diff --git a/include/i3.h b/include/i3.h
index e34c5da3..fda6cfd8 100644
--- a/include/i3.h
+++ b/include/i3.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ extern SLIST_HEAD(stack_wins_head, Stack_Window) stack_wins;
 extern xcb_event_handlers_t evenths;
 extern int num_screens;
 extern uint8_t root_depth;
+extern bool xkb_supported;
 extern xcb_atom_t atoms[NUM_ATOMS];
 extern xcb_window_t root;
 
diff --git a/src/handlers.c b/src/handlers.c
index 5b9ab8bc..34c4aaba 100644
--- a/src/handlers.c
+++ b/src/handlers.c
@@ -105,12 +105,14 @@ int handle_key_press(void *ignored, xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_key_press_event_
         state_filtered &= 0xFF;
         LOG("(removed upper 8 bits, state = %d)\n", state_filtered);
 
-        /* We need to get the keysym group (There are group 1 to group 4, each holding
-           two keysyms (without shift and with shift) using Xkb because X fails to
-           provide them reliably (it works in Xephyr, it does not in real X) */
-        XkbStateRec state;
-        if (XkbGetState(xkbdpy, XkbUseCoreKbd, &state) == Success && (state.group+1) == 2)
-                state_filtered |= BIND_MODE_SWITCH;
+        if (xkb_supported) {
+                /* We need to get the keysym group (There are group 1 to group 4, each holding
+                   two keysyms (without shift and with shift) using Xkb because X fails to
+                   provide them reliably (it works in Xephyr, it does not in real X) */
+                XkbStateRec state;
+                if (XkbGetState(xkbdpy, XkbUseCoreKbd, &state) == Success && (state.group+1) == 2)
+                        state_filtered |= BIND_MODE_SWITCH;
+        }
 
         LOG("(checked mode_switch, state %d)\n", state_filtered);
 
diff --git a/src/mainx.c b/src/mainx.c
index 322e51e2..9d209208 100644
--- a/src/mainx.c
+++ b/src/mainx.c
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ int num_screens = 0;
 /* The depth of the root screen (used e.g. for creating new pixmaps later) */
 uint8_t root_depth;
 
+/* We hope that XKB is supported and set this to false */
+bool xkb_supported = true;
+
 /*
  * This callback is only a dummy, see xcb_prepare_cb and xcb_check_cb.
  * See also man libev(3): "ev_prepare" and "ev_check" - customise your event loop
@@ -245,25 +248,27 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[], char *env[]) {
         int evBase, errBase;
 
         if ((xkbdpy = XkbOpenDisplay(getenv("DISPLAY"), &evBase, &errBase, &major, &minor, &error)) == NULL) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "XkbOpenDisplay() failed\n");
-                return 1;
+                LOG("ERROR: XkbOpenDisplay() failed, disabling XKB support\n");
+                xkb_supported = false;
         }
 
-        if (fcntl(ConnectionNumber(xkbdpy), F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC) == -1) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "Could not set FD_CLOEXEC on xkbdpy\n");
-                return 1;
-        }
+        if (xkb_supported) {
+                if (fcntl(ConnectionNumber(xkbdpy), F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC) == -1) {
+                        fprintf(stderr, "Could not set FD_CLOEXEC on xkbdpy\n");
+                        return 1;
+                }
 
-        int i1;
-        if (!XkbQueryExtension(xkbdpy,&i1,&evBase,&errBase,&major,&minor)) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "XKB not supported by X-server\n");
-                return 1;
-        }
-        /* end of ugliness */
+                int i1;
+                if (!XkbQueryExtension(xkbdpy,&i1,&evBase,&errBase,&major,&minor)) {
+                        fprintf(stderr, "XKB not supported by X-server\n");
+                        return 1;
+                }
+                /* end of ugliness */
 
-        if (!XkbSelectEvents(xkbdpy, XkbUseCoreKbd, XkbMapNotifyMask, XkbMapNotifyMask)) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "Could not set XKB event mask\n");
-                return 1;
+                if (!XkbSelectEvents(xkbdpy, XkbUseCoreKbd, XkbMapNotifyMask, XkbMapNotifyMask)) {
+                        fprintf(stderr, "Could not set XKB event mask\n");
+                        return 1;
+                }
         }
 
         /* Initialize event loop using libev */
@@ -279,11 +284,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[], char *env[]) {
         ev_io_init(xcb_watcher, xcb_got_event, xcb_get_file_descriptor(conn), EV_READ);
         ev_io_start(loop, xcb_watcher);
 
-        ev_io_init(xkb, xkb_got_event, ConnectionNumber(xkbdpy), EV_READ);
-        ev_io_start(loop, xkb);
+        if (xkb_supported) {
+                ev_io_init(xkb, xkb_got_event, ConnectionNumber(xkbdpy), EV_READ);
+                ev_io_start(loop, xkb);
 
-        /* Flush the buffer so that libev can properly get new events */
-        XFlush(xkbdpy);
+                /* Flush the buffer so that libev can properly get new events */
+                XFlush(xkbdpy);
+        }
 
         ev_check_init(xcb_check, xcb_check_cb);
         ev_check_start(loop, xcb_check);