diff --git a/src_c/display.c b/src_c/display.c
index 8f72dcbcc6..6418b58c75 100644
--- a/src_c/display.c
+++ b/src_c/display.c
@@ -707,6 +707,19 @@ _get_video_window_pos(int *x, int *y, int *center_window)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static void
+_check_window_resized(SDL_Window *window, int free_old_surf)
+{
+    SDL_Surface *sdl_surface = SDL_GetWindowSurface(window);
+    pgSurfaceObject *old_surface = pg_GetDefaultWindowSurface();
+    if (sdl_surface != old_surface->surf) {
+        if (free_old_surf) {
+            SDL_FreeSurface(old_surface->surf);
+        }
+        old_surface->surf = sdl_surface;
+    }
+}
+
 static int SDLCALL
 pg_ResizeEventWatch(void *userdata, SDL_Event *event)
 {
@@ -786,11 +799,7 @@ pg_ResizeEventWatch(void *userdata, SDL_Event *event)
     }
 
     if (event->window.event == SDL_WINDOWEVENT_SIZE_CHANGED) {
-        SDL_Surface *sdl_surface = SDL_GetWindowSurface(window);
-        pgSurfaceObject *old_surface = pg_GetDefaultWindowSurface();
-        if (sdl_surface != old_surface->surf) {
-            old_surface->surf = sdl_surface;
-        }
+        _check_window_resized(window, 1);
     }
     return 0;
 }
@@ -1374,6 +1383,7 @@ pg_set_mode(PyObject *self, PyObject *arg, PyObject *kwds)
             surface = pgSurface_New2(surf, newownedsurf != NULL);
         }
         else {
+            _check_window_resized(win, 0);
             pgSurface_SetSurface(surface, surf, newownedsurf != NULL);
             Py_INCREF(surface);
         }