diff --git a/include/xcursor.h b/include/xcursor.h
index 1872fa0e..af70cf1e 100644
--- a/include/xcursor.h
+++ b/include/xcursor.h
@@ -17,4 +17,17 @@ extern void xcursor_load_cursors();
 extern Cursor xcursor_get_cursor(enum xcursor_cursor_t c);
 extern int xcursor_get_xcb_cursor(enum xcursor_cursor_t c);
 
+/**
+ * Sets the cursor of the root window to the 'pointer' cursor.
+ *
+ * This function is called when i3 is initialized, because with some login
+ * managers, the root window will not have a cursor otherwise.
+ *
+ * We have a separate xcursor function to use the same X11 connection as the
+ * xcursor_load_cursors() function. If we mix the Xlib and the XCB connection,
+ * races might occur (even though we flush the Xlib connection).
+ *
+ */
+void xcursor_set_root_cursor();
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 434942ce..54df5431 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -338,8 +338,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     /* Set a cursor for the root window (otherwise the root window will show no
        cursor until the first client is launched). */
     if (xcursor_supported) {
-        uint32_t values[1] = { xcursor_get_cursor(XCURSOR_CURSOR_POINTER) };
-        xcb_change_window_attributes(conn, root, XCB_CW_CURSOR, values);
+        xcursor_set_root_cursor();
     } else {
         xcb_cursor_t cursor_id = xcb_generate_id(conn);
         i3Font cursor_font = load_font("cursor", false);
diff --git a/src/xcursor.c b/src/xcursor.c
index 54ef34d2..69518c30 100644
--- a/src/xcursor.c
+++ b/src/xcursor.c
@@ -28,7 +28,23 @@ void xcursor_load_cursors() {
     cursors[XCURSOR_CURSOR_POINTER] = load_cursor("left_ptr");
     cursors[XCURSOR_CURSOR_RESIZE_HORIZONTAL] = load_cursor("sb_h_double_arrow");
     cursors[XCURSOR_CURSOR_RESIZE_VERTICAL] = load_cursor("sb_v_double_arrow");
+}
 
+/*
+ * Sets the cursor of the root window to the 'pointer' cursor.
+ *
+ * This function is called when i3 is initialized, because with some login
+ * managers, the root window will not have a cursor otherwise.
+ *
+ * We have a separate xcursor function to use the same X11 connection as the
+ * xcursor_load_cursors() function. If we mix the Xlib and the XCB connection,
+ * races might occur (even though we flush the Xlib connection).
+ *
+ */
+void xcursor_set_root_cursor() {
+    XSetWindowAttributes attributes;
+    attributes.cursor = xcursor_get_cursor(XCURSOR_CURSOR_POINTER);
+    XChangeWindowAttributes(xlibdpy, DefaultRootWindow(xlibdpy), CWCursor, &attributes);
     XFlush(xlibdpy);
 }