diff --git a/src/subsurface.c b/src/subsurface.c
--- a/src/subsurface.c
+++ b/src/subsurface.c
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@
 
 #include "compositor.h"
 
+#include <wayland-version.h>
+
+/* wayland < 1.22 lacks wl_subcompositor's bad_parent error.  */
+#if WAYLAND_VERSION_MAJOR == 1 && WAYLAND_VERSION_MINOR < 22
+#define WL_SUBCOMPOSITOR_ERROR_BAD_PARENT 1
+#endif
+
 enum
   {
     PendingPosition	 = 1,