diff --git a/objects/client.c b/objects/client.c
index e1c82e2de..dbc725eb2 100644
--- a/objects/client.c
+++ b/objects/client.c
@@ -723,12 +723,59 @@
  * identifier remain the same. This allow to match a spawn event to an actual
  * client.
  *
+ * This is used to display a different mouse cursor when the application is
+ * loading and also to attach some properties to the newly created client (like
+ * a `tag` or `floating` state).
+ *
+ * Some applications, like `xterm`, don't support startup notification. While
+ * not perfect, the addition the following code to `rc.lua` will mitigate the
+ * issue. Please note that this code is Linux specific.
+ *
+ *    local blacklisted_snid = setmetatable({}, {__mode = "v" })
+ *
+ *    --- Make startup notification work for some clients like XTerm. This is ugly
+ *    -- but works often enough to be useful.
+ *    local function fix_startup_id(c)
+ *        -- Prevent "broken" sub processes created by `c` to inherit its SNID
+ *        if c.startup_id then
+ *            blacklisted_snid[c.startup_id] = blacklisted_snid[c.startup_id] or c
+ *            return
+ *        end
+ *
+ *        if not c.pid then return end
+ *
+ *        -- Read the process environment variables
+ *        local f = io.open("/proc/"..c.pid.."/environ", "rb")
+ *
+ *        -- It will only work on Linux, that's already 99% of the userbase.
+ *        if not f then return end
+ *
+ *        local value = _VERSION <= "Lua 5.1" and "([^\z]*)\0" or "([^\0]*)\0"
+ *        local snid = f:read("*all"):match("STARTUP_ID=" .. value)
+ *        f:close()
+ *
+ *        -- If there is already a client using this SNID, it means it's either a
+ *        -- subprocess or another window for the same process. While it makes sense
+ *        -- in some case to apply the same rules, it is not always the case, so
+ *        -- better doing nothing rather than something stupid.
+ *        if blacklisted_snid[snid] then return end
+ *
+ *        c.startup_id = snid
+ *
+ *        blacklisted_snid[snid] = c
+ *    end
+ *
+ *    awful.rules.add_rule_source(
+ *        "snid", fix_startup_id, {}, {"awful.spawn", "awful.rules"}
+ *    )
+ *
  * **Signal:**
  *
  *  * *property::startup\_id*
  *
  * @property startup_id
  * @param string
+ * @see awful.spawn
  */
 
 /**
@@ -906,6 +953,7 @@ DO_CLIENT_SET_STRING_PROPERTY(name)
 DO_CLIENT_SET_STRING_PROPERTY2(alt_name, name)
 DO_CLIENT_SET_STRING_PROPERTY(icon_name)
 DO_CLIENT_SET_STRING_PROPERTY2(alt_icon_name, icon_name)
+DO_CLIENT_SET_STRING_PROPERTY2(startup_id, startup_id)
 DO_CLIENT_SET_STRING_PROPERTY(role)
 DO_CLIENT_SET_STRING_PROPERTY(machine)
 #undef DO_CLIENT_SET_STRING_PROPERTY
@@ -3057,6 +3105,14 @@ luaA_client_get_icon_name(lua_State *L, client_t *c)
     return 1;
 }
 
+static int
+luaA_client_set_startup_id(lua_State *L, client_t *c)
+{
+    const char *startup_id = luaL_checkstring(L, -1);
+    client_set_startup_id(L, 1, a_strdup(startup_id));
+    return 0;
+}
+
 LUA_OBJECT_EXPORT_OPTIONAL_PROPERTY(client, client_t, screen, luaA_object_push, NULL)
 LUA_OBJECT_EXPORT_PROPERTY(client, client_t, class, lua_pushstring)
 LUA_OBJECT_EXPORT_PROPERTY(client, client_t, instance, lua_pushstring)
@@ -3717,9 +3773,9 @@ client_class_setup(lua_State *L)
                             (lua_class_propfunc_t) luaA_client_get_shape_input,
                             (lua_class_propfunc_t) luaA_client_set_shape_input);
     luaA_class_add_property(&client_class, "startup_id",
-                            NULL,
+                            (lua_class_propfunc_t) luaA_client_set_startup_id,
                             (lua_class_propfunc_t) luaA_client_get_startup_id,
-                            NULL);
+                            (lua_class_propfunc_t) luaA_client_set_startup_id);
     luaA_class_add_property(&client_class, "client_shape_bounding",
                             NULL,
                             (lua_class_propfunc_t) luaA_client_get_client_shape_bounding,