diff --git a/drw.c b/drw.c
index 7e99a38..eeb6a13 100644
--- a/drw.c
+++ b/drw.c
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ Drw *drw_create(Display *dpy, int screen, Window root, unsigned int w,
     drw->drawable = XCreatePixmap(dpy, root, w, h, DefaultDepth(dpy, screen));
     drw->gc = XCreateGC(dpy, root, 0, NULL);
     XSetLineAttributes(dpy, drw->gc, 1, LineSolid, CapButt, JoinMiter);
+    drw->xftdraw = XftDrawCreate(dpy, drw->drawable, DefaultVisual(dpy, screen),
+                                 DefaultColormap(dpy, screen));
 
     return drw;
 }
@@ -96,11 +98,20 @@ void drw_resize(Drw *drw, unsigned int w, unsigned int h) {
     }
     drw->drawable = XCreatePixmap(drw->dpy, drw->root, w, h,
                                   DefaultDepth(drw->dpy, drw->screen));
+    if (drw->xftdraw) {
+        XftDrawDestroy(drw->xftdraw);
+    }
+    drw->xftdraw = XftDrawCreate(drw->dpy, drw->drawable,
+                                 DefaultVisual(drw->dpy, drw->screen),
+                                 DefaultColormap(drw->dpy, drw->screen));
 }
 
 void drw_free(Drw *drw) {
     XFreePixmap(drw->dpy, drw->drawable);
     XFreeGC(drw->dpy, drw->gc);
+    if (drw->xftdraw) {
+        XftDrawDestroy(drw->xftdraw);
+    }
     drw_fontset_free(drw->fonts);
     free(drw);
 }
@@ -272,7 +283,6 @@ int drw_text(Drw *drw, int x, int y, unsigned int w, unsigned int h,
     unsigned int ellipsis_w = 0;
     unsigned int ellipsis_len;
 
-    XftDraw *d = NULL;
     Fnt *usedfont;
     Fnt *curfont;
     Fnt *nextfont;
@@ -316,9 +326,6 @@ int drw_text(Drw *drw, int x, int y, unsigned int w, unsigned int h,
             XFillRectangle(drw->dpy, drw->drawable, drw->gc, x, y, w, h);
         }
 
-        d = XftDrawCreate(drw->dpy, drw->drawable,
-                          DefaultVisual(drw->dpy, drw->screen),
-                          DefaultColormap(drw->dpy, drw->screen));
         x += lpad;
         w -= lpad;
     }
@@ -386,7 +393,8 @@ int drw_text(Drw *drw, int x, int y, unsigned int w, unsigned int h,
         if (utf8strlen) {
             if (render) {
                 ty = y + (h - usedfont->h) / 2 + usedfont->xfont->ascent;
-                XftDrawStringUtf8(d, &drw->scheme[invert ? ColBg : ColFg],
+                XftDrawStringUtf8(drw->xftdraw,
+                                  &drw->scheme[invert ? ColBg : ColFg],
                                   usedfont->xfont, x, ty, (XftChar8 *)utf8str,
                                   utf8strlen);
             }
@@ -457,9 +465,6 @@ int drw_text(Drw *drw, int x, int y, unsigned int w, unsigned int h,
             }
         }
     }
-    if (d) {
-        XftDrawDestroy(d);
-    }
 
     return x + (render ? w : 0);
 }
diff --git a/drw.h b/drw.h
index 971765c..2bf738e 100644
--- a/drw.h
+++ b/drw.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ typedef struct {
     GC gc;
     Clr *scheme;
     Fnt *fonts;
+    XftDraw *xftdraw;
 } Drw;
 
 /* Drawable abstraction */