diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index dfe465c9d..227bafb3b 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     char buf[1024];
     const char *confpath = NULL;
-    int r, xfd, csfd, i, screen_nbr, opt;
+    int r, xfd, csfd, dbusfd, i, screen_nbr, opt;
     ssize_t cmdlen = 1;
     const xcb_query_extension_reply_t *shape_query, *randr_query;
     statusbar_t *statusbar;
@@ -494,7 +494,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
             warn("error binding UNIX domain socket: %s\n", strerror(errno));
     }
     
-    a_dbus_init();
+    if(!a_dbus_init(&dbusfd))
+        dbusfd = -1;
 
     /* register function for signals */
     signal(SIGINT, &exit_on_signal);
@@ -511,8 +512,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         FD_ZERO(&rd);
         if(csfd >= 0)
             FD_SET(csfd, &rd);
+        if(dbusfd >= 0)
+            FD_SET(dbusfd, &rd);
         FD_SET(xfd, &rd);
-        if(select(MAX(xfd, csfd) + 1, &rd, NULL, NULL, NULL) == -1)
+        if(select(MAX(MAX(xfd, csfd), dbusfd) + 1, &rd, NULL, NULL, NULL) == -1)
         {
             if(errno == EINTR)
                 continue;
@@ -536,7 +539,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
                 layout_refresh();
             }
 
-        /* a_dbus_process_requests(); */
+        if(dbusfd >= 0 && FD_ISSET(dbusfd, &rd))
+            a_dbus_process_requests(&dbusfd);
 
         /* two level XPending:
          * we need to first check we have XEvent to handle
diff --git a/dbus.c b/dbus.c
index b7aaff168..3181c15a3 100644
--- a/dbus.c
+++ b/dbus.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ a_dbus_process_widget_tell(DBusMessage *req)
 {
     char *arg, *path = NULL;
     DBusMessageIter iter;
-    
+
     if(!dbus_message_iter_init(req, &iter))
     {
         warn("message has no argument: %s\n", err.message);
@@ -52,12 +52,12 @@ a_dbus_process_widget_tell(DBusMessage *req)
 }
 
 void
-a_dbus_process_requests(void)
+a_dbus_process_requests(int *fd)
 {
     DBusMessage *msg;
     int nmsg = 0;
 
-    if(!dbus_connection && !a_dbus_init())
+    if(!dbus_connection && !a_dbus_init(fd))
         return;
 
     while(true)
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ a_dbus_process_requests(void)
 }
 
 bool
-a_dbus_init(void)
+a_dbus_init(int *fd)
 {
     bool ret;
 
@@ -97,11 +97,8 @@ a_dbus_init(void)
     if(dbus_error_is_set(&err))
     {
         warn("DBus system bus connection failed: %s\n", err.message);
-
         dbus_connection = NULL;
-
         dbus_error_free(&err);
-
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -112,18 +109,21 @@ a_dbus_init(void)
     if(dbus_error_is_set(&err))
     {
         warn("failed to request DBus name: %s\n", err.message);
-
         a_dbus_cleanup();
-
         return false;
     }
 
     if(ret != DBUS_REQUEST_NAME_REPLY_PRIMARY_OWNER)
     {
         warn("not primary DBus name owner\n");
-
         a_dbus_cleanup();
+        return false;
+    }
 
+    if(!dbus_connection_get_unix_fd(dbus_connection, fd))
+    {
+        warn("cannot get DBus connection file descriptor\n");
+        a_dbus_cleanup();
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/dbus.h b/dbus.h
index ad317812a..ce4a0b55a 100644
--- a/dbus.h
+++ b/dbus.h
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
-void a_dbus_process_requests(void);
-bool a_dbus_init(void);
+void a_dbus_process_requests(int *);
+bool a_dbus_init(int *);
 void a_dbus_cleanup(void);
 
 #endif