diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index 989ed5ea..8de425d0 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ XCB_CFLAGS  += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-atom)
 XCB_CFLAGS  += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-aux)
 XCB_LIBS    += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-atom,xcb-atom)
 XCB_LIBS    += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-aux,xcb-aux)
+XCB_CPPFLAGS+= -DXCB_COMPAT
 else
 XCB_CFLAGS  += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-util)
 XCB_LIBS    += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-util)
diff --git a/i3-config-wizard/i3-config-wizard.mk b/i3-config-wizard/i3-config-wizard.mk
index 7e9c4bee..1598cfed 100644
--- a/i3-config-wizard/i3-config-wizard.mk
+++ b/i3-config-wizard/i3-config-wizard.mk
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ i3_config_wizard_OBJECTS := $(i3_config_wizard_SOURCES_GENERATED:.c=.o) $(i3_con
 
 i3-config-wizard/%.o: i3-config-wizard/%.c $(i3_config_wizard_HEADERS)
 	echo "[i3-config-wizard] CC $<"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_config_wizard_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_config_wizard_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
 
 i3-config-wizard/cfgparse.yy.c: i3-config-wizard/cfgparse.l i3-config-wizard/cfgparse.tab.o $(i3_config_wizard_HEADERS)
 	echo "[i3-config-wizard] LEX $<"
diff --git a/i3-dump-log/i3-dump-log.mk b/i3-dump-log/i3-dump-log.mk
index e696546d..bbce356f 100644
--- a/i3-dump-log/i3-dump-log.mk
+++ b/i3-dump-log/i3-dump-log.mk
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ i3_dump_log_OBJECTS := $(i3_dump_log_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
 i3-dump-log/%.o: i3-dump-log/%.c $(i3_dump_log_HEADERS)
 	echo "[i3-dump-log] CC $<"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_dump_log_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_dump_log_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
 
 i3-dump-log/i3-dump-log: libi3.a $(i3_dump_log_OBJECTS)
 	echo "[i3-dump-log] Link i3-dump-log"
diff --git a/i3-input/i3-input.mk b/i3-input/i3-input.mk
index d31a11ff..03f4e0a6 100644
--- a/i3-input/i3-input.mk
+++ b/i3-input/i3-input.mk
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ i3_input_OBJECTS := $(i3_input_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
 i3-input/%.o: i3-input/%.c $(i3_input_HEADERS)
 	echo "[i3-input] CC $<"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_input_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_input_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
 
 i3-input/i3-input: libi3.a $(i3_input_OBJECTS)
 	echo "[i3-input] Link i3-input"
diff --git a/i3-msg/i3-msg.mk b/i3-msg/i3-msg.mk
index c3a59303..fef9581d 100644
--- a/i3-msg/i3-msg.mk
+++ b/i3-msg/i3-msg.mk
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ i3_msg_OBJECTS := $(i3_msg_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
 i3-msg/%.o: i3-msg/%.c $(i3_msg_HEADERS)
 	echo "[i3-msg] CC $<"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_msg_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_msg_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
 
 i3-msg/i3-msg: libi3.a $(i3_msg_OBJECTS)
 	echo "[i3-msg] Link i3-msg"
diff --git a/i3-nagbar/i3-nagbar.mk b/i3-nagbar/i3-nagbar.mk
index 4fea1629..e54aa654 100644
--- a/i3-nagbar/i3-nagbar.mk
+++ b/i3-nagbar/i3-nagbar.mk
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ i3_nagbar_OBJECTS := $(i3_nagbar_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
 i3-nagbar/%.o: i3-nagbar/%.c $(i3_nagbar_HEADERS)
 	echo "[i3-nagbar] CC $<"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_nagbar_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_nagbar_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
 
 i3-nagbar/i3-nagbar: libi3.a $(i3_nagbar_OBJECTS)
 	echo "[i3-nagbar] Link i3-nagbar"
diff --git a/i3bar/i3bar.mk b/i3bar/i3bar.mk
index c311adfe..06780250 100644
--- a/i3bar/i3bar.mk
+++ b/i3bar/i3bar.mk
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ i3bar_OBJECTS := $(i3bar_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
 i3bar/src/%.o: i3bar/src/%.c $(i3bar_HEADERS)
 	echo "[i3bar] CC $<"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3bar_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -Ii3bar/include -c -o $@ $<
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3bar_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -Ii3bar/include -c -o $@ $<
 
 i3bar/i3bar: libi3.a $(i3bar_OBJECTS)
 	echo "[i3bar] Link i3bar"
diff --git a/libi3/libi3.mk b/libi3/libi3.mk
index b6a90995..d99bacf4 100644
--- a/libi3/libi3.mk
+++ b/libi3/libi3.mk
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ libi3_OBJECTS := $(libi3_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
 libi3/%.o: libi3/%.c $(libi3_HEADERS)
 	echo "[libi3] CC $<"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(libi3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(libi3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
 
 libi3.a: $(libi3_OBJECTS)
 	echo "[libi3] AR libi3.a"
diff --git a/src/i3.mk b/src/i3.mk
index bc9eabe8..b5c7c477 100644
--- a/src/i3.mk
+++ b/src/i3.mk
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ canonical_path := ../$(shell basename $(shell readlink -f .))
 
 include/all.h.pch: $(i3_HEADERS)
 	echo "[i3] PCH all.h"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -x c-header include/all.h -o include/all.h.pch
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -x c-header include/all.h -o include/all.h.pch
 
 src/%.o: src/%.c $(i3_HEADERS_DEP)
 	echo "[i3] CC $<"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(PCH_FLAGS) -c -o $@ ${canonical_path}/$<
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(PCH_FLAGS) -c -o $@ ${canonical_path}/$<
 
 src/cfgparse.yy.c: src/cfgparse.l src/cfgparse.tab.o $(i3_HEADERS_DEP)
 	echo "[i3] LEX $<"
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ src/cfgparse.tab.c: src/cfgparse.y $(i3_HEADERS_DEP)
 # and once as an object file for i3.
 src/commands_parser.o: src/commands_parser.c $(i3_HEADERS_DEP) i3-command-parser.stamp
 	echo "[i3] CC $<"
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(I3_LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -DTEST_PARSER -o test.commands_parser $< $(LIBS) $(i3_LIBS)
-	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ ${canonical_path}/$<
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(I3_LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -DTEST_PARSER -o test.commands_parser $< $(LIBS) $(i3_LIBS)
+	$(CC) $(I3_CPPFLAGS) $(XCB_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(i3_CFLAGS) $(I3_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ ${canonical_path}/$<
 
 i3-command-parser.stamp: generate-command-parser.pl parser-specs/commands.spec
 	echo "[i3] Generating command parser"