diff --git a/include/enc-util.h b/include/enc-util.h
index 5ec7b78..6f3abac 100644
--- a/include/enc-util.h
+++ b/include/enc-util.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 struct vec;
 
-int encode_rect_count(struct vec* dst, uint32_t count);
 int encode_rect_head(struct vec* dst, enum rfb_encodings encoding,
 		uint32_t x, uint32_t y, uint32_t width, uint32_t height);
 uint32_t calc_bytes_per_cpixel(const struct rfb_pixel_format* fmt);
diff --git a/include/encoder.h b/include/encoder.h
index a0dcfbe..f27749a 100644
--- a/include/encoder.h
+++ b/include/encoder.h
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ struct encoder {
 	uint16_t x_pos;
 	uint16_t y_pos;
 
+	int n_rects;
+
 	void (*on_done)(struct encoder*, struct rcbuf* result);
 	void* userdata;
 };
diff --git a/src/enc-util.c b/src/enc-util.c
index 922f00c..10e163c 100644
--- a/src/enc-util.c
+++ b/src/enc-util.c
@@ -20,16 +20,6 @@
 
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 
-int encode_rect_count(struct vec* dst, uint32_t count)
-{
-	struct rfb_server_fb_update_msg msg = {
-		.type = RFB_SERVER_TO_CLIENT_FRAMEBUFFER_UPDATE,
-		.n_rects = htons(count),
-	};
-
-	return vec_append(dst, &msg, sizeof(msg));
-}
-
 int encode_rect_head(struct vec* dst, enum rfb_encodings encoding,
 		uint32_t x, uint32_t y, uint32_t width, uint32_t height)
 {
diff --git a/src/raw-encoding.c b/src/raw-encoding.c
index 6de559d..ba0482d 100644
--- a/src/raw-encoding.c
+++ b/src/raw-encoding.c
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ static int raw_encode_frame(struct raw_encoder* self, struct vec* dst,
 {
 	int rc = -1;
 
+	self->encoder.n_rects = 0;
+
 	int n_rects = 0;
 	struct pixman_box16* box = pixman_region_rectangles(region, &n_rects);
 	if (n_rects > UINT16_MAX) {
@@ -108,10 +110,6 @@ static int raw_encode_frame(struct raw_encoder* self, struct vec* dst,
 	if (rc < 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	rc = encode_rect_count(dst, n_rects);
-	if (rc < 0)
-		return -1;
-
 	for (int i = 0; i < n_rects; ++i) {
 		int x = box[i].x1;
 		int y = box[i].y1;
@@ -124,6 +122,7 @@ static int raw_encode_frame(struct raw_encoder* self, struct vec* dst,
 			return -1;
 	}
 
+	self->encoder.n_rects = n_rects;
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index 07b15e7..d7e11c0 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "usdt.h"
 #include "encoder.h"
 #include "tight.h"
+#include "enc-util.h"
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -1223,12 +1224,19 @@ static bool client_has_encoding(const struct nvnc_client* client,
 	return false;
 }
 
-static void finish_fb_update(struct nvnc_client* client, struct rcbuf* payload)
+static void finish_fb_update(struct nvnc_client* client, struct rcbuf* payload,
+		int n_rects)
 {
 	client_ref(client);
 
 	if (client->net_stream->state != STREAM_STATE_CLOSED) {
 		DTRACE_PROBE1(neatvnc, send_fb_start, client);
+		struct rfb_server_fb_update_msg update_msg = {
+			.type = RFB_SERVER_TO_CLIENT_FRAMEBUFFER_UPDATE,
+			.n_rects = htons(n_rects),
+		};
+		stream_write(client->net_stream, &update_msg,
+				sizeof(update_msg), NULL, NULL);
 		rcbuf_ref(payload);
 		stream_send(client->net_stream, payload, on_write_frame_done,
 		            client);
@@ -1251,7 +1259,7 @@ static void finish_fb_update(struct nvnc_client* client, struct rcbuf* payload)
 static void on_encode_frame_done(struct encoder* encoder, struct rcbuf* result)
 {
 	struct nvnc_client* client = encoder->userdata;
-	finish_fb_update(client, result);
+	finish_fb_update(client, result, encoder->n_rects);
 	client_unref(client);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/tight.c b/src/tight.c
index dad367f..d10f52e 100644
--- a/src/tight.c
+++ b/src/tight.c
@@ -514,6 +514,8 @@ static void on_tight_finished(void* obj)
 	struct rcbuf* result = rcbuf_new(self->dst.data, self->dst.len);
 	assert(result);
 
+	self->encoder.n_rects = self->n_rects;
+
 	if (self->encoder.on_done)
 		self->encoder.on_done(&self->encoder, result);
 
@@ -580,6 +582,8 @@ static int tight_encoder_encode(struct encoder* encoder, struct nvnc_fb* fb,
 	struct tight_encoder* self = tight_encoder(encoder);
 	int rc;
 
+	self->encoder.n_rects = 0;
+
 	rc = rfb_pixfmt_from_fourcc(&self->sfmt, nvnc_fb_get_fourcc_format(fb));
 	assert(rc == 0);
 
@@ -598,8 +602,6 @@ static int tight_encoder_encode(struct encoder* encoder, struct nvnc_fb* fb,
 	self->n_rects = tight_apply_damage(self, damage);
 	assert(self->n_rects > 0);
 
-	encode_rect_count(&self->dst, self->n_rects);
-
 	nvnc_fb_ref(self->fb);
 
 	if (tight_schedule_encoding_jobs(self) < 0) {
diff --git a/src/zrle.c b/src/zrle.c
index 0e0f56d..1642252 100644
--- a/src/zrle.c
+++ b/src/zrle.c
@@ -299,6 +299,8 @@ static int zrle_encode_frame(struct zrle_encoder* self, z_stream* zs,
 {
 	int rc = -1;
 
+	self->encoder.n_rects = 0;
+
 	int n_rects = 0;
 	struct pixman_box16* box = pixman_region_rectangles(region, &n_rects);
 	if (n_rects > UINT16_MAX) {
@@ -310,10 +312,6 @@ static int zrle_encode_frame(struct zrle_encoder* self, z_stream* zs,
 	if (rc < 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	rc = encode_rect_count(dst, n_rects);
-	if (rc < 0)
-		return -1;
-
 	for (int i = 0; i < n_rects; ++i) {
 		int x = box[i].x1;
 		int y = box[i].y1;
@@ -326,6 +324,7 @@ static int zrle_encode_frame(struct zrle_encoder* self, z_stream* zs,
 			return -1;
 	}
 
+	self->encoder.n_rects = n_rects;
 	return 0;
 }