diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 34d8b80..b176c9d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ debug:
 	$(CC) -o goomwwm-debug goomwwm.c $(CFLAGS) -g -DDEBUG $(LDADD)
 
 proto:
-	cat *.c | egrep '^(void|int|char|unsigned|client|Window|winlist|textbox|XWindow)' | sed -r 's/\)/);/' > proto.h
+	cat *.c | egrep '^(void|int|char|unsigned|client|Window|winlist|box|textbox|XWindow)' | sed -r 's/\)/);/' > proto.h
 
 docs:
 	pandoc -s -w man goomwwm.md -o goomwwm.1
diff --git a/box.c b/box.c
index 03c0deb..12793ac 100644
--- a/box.c
+++ b/box.c
@@ -31,11 +31,17 @@ box* box_create(Window parent, bitmap flags, short x, short y, short w, short h,
 
 	b->flags = flags;
 	b->parent = parent;
+	box_color(b, color);
+
+	b->window = XCreateSimpleWindow(display, b->parent, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, None, b->color);
 
-	b->window = XCreateSimpleWindow(display, b->parent, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, None, None);
+	if (b->flags & BOX_OVERRIDE)
+	{
+		XSetWindowAttributes attr; attr.override_redirect = True;
+		XChangeWindowAttributes(display, b->window, CWOverrideRedirect, &attr);
+	}
 
 	box_moveresize(b, x, y, w, h);
-	box_color(b, color);
 
 	return b;
 }
diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 4153fde..1461235 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -1046,19 +1046,17 @@ void client_flash(client *c, char *color, int delay, int title)
 			message_box(delay, c->x+c->w/2, c->y+c->h/2, config_title_fg, config_title_bg, config_title_bc, c->title);
 
 		// four coloured squares in the window's corners
-		unsigned int bg = color_get(color);
-		Window tl = window_create_override(x1, y1, config_flash_width, config_flash_width, bg);
-		Window tr = window_create_override(x2, y1, config_flash_width, config_flash_width, bg);
-		Window bl = window_create_override(x1, y2, config_flash_width, config_flash_width, bg);
-		Window br = window_create_override(x2, y2, config_flash_width, config_flash_width, bg);
+		box *tl = box_create(root, BOX_OVERRIDE, x1, y1, config_flash_width, config_flash_width, color);
+		box *tr = box_create(root, BOX_OVERRIDE, x2, y1, config_flash_width, config_flash_width, color);
+		box *bl = box_create(root, BOX_OVERRIDE, x1, y2, config_flash_width, config_flash_width, color);
+		box *br = box_create(root, BOX_OVERRIDE, x2, y2, config_flash_width, config_flash_width, color);
 
-		XMapRaised(display, tl); XMapRaised(display, tr);
-		XMapRaised(display, bl); XMapRaised(display, br);
+		box_show(tl); box_show(tr); box_show(bl); box_show(br);
 
-		XSync(display, False); usleep(delay*1000);
+		XSync(display, False);
+		usleep(delay*1000);
 
-		XDestroyWindow(display, tl); XDestroyWindow(display, tr);
-		XDestroyWindow(display, bl); XDestroyWindow(display, br);
+		box_free(tl); box_free(tr); box_free(bl); box_free(br);
 
 		exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 	}
diff --git a/goomwwm.h b/goomwwm.h
index e0b495e..6dff75e 100644
--- a/goomwwm.h
+++ b/goomwwm.h
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 typedef unsigned char bool;
 typedef unsigned long long bitmap;
 
+#define BOX_OVERRIDE 1<<0
+
 typedef struct {
 	bitmap flags;
 	Window window, parent;
@@ -533,7 +535,7 @@ Time latest = CurrentTime;
 struct mouse_drag {
 	XButtonEvent button;
 	XWindowAttributes attr;
-	Window overlay;
+	box *overlay;
 	short x, y, w, h;
 	unsigned int flags;
 };
diff --git a/handle.c b/handle.c
index 1af5715..e7c01fe 100644
--- a/handle.c
+++ b/handle.c
@@ -370,11 +370,11 @@ void handle_buttonpress(XEvent *ev)
 			take_pointer(c->window, PointerMotionMask|ButtonReleaseMask, None);
 
 			mouse_dragger = allocate_clear(sizeof(struct mouse_drag));
-			mouse_dragger->overlay = window_create(c->x, c->y, c->w, c->h, color_get(config_border_blur));
+			mouse_dragger->overlay = box_create(root, BOX_OVERRIDE, c->x, c->y, c->w, c->h, config_border_blur);
 
 			unsigned long opacity = 0xffffffff / 2;
 			// no map yet, see motionnotify
-			window_set_cardinal_prop(mouse_dragger->overlay, netatoms[_NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY], &opacity, 1);
+			window_set_cardinal_prop(mouse_dragger->overlay->window, netatoms[_NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY], &opacity, 1);
 
 			memcpy(&mouse_dragger->attr,   &c->xattr,    sizeof(c->xattr));
 			memcpy(&mouse_dragger->button, &ev->xbutton, sizeof(ev->xbutton));
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ void handle_buttonrelease(XEvent *ev)
 		}
 
 		release_pointer();
-		XDestroyWindow(display, mouse_dragger->overlay);
+		box_free(mouse_dragger->overlay);
 		free(mouse_dragger);
 		mouse_dragger = NULL;
 
