diff --git a/include/ui/surface.h b/include/ui/surface.h
index 273bb4769a..345b19169d 100644
--- a/include/ui/surface.h
+++ b/include/ui/surface.h
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ void qemu_displaysurface_win32_set_handle(DisplaySurface *surface,
 DisplaySurface *qemu_create_displaysurface(int width, int height);
 void qemu_free_displaysurface(DisplaySurface *surface);
 
-static inline int is_buffer_shared(DisplaySurface *surface)
+static inline int surface_is_allocated(DisplaySurface *surface)
 {
-    return !(surface->flags & QEMU_ALLOCATED_FLAG);
+    return surface->flags & QEMU_ALLOCATED_FLAG;
 }
 
 static inline int surface_is_placeholder(DisplaySurface *surface)
diff --git a/hw/display/qxl-render.c b/hw/display/qxl-render.c
index ec99ec887a..8daae72c8d 100644
--- a/hw/display/qxl-render.c
+++ b/hw/display/qxl-render.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ static void qxl_blit(PCIQXLDevice *qxl, QXLRect *rect)
     uint8_t *src;
     int len, i;
 
-    if (is_buffer_shared(surface)) {
+    if (!surface_is_allocated(surface)) {
         return;
     }
     trace_qxl_render_blit(qxl->guest_primary.qxl_stride,
diff --git a/hw/display/vga.c b/hw/display/vga.c
index be2b19b839..892fedc8dc 100644
--- a/hw/display/vga.c
+++ b/hw/display/vga.c
@@ -1487,7 +1487,7 @@ static void vga_draw_graphic(VGACommonState *s, int full_update)
     uint8_t *d;
     uint32_t v, addr1, addr;
     vga_draw_line_func *vga_draw_line = NULL;
-    bool share_surface, force_shadow = false;
+    bool allocate_surface, force_shadow = false;
     pixman_format_code_t format;
 #if HOST_BIG_ENDIAN
     bool byteswap = !s->big_endian_fb;
@@ -1609,10 +1609,10 @@ static void vga_draw_graphic(VGACommonState *s, int full_update)
      */
     format = qemu_default_pixman_format(depth, !byteswap);
     if (format) {
-        share_surface = dpy_gfx_check_format(s->con, format)
-            && !s->force_shadow && !force_shadow;
+        allocate_surface = !dpy_gfx_check_format(s->con, format)
+            || s->force_shadow || force_shadow;
     } else {
-        share_surface = false;
+        allocate_surface = true;
     }
 
     if (s->params.line_offset != s->last_line_offset ||
@@ -1620,7 +1620,7 @@ static void vga_draw_graphic(VGACommonState *s, int full_update)
         height != s->last_height ||
         s->last_depth != depth ||
         s->last_byteswap != byteswap ||
-        share_surface != is_buffer_shared(surface)) {
+        allocate_surface != surface_is_allocated(surface)) {
         /* display parameters changed -> need new display surface */
         s->last_scr_width = disp_width;
         s->last_scr_height = height;
@@ -1635,14 +1635,14 @@ static void vga_draw_graphic(VGACommonState *s, int full_update)
         full_update = 1;
     }
     if (surface_data(surface) != s->vram_ptr + (s->params.start_addr * 4)
-        && is_buffer_shared(surface)) {
+        && !surface_is_allocated(surface)) {
         /* base address changed (page flip) -> shared display surfaces
          * must be updated with the new base address */
         full_update = 1;
     }
 
     if (full_update) {
-        if (share_surface) {
+        if (!allocate_surface) {
             surface = qemu_create_displaysurface_from(disp_width,
                     height, format, s->params.line_offset,
                     s->vram_ptr + (s->params.start_addr * 4));
@@ -1655,7 +1655,7 @@ static void vga_draw_graphic(VGACommonState *s, int full_update)
 
     vga_draw_line = vga_draw_line_table[v];
 
-    if (!is_buffer_shared(surface) && s->cursor_invalidate) {
+    if (surface_is_allocated(surface) && s->cursor_invalidate) {
         s->cursor_invalidate(s);
     }
 
@@ -1707,7 +1707,7 @@ static void vga_draw_graphic(VGACommonState *s, int full_update)
         if (update) {
             if (y_start < 0)
                 y_start = y;
-            if (!(is_buffer_shared(surface))) {
+            if (surface_is_allocated(surface)) {
                 uint8_t *p;
                 p = vga_draw_line(s, d, addr, width, hpel);
                 if (p) {
@@ -1762,7 +1762,7 @@ static void vga_draw_blank(VGACommonState *s, int full_update)
     if (s->last_scr_width <= 0 || s->last_scr_height <= 0)
         return;
 
-    if (is_buffer_shared(surface)) {
+    if (!surface_is_allocated(surface)) {
         /* unshare buffer, otherwise the blanking corrupts vga vram */
         surface = qemu_create_displaysurface(s->last_scr_width,
                                              s->last_scr_height);
diff --git a/hw/display/xenfb.c b/hw/display/xenfb.c
index ff442ced1a..314d378a1b 100644
--- a/hw/display/xenfb.c
+++ b/hw/display/xenfb.c
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ static void xenfb_guest_copy(struct XenFB *xenfb, int x, int y, int w, int h)
     int linesize = surface_stride(surface);
     uint8_t *data = surface_data(surface);
 
-    if (!is_buffer_shared(surface)) {
+    if (surface_is_allocated(surface)) {
         switch (xenfb->depth) {
         case 8:
             if (bpp == 16) {
@@ -756,7 +756,8 @@ static void xenfb_update(void *opaque)
         xen_pv_printf(&xenfb->c.xendev, 1,
                       "update: resizing: %dx%d @ %d bpp%s\n",
                       xenfb->width, xenfb->height, xenfb->depth,
-                      is_buffer_shared(surface) ? " (shared)" : "");
+                      surface_is_allocated(surface)
+                      ? " (allocated)" : " (borrowed)");
         xenfb->up_fullscreen = 1;
     }
 
diff --git a/ui/console.c b/ui/console.c
index c2173fc0b1..e67c5dae2b 100644
--- a/ui/console.c
+++ b/ui/console.c
@@ -1510,7 +1510,8 @@ void qemu_console_resize(QemuConsole *s, int width, int height)
     assert(QEMU_IS_GRAPHIC_CONSOLE(s));
 
     if ((s->scanout.kind != SCANOUT_SURFACE ||
-         (surface && !is_buffer_shared(surface) && !surface_is_placeholder(surface))) &&
+         (surface && surface_is_allocated(surface) &&
+                     !surface_is_placeholder(surface))) &&
         qemu_console_get_width(s, -1) == width &&
         qemu_console_get_height(s, -1) == height) {
         return;
