diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 18869dc0c..d897e2af0 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = $(pangocairo_CFLAGS) $(AWESOME_CFLAGS) \
 	$(xcb_CFLAGS) $(xcb_event_CFLAGS) \
 	$(xcb_randr_CFLAGS) $(xcb_xinerama_CFLAGS) $(xcb_shape_CFLAGS) \
 	$(xcb_aux_CFLAGS) $(xcb_atom_CFLAGS) $(xcb_keysyms_CFLAGS) \
-	$(xcb_icccm_CFLAGS) $(dbus_CFLAGS) $(Lua_CFLAGS)
+	$(xcb_icccm_CFLAGS) $(dbus_CFLAGS) $(Lua_CFLAGS) $(gthread_CLFAGS)
 
 bin_PROGRAMS += awesome
 awesome_SOURCES = \
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ awesome_SOURCES += $(WIDGETS)
 awesome_LDADD = $(pangocairo_LIBS) $(xcb_LIBS) $(xcb_event_LIBS) \
 	$(xcb_randr_LIBS) $(xcb_xinerama_LIBS) $(xcb_shape_LIBS) $(xcb_aux_LIBS) \
 	$(xcb_atom_LIBS) $(xcb_keysyms_LIBS) $(xcb_icccm_LIBS) $(dbus_LIBS)\
-	$(imlib2_LIBS) $(GTK_LIBS) $(Lua_LIBS)
+	$(imlib2_LIBS) $(GTK_LIBS) $(Lua_LIBS) $(gthread_LIBS)
 
 bin_PROGRAMS += awesome-client
 awesome_client_SOURCES = \
diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 8f530bf1a..8c27e3e00 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 
 #include <pthread.h>
 
+#include <glib.h>
+
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
 #include <xcb/shape.h>
 #include <xcb/randr.h>
@@ -484,6 +486,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     statusbar_refresh(NULL);
     layout_refresh(NULL);
 
+    /* initialize Glib for thread safeness */
+    g_thread_init(NULL);
+
     /* main event loop, also reads status text from socket */
     while(running)
     {
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a7a29b327..22c1e007e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([Lua], [lua >= 5.1],,
                       [AC_MSG_ERROR([awesome requires Lua >= 5.1.])])])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([glib], [glib-2.0],,
    [AC_MSG_ERROR([awesome requires glib-2.0.])])
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([gthread], [gthread-2.0],,
+   [AC_MSG_ERROR([awesome requires gthread-2.0.])])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([dbus], [dbus-1],,
    [AC_MSG_ERROR([awesome requires dbus-1.])])
 AC_ARG_WITH([imlib2], AS_HELP_STRING([--with-imlib2], [Build with Imlib2 (default: disabled)]))