diff --git a/xkb.c b/xkb.c
index 82db23bbd..07560c9da 100644
--- a/xkb.c
+++ b/xkb.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ xkb_fill_state(void)
     int32_t device_id = xkb_x11_get_core_keyboard_device_id(conn);
     if (device_id == -1)
         fatal("Failed while getting XKB device id");
-    
+
     struct xkb_keymap *xkb_keymap = xkb_x11_keymap_new_from_device(
                                 globalconf.xkb_ctx,
                                 conn,
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ xkb_fill_state(void)
 
     if (!xkb_keymap)
         fatal("Failed while getting XKB keymap from device");
-    
+
     globalconf.xkb_state = xkb_x11_state_new_from_device(xkb_keymap,
                                                          conn,
                                                          device_id);
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ xkb_init_keymap(void)
     globalconf.xkb_ctx = xkb_context_new(XKB_CONTEXT_NO_FLAGS);
     if (!globalconf.xkb_ctx)
         fatal("Failed while getting XKB context");
-    
+
     xkb_fill_state();
 }
 
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ event_handle_xkb_notify(xcb_generic_event_t* event)
         {
           xcb_xkb_state_notify_event_t *state_notify_event = (void*)event;
 
-          xkb_state_update_mask(globalconf.xkb_state, 
+          xkb_state_update_mask(globalconf.xkb_state,
                                 state_notify_event->baseMods,
                                 state_notify_event->latchedMods,
                                 state_notify_event->lockedMods,
@@ -272,17 +272,28 @@ xkb_init(void)
                          XCB_XKB_MAP_PART_EXPLICIT_COMPONENTS |
                          XCB_XKB_MAP_PART_KEY_ACTIONS |
                          XCB_XKB_MAP_PART_KEY_BEHAVIORS |
-                         XCB_XKB_MAP_PART_VIRTUAL_MODS | 
+                         XCB_XKB_MAP_PART_VIRTUAL_MODS |
                          XCB_XKB_MAP_PART_VIRTUAL_MOD_MAP;
 
-    xcb_xkb_select_events_checked(globalconf.connection,
-                                  XCB_XKB_ID_USE_CORE_KBD,
-                                  map,
-                                  0,
-                                  map,
-                                  map_parts,
-                                  map_parts,
-                                  0);
+    /* Enable detectable auto-repeat, but ignore failures */
+    xcb_discard_reply(globalconf.connection,
+            xcb_xkb_per_client_flags(globalconf.connection,
+                                     XCB_XKB_ID_USE_CORE_KBD,
+                                     XCB_XKB_PER_CLIENT_FLAG_DETECTABLE_AUTO_REPEAT,
+                                     XCB_XKB_PER_CLIENT_FLAG_DETECTABLE_AUTO_REPEAT,
+                                     0,
+                                     0,
+                                     0)
+            .sequence);
+
+    xcb_xkb_select_events(globalconf.connection,
+                          XCB_XKB_ID_USE_CORE_KBD,
+                          map,
+                          0,
+                          map,
+                          map_parts,
+                          map_parts,
+                          0);
 
     /* load keymap to use when resolving keypresses */
     xkb_init_keymap();
@@ -294,7 +305,7 @@ void
 xkb_free(void)
 {
     // unsubscribe from all events
-    xcb_xkb_select_events_checked(globalconf.connection,
+    xcb_xkb_select_events(globalconf.connection,
                           XCB_XKB_ID_USE_CORE_KBD,
                           0,
                           0,