diff --git a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell.c b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell.c
index dfb17b9233..198c31d1b1 100644
--- a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell.c
+++ b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell.c
@@ -118,6 +118,11 @@ enum
   LAST_SIGNAL
 };
 
+struct _GimpDisplayShellPrivate
+{
+  GdkMonitor *initial_monitor;
+};
+
 
 typedef struct _GimpDisplayShellOverlay GimpDisplayShellOverlay;
 
@@ -194,6 +199,7 @@ static gboolean gimp_display_shell_draw            (GimpDisplayShell *shell,
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (GimpDisplayShell, gimp_display_shell,
                          GTK_TYPE_EVENT_BOX,
+                         G_ADD_PRIVATE (GimpDisplayShell)
                          G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (GIMP_TYPE_PROGRESS,
                                                 gimp_display_shell_progress_iface_init)
                          G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (GIMP_TYPE_COLOR_MANAGED,
@@ -336,6 +342,9 @@ gimp_display_shell_init (GimpDisplayShell *shell)
 {
   const gchar *env;
 
+  shell->priv = gimp_display_shell_get_instance_private (shell);
+  shell->priv->initial_monitor = NULL;
+
   shell->options            = g_object_new (GIMP_TYPE_DISPLAY_OPTIONS, NULL);
   shell->fullscreen_options = g_object_new (GIMP_TYPE_DISPLAY_OPTIONS_FULLSCREEN, NULL);
   shell->no_image_options   = g_object_new (GIMP_TYPE_DISPLAY_OPTIONS_NO_IMAGE, NULL);
@@ -492,7 +501,7 @@ gimp_display_shell_constructed (GObject *object)
 
   if (config->monitor_res_from_gdk)
     {
-      gimp_get_monitor_resolution (shell->initial_monitor,
+      gimp_get_monitor_resolution (shell->priv->initial_monitor,
                                    &shell->monitor_xres, &shell->monitor_yres);
     }
   else
@@ -817,6 +826,9 @@ gimp_display_shell_constructed (GObject *object)
   gimp_display_shell_scale_update (shell);
 
   gimp_display_shell_set_show_all (shell, config->default_show_all);
+
+  /* This was only useful during construction and should not be further used. */
+  shell->priv->initial_monitor = NULL;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -926,7 +938,7 @@ gimp_display_shell_set_property (GObject      *object,
       shell->popup_manager = g_value_get_object (value);
       break;
     case PROP_INITIAL_MONITOR:
-      shell->initial_monitor = g_value_get_object (value);
+      shell->priv->initial_monitor = g_value_get_object (value);
       break;
     case PROP_DISPLAY:
       shell->display = g_value_get_object (value);
@@ -966,7 +978,7 @@ gimp_display_shell_get_property (GObject    *object,
       g_value_set_object (value, shell->popup_manager);
       break;
     case PROP_INITIAL_MONITOR:
-      g_value_set_object (value, shell->initial_monitor);
+      g_value_set_object (value, shell->priv->initial_monitor);
       break;
     case PROP_DISPLAY:
       g_value_set_object (value, shell->display);
diff --git a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell.h b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell.h
index f58334af93..b4a4e4f15b 100644
--- a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell.h
+++ b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell.h
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@
 #define GIMP_DISPLAY_SHELL_GET_CLASS(obj)  (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_CLASS ((obj), GIMP_TYPE_DISPLAY_SHELL, GimpDisplayShellClass))
 
 
-typedef struct _GimpDisplayShellClass  GimpDisplayShellClass;
+typedef struct _GimpDisplayShellClass   GimpDisplayShellClass;
+typedef struct _GimpDisplayShellPrivate GimpDisplayShellPrivate;
 
 struct _GimpDisplayShell
 {
@@ -54,7 +55,6 @@ struct _GimpDisplayShell
   GBytes            *window_handle;
 
   GimpUIManager     *popup_manager;
-  GdkMonitor        *initial_monitor;
 
   GimpDisplayOptions *options;
   GimpDisplayOptions *fullscreen_options;
@@ -255,6 +255,8 @@ struct _GimpDisplayShell
   GimpLayer         *near_layer_vertical2;
 
   gboolean           drawn;
+
+  GimpDisplayShellPrivate *priv;
 };
 
 struct _GimpDisplayShellClass
diff --git a/app/display/gimpimagewindow.c b/app/display/gimpimagewindow.c
index c0a08344a5..05b9574623 100644
--- a/app/display/gimpimagewindow.c
+++ b/app/display/gimpimagewindow.c
@@ -569,6 +569,9 @@ gimp_image_window_constructed (GObject *object)
   gimp_container_foreach (GIMP_CONTAINER (device_manager),
                           (GFunc) gimp_image_window_init_pad_foreach,
                           window);
+
+  /* This was only useful during construction and should not be further used. */
+  private->initial_monitor = NULL;
 }
 
 static void