@@ -452,7 +452,8 @@ void handle_motionnotify(XEvent *ev)
 	client *c = client_create(ev->xmotion.window);
 	if (c && c->manage && mouse_dragger)
 	{
-		XMapRaised(display, mouse_dragger->overlay);
+		box_show(mouse_dragger->overlay);
+
 		client_extended_data(c);
 		int xd = ev->xbutton.x_root - mouse_dragger->button.x_root;
 		int yd = ev->xbutton.y_root - mouse_dragger->button.y_root;
@@ -477,7 +478,7 @@ void handle_motionnotify(XEvent *ev)
 		mouse_dragger->h = h;
 
 		//XMoveResizeWindow(display, mouse_dragger->overlay, x, y, w, h);
-		client_moveresize(client_create(mouse_dragger->overlay), mouse_dragger->flags, x, y, w, h);
+		client_moveresize(client_create(mouse_dragger->overlay->window), mouse_dragger->flags, x, y, w, h);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/proto.h b/proto.h
index e38d3ff..938a333 100644
--- a/proto.h
+++ b/proto.h
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+box* box_create(Window parent, bitmap flags, short x, short y, short w, short h, char *color);
 void box_color(box *b, char *color);
 void box_moveresize(box *b, short x, short y, short w, short h);
 void box_show(box *b);
@@ -178,8 +179,6 @@ int take_pointer(Window w, unsigned long mask, Cursor cur);
 void release_keyboard();
 void release_pointer();
 void message_box(int delay, int x, int y, char *fgc, char *bgc, char *bc, char *txt);
-Window window_create_override(int x, int y, int w, int h, unsigned int color);
-Window window_create(int x, int y, int w, int h, unsigned int color);
 void notice(const char *fmt, ...);
 void notification(int delay, const char *fmt, ...);
 void event_log(const char *e, Window w);
diff --git a/util.c b/util.c
index 739d2e6..57f9d83 100644
--- a/util.c
+++ b/util.c
@@ -222,20 +222,20 @@ void message_box(int delay, int x, int y, char *fgc, char *bgc, char *bc, char *
 
 	display = XOpenDisplay(0x0);
 
-	Window box = window_create_override(0, 0, 1, 1, color_get(config_title_bg));
+	box *b = box_create(root, BOX_OVERRIDE, 0, 0, 1, 1, config_title_bg);
 
-	textbox *text = textbox_create(box, TB_CENTER|TB_AUTOHEIGHT|TB_AUTOWIDTH,
+	textbox *text = textbox_create(b->window, TB_CENTER|TB_AUTOHEIGHT|TB_AUTOWIDTH,
 		8, 5, 1, 1, config_title_font, config_title_fg, config_title_bg, txt, NULL);
 
-	XMoveResizeWindow(display, box,
+	box_moveresize(b,
 		MIN(mon.x+mon.w-text->w-26, MAX(mon.x+26, x - text->w/2)),
 		MIN(mon.y+mon.h-text->h-20, MAX(mon.y+20, y - text->h/2)),
 		text->w + 16, text->h + 10);
 
-	XSelectInput(display, box, ExposureMask);
+	XSelectInput(display, b->window, ExposureMask);
 
 	textbox_show(text);
-	XMapRaised(display, box);
+	box_show(b);
 
 	double stamp = timestamp();
 	while ((timestamp()-stamp) < (double)delay/1000)
@@ -252,31 +252,9 @@ void message_box(int delay, int x, int y, char *fgc, char *bgc, char *bc, char *
 	}
 
 	textbox_free(text);
-	exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
-}
+	box_free(b);
 
-// wrapper for XCreateSimpleWindow so we can track our own windows
-Window window_create_override(int x, int y, int w, int h, unsigned int color)
-{
-	Window win = XCreateSimpleWindow(display, root, x, y, w, h, 0, None, color);
-	XSetWindowAttributes attr; attr.override_redirect = True;
-	XChangeWindowAttributes(display, win, CWOverrideRedirect, &attr);
-	// pre-create window's cache, so we know it's ours later
-	wincache *cache = allocate_clear(sizeof(wincache));
-	winlist_append(windows, win, cache);
-	cache->is_ours = 1;
-	return win;
-}
-
-// wrapper for XCreateSimpleWindow so we can track our own windows
-Window window_create(int x, int y, int w, int h, unsigned int color)
-{
-	Window win = XCreateSimpleWindow(display, root, x, y, w, h, 0, None, color);
-	// pre-create window's cache, so we know it's ours later
-	wincache *cache = allocate_clear(sizeof(wincache));
-	winlist_append(windows, win, cache);
-	cache->is_ours = 1;
-	return win;
+	exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 }
 
 // bottom right of screen