSubsurfaceResource> pSubsurface, WP<CPopup> pOwner);
 
     ~CSubsurface() = default;
 
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ class CSubsurface {
     WP<CSubsurface> m_pSelf;
 
   private:
+    CSubsurface() = default;
+
     struct {
         CHyprSignalListener destroySubsurface;
         CHyprSignalListener commitSubsurface;
diff --git a/src/desktop/Window.cpp b/src/desktop/Window.cpp
index 0f6bac99f5a..6e580e49daf 100644
--- a/src/desktop/Window.cpp
+++ b/src/desktop/Window.cpp
@@ -571,10 +571,8 @@ void CWindow::onMap() {
     if (m_bIsX11)
         return;
 
-    m_pSubsurfaceHead          = makeUnique<CSubsurface>(m_pSelf.lock());
-    m_pSubsurfaceHead->m_pSelf = m_pSubsurfaceHead;
-    m_pPopupHead               = makeUnique<CPopup>(m_pSelf.lock());
-    m_pPopupHead->m_pSelf      = m_pPopupHead;
+    m_pSubsurfaceHead = CSubsurface::create(m_pSelf.lock());
+    m_pPopupHead      = CPopup::create(m_pSelf.lock());
 }
 
 void CWindow::onBorderAngleAnimEnd(WP<CBaseAnimatedVariable> pav) {
diff --git a/src/desktop/Window.hpp b/src/desktop/Window.hpp
index ce2f8eb2596..3573d7ab439 100644
--- a/src/desktop/Window.hpp
+++ b/src/desktop/Window.hpp
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ class CWindow {
 
     // desktop components
     UP<CSubsurface> m_pSubsurfaceHead;
-    UP<CPopup>      m_pPopupHead;
+    SP<CPopup>      m_pPopupHead;
 
     // Animated border
     CGradientValueData m_cRealBorderColor         = {0};