diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 2337e3282..fd13f3e79 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <X11/Xproto.h>
 #include <X11/Xutil.h>
 #include <X11/extensions/shape.h> 
+#include <X11/extensions/Xrandr.h> 
 
 #include "awesome.h"
 #include "event.h"
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     Display * dpy;
     Window root;
     awesome_config awesomeconf;
-    int shape_event;
+    int shape_event, randr_event_base;
 
     if(argc == 2 && !strcmp("-v", argv[1]))
         eprint("awesome-" VERSION " © 2007 Julien Danjou\n");
@@ -324,6 +325,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if((awesomeconf.have_shape = XShapeQueryExtension(dpy, &shape_event, &e_dummy)))
         handler[shape_event] = handle_event_shape;
 
+    /* check for randr extension */
+    if((awesomeconf.have_randr = XRRQueryExtension(dpy, &randr_event_base, &e_dummy)))
+       handler[randr_event_base + RRScreenChangeNotify] = handle_event_randr_screen_change_notify;
+
     scan(dpy, &dc, &awesomeconf);
     XSync(dpy, False);
 
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index a21f4bb13..617605eb0 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ struct awesome_config
     Statusbar statusbar;
     /** Check for XShape extension */
     Bool have_shape;
+    /** Check for XRandR extension */
+    Bool have_randr;
 };
 
 void parse_config(Display *, int, DC *, awesome_config *);        /* parse configuration file */
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index 7e9d7a853..c30f267e6 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ X11LIB = /usr/lib/X11
 
 # includes and libs
 INCS = -I. -I/usr/include -I${X11INC} `pkg-config --cflags libconfig`
-LIBS = -L/usr/lib -lc -L${X11LIB} -lX11 `pkg-config --libs libconfig` -lXext
+LIBS = -L/usr/lib -lc -L${X11LIB} -lX11 `pkg-config --libs libconfig` -lXext -lXrandr
 
 # flags
 CFLAGS = -fgnu89-inline -std=gnu99 -ggdb3 -pipe -Wall -Wextra -W -Wchar-subscripts -Wundef -Wshadow -Wcast-align -Wwrite-strings -Wsign-compare -Wunused -Wuninitialized -Winit-self -Wpointer-arith -Wredundant-decls -Wno-format-zero-length -Wmissing-prototypes -Wmissing-format-attribute -Wmissing-noreturn -O2 ${INCS} -DVERSION=\"${VERSION}\"
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index 26679077a..a6a6765bd 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <X11/Xatom.h>
 #include <X11/Xutil.h>
 #include <X11/extensions/shape.h> 
+#include <X11/extensions/Xrandr.h> 
 
 #include "awesome.h"
 #include "event.h"
@@ -401,6 +402,13 @@ handle_event_shape(XEvent * e,
         set_shape(c);
 }
 
+void
+handle_event_randr_screen_change_notify(XEvent *e,
+                                        awesome_config *awesomeconf __attribute__ ((unused)))
+{
+    XRRUpdateConfiguration(e);
+}
+
 void
 grabkeys(Display *disp, awesome_config *awesomeconf)
 {
diff --git a/event.h b/event.h
index fe906462e..c1fd1091a 100644
--- a/event.h
+++ b/event.h
@@ -39,5 +39,6 @@ void handle_event_maprequest(XEvent *, awesome_config *);
 void handle_event_propertynotify(XEvent *, awesome_config *);
 void handle_event_unmapnotify(XEvent *, awesome_config *);
 void handle_event_shape(XEvent *, awesome_config *);
+void handle_event_randr_screen_change_notify(XEvent *, awesome_config *);
 
 #endif