diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_surface.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_surface.h
index 87d421e3..eb88a663 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_surface.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_surface.h
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ struct wlr_frame_callback {
 #define WLR_SURFACE_INVALID_TRANSFORM 32
 #define WLR_SURFACE_INVALID_SCALE 64
 
+struct wlr_subsurface {
+	struct wl_resource *resource;
+	struct wlr_surface *surface;
+	struct wlr_surface *parent;
+};
+
 struct wlr_surface_state {
 	uint32_t invalid;
 	struct wl_resource *buffer;
@@ -52,6 +58,9 @@ struct wlr_surface {
 	struct wl_listener compositor_listener; // destroy listener used by compositor
 	void *compositor_data;
 
+	// subsurface properties
+	struct wlr_subsurface *subsurface;
+
 	void *data;
 };
 
@@ -80,4 +89,10 @@ void wlr_surface_get_matrix(struct wlr_surface *surface,
 int wlr_surface_set_role(struct wlr_surface *surface, const char *role,
 		struct wl_resource *error_resource, uint32_t error_code);
 
+/**
+ * Create the subsurface implementation for this surface.
+ */
+void wlr_surface_make_subsurface(struct wlr_surface *surface,
+		struct wlr_surface *parent, uint32_t id);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/types/wlr_compositor.c b/types/wlr_compositor.c
index 75bf6146..a142ddd4 100644
--- a/types/wlr_compositor.c
+++ b/types/wlr_compositor.c
@@ -78,9 +78,27 @@ static void subcompositor_destroy(struct wl_client *client,
 }
 
 static void subcompositor_get_subsurface(struct wl_client *client,
-		struct wl_resource *resource, uint32_t id, struct wl_resource *surface,
-		struct wl_resource *parent) {
-	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: subcompositor get subsurface");
+		struct wl_resource *resource, uint32_t id,
+		struct wl_resource *surface_resource,
+		struct wl_resource *parent_resource) {
+	struct wlr_surface *surface = wl_resource_get_user_data(surface_resource);
+	struct wlr_surface *parent = wl_resource_get_user_data(parent_resource);
+
+	// TODO: errors
+	// * cannot be its own parent
+	// * cannot already a subsurface
+	// * cannot be an ancestor of parent
+
+	if (wlr_surface_set_role(surface, "wl_subsurface", resource,
+				WL_SUBCOMPOSITOR_ERROR_BAD_SURFACE) < 0) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	wlr_surface_make_subsurface(surface, parent, id);
+	if (!surface->subsurface) {
+		wl_resource_post_no_memory(resource);
+		return;
+	}
 }
 
 
diff --git a/types/wlr_surface.c b/types/wlr_surface.c
index a9a54abe..de28f4df 100644
--- a/types/wlr_surface.c
+++ b/types/wlr_surface.c
@@ -443,3 +443,79 @@ int wlr_surface_set_role(struct wlr_surface *surface, const char *role,
 
 	return -1;
 }
+
+void wlr_subsurface_destroy(struct wlr_subsurface *subsurface) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: wlr subsurface destroy");
+}
+
+static void subsurface_resource_destroy(struct wl_resource *resource) {
+	struct wlr_subsurface *subsurface = wl_resource_get_user_data(resource);
+
+	if (subsurface) {
+		wlr_subsurface_destroy(subsurface);
+	}
+}
+
+static void subsurface_destroy(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource) {
+	wl_resource_destroy(resource);
+}
+
+static void subsurface_set_position(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource, int32_t x, int32_t y) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: subsurface set position");
+}
+
+static void subsurface_place_above(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource, struct wl_resource *sibling) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: subsurface place above");
+}
+
+static void subsurface_place_below(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource, struct wl_resource *sibling) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: subsurface place below");
+}
+
+static void subsurface_set_sync(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: subsurface set sync");
+}
+
+static void subsurface_set_desync(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource) {
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "TODO: subsurface set desync");
+}
+
+static const struct wl_subsurface_interface subsurface_implementation = {
+	.destroy = subsurface_destroy,
+	.set_position = subsurface_set_position,
+	.place_above = subsurface_place_above,
+	.place_below = subsurface_place_below,
+	.set_sync = subsurface_set_sync,
+	.set_desync = subsurface_set_desync,
+};
+
+void wlr_surface_make_subsurface(struct wlr_surface *surface,
+		struct wlr_surface *parent, uint32_t id) {
+	assert(surface->subsurface == NULL);
+
+	struct wlr_subsurface *subsurface =
+		calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_subsurface));
+	if (!subsurface) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	subsurface->surface = surface;
+	subsurface->parent = parent;
+
+	struct wl_client *client = wl_resource_get_client(surface->resource);
+
+	subsurface->resource =
+		wl_resource_create(client, &wl_subsurface_interface, 1, id);
+
+	wl_resource_set_implementation(subsurface->resource,
+		&subsurface_implementation, subsurface,
+		subsurface_resource_destroy);
+
+	surface->subsurface = subsurface;
+}