diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index d8ca0993..c3192958 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -30,13 +30,12 @@
 #include <ev.h>
 
 #include "client.h"
-#include "titlebar.h"
 #include "event.h"
 #include "window.h"
 #include "ewmh.h"
 #include "dbus.h"
-#include "statusbar.h"
 #include "systray.h"
+#include "event.h"
 #include "common/version.h"
 #include "common/atoms.h"
 #include "config.h"
@@ -171,11 +170,7 @@ a_xcb_check_cb(EV_P_ ev_check *w, int revents)
         }
         while((ev = xcb_poll_for_event(globalconf.connection)));
 
-        layout_refresh();
-        statusbar_refresh();
-        titlebar_refresh();
-
-        xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
+        awesome_refresh(globalconf.connection);
     }
 }
 
@@ -387,7 +382,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 
     /* Need to xcb_flush to validate error handler */
-    xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
+    xcb_flush(globalconf.connection);
 
     /* Process all errors in the queue if any */
     xcb_poll_for_event_loop(globalconf.evenths);
@@ -479,15 +474,13 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         systray_init(screen_nbr);
     }
 
-    xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
+    xcb_flush(globalconf.connection);
 
     luaA_cs_init();
     a_dbus_init();
 
     /* refresh everything before waiting events */
-    layout_refresh();
-    statusbar_refresh();
-    titlebar_refresh();
+    awesome_refresh(globalconf.connection);
 
     /* main event loop */
     ev_loop(globalconf.loop, 0);
@@ -504,7 +497,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     for(c = globalconf.clients; c; c = c->next)
         client_unban(c);
 
-    xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
+    xcb_flush(globalconf.connection);
 
     xcb_disconnect(globalconf.connection);
 
diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 652c1ad6..00c858e1 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ client_unmanage(client_t *c)
                       XCB_BUTTON_MASK_ANY);
     window_state_set(c->win, XCB_WM_WITHDRAWN_STATE);
 
-    xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
+    xcb_flush(c);
     xcb_ungrab_server(globalconf.connection);
 
     /* remove client everywhere */
diff --git a/common/draw.c b/common/draw.c
index a35717e2..3c9e8378 100644
--- a/common/draw.c
+++ b/common/draw.c
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
-#include <xcb/xcb_aux.h>
 
 #include <langinfo.h>
 #include <iconv.h>
diff --git a/common/swindow.c b/common/swindow.c
index d96cc2e8..bcd40050 100644
--- a/common/swindow.c
+++ b/common/swindow.c
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
  */
 
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
-#include <xcb/xcb_aux.h>
 
 #include "common/swindow.h"
 #include "common/xutil.h"
diff --git a/common/xscreen.c b/common/xscreen.c
index de332204..48a38ec2 100644
--- a/common/xscreen.c
+++ b/common/xscreen.c
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
  */
 
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
-#include <xcb/xcb_aux.h>
 #include <xcb/xinerama.h>
 
 #include "common/xscreen.h"
diff --git a/event.h b/event.h
index 676e10c7..dcf1aeef 100644
--- a/event.h
+++ b/event.h
@@ -22,6 +22,21 @@
 #ifndef AWESOME_EVENT_H
 #define AWESOME_EVENT_H
 
+#include <xcb/xcb.h>
+
+#include "statusbar.h"
+#include "titlebar.h"
+#include "layout.h"
+
+static inline int
+awesome_refresh(xcb_connection_t *c)
+{
+    layout_refresh();
+    statusbar_refresh();
+    titlebar_refresh();
+    return xcb_flush(c);
+}
+
 void a_xcb_set_event_handlers(void);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/ewmh.c b/ewmh.c
index 9dfbcee2..68672de2 100644
--- a/ewmh.c
+++ b/ewmh.c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ ewmh_restart(void)
     for(c = globalconf.clients; c; c = c->next)
         client_unban(c);
 
-    xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
+    xcb_flush(globalconf.connection);
     xcb_disconnect(globalconf.connection);
 
     a_exec(globalconf.argv);
diff --git a/lua.c b/lua.c
index c4532e87..9b668c9d 100644
--- a/lua.c
+++ b/lua.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include <lualib.h>
 
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
-#include <xcb/xcb_aux.h>
 
 #include "awesome-version-internal.h"
 #include "ewmh.h"
@@ -42,9 +41,8 @@
 #include "lua.h"
 #include "tag.h"
 #include "client.h"
-#include "statusbar.h"
-#include "titlebar.h"
 #include "screen.h"
+#include "event.h"
 #include "layouts/tile.h"
 #include "common/socket.h"
 
@@ -114,7 +112,7 @@ luaA_exec(lua_State *L)
     for(c = globalconf.clients; c; c = c->next)
         client_unban(c);
 
-    xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
+    xcb_flush(globalconf.connection);
     xcb_disconnect(globalconf.connection);
 
     a_exec(cmd);
@@ -759,9 +757,7 @@ luaA_cb(EV_P_ ev_io *w, int revents)
         buf[r] = '\0';
         luaA_docmd(buf);
     }
-    layout_refresh();
-    statusbar_refresh();
-    titlebar_refresh();
+    awesome_refresh(globalconf.connection);
 }
 
 void
@@ -809,9 +805,7 @@ void
 luaA_on_timer(EV_P_ ev_timer *w, int revents)
 {
     luaA_dofunction(globalconf.L, globalconf.hooks.timer, 0, 0);
-    layout_refresh();
-    statusbar_refresh();
-    titlebar_refresh();
+    awesome_refresh(globalconf.connection);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/mouse.c b/mouse.c
index e43702ae..210dfb12 100644
--- a/mouse.c
+++ b/mouse.c
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ mouse_infobox_draw(draw_context_t *ctx,
                       geometry.x + ((2 * border + geometry.width) - sw->geometry.width) / 2,
                       geometry.y + ((2 * border + geometry.height) - sw->geometry.height) / 2);
     simplewindow_refresh_pixmap(sw);
-    xcb_aux_sync(ctx->connection);
+    xcb_flush(globalconf.connection);
 }
 
 #define MOUSE_INFOBOX_STRING_DEFAULT "0000x0000+0000+0000"
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ mouse_client_resize_tiled(client_t *c)
     /* set pointer to the moveable border */
     mouse_warp_pointer(screen->root, mouse_x, mouse_y);
 
-    xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
+    xcb_flush(globalconf.connection);
 
     /* for each motion event */
     while(mouse_track_mouse_drag(&mouse_x, &mouse_y))
diff --git a/screen.c b/screen.c
index 094bef46..eef42e66 100644
--- a/screen.c
+++ b/screen.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
-#include <xcb/xcb_aux.h>
 
 #include "screen.h"
 #include "ewmh.h"
diff --git a/titlebar.c b/titlebar.c
index 27c41975..f8866051 100644
--- a/titlebar.c
+++ b/titlebar.c
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
  */
 
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
-#include <xcb/xcb_aux.h>
 
 #include <math.h>