diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1b8ac1578..d6c1fc858 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ include_directories(
     ${SOURCE_DIR}
     ${BUILD_DIR}
     ${BUILD_DIR}/common
+    ${AWESOME_COMMON_REQUIRED_INCLUDE_DIRS}
     ${AWESOME_REQUIRED_INCLUDE_DIRS}
     ${AWESOME_OPTIONAL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
@@ -107,10 +108,12 @@ set_target_properties(${PROJECT_AWE_NAME}
     LINK_FLAGS -export-dynamic)
 
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_AWE_NAME}
+    ${AWESOME_COMMON_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES}
     ${AWESOME_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES}
     ${AWESOME_OPTIONAL_LIBRARIES})
 
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_AWECLIENT_NAME}
+    ${AWESOME_COMMON_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES}
     ${AWESOMECLIENT_LIBRARIES})
 
 # {{{ Generated sources
diff --git a/awesomeConfig.cmake b/awesomeConfig.cmake
index 96c4dee1d..c8b3d0e4e 100644
--- a/awesomeConfig.cmake
+++ b/awesomeConfig.cmake
@@ -134,12 +134,14 @@ execute_process(
 # AWESOMECLIENT_LIBRARIES
 
 # Use pkgconfig to get most of the libraries
+pkg_check_modules(AWESOME_COMMON_REQUIRED REQUIRED
+    xcb)
+
 pkg_check_modules(AWESOME_REQUIRED REQUIRED
     glib-2.0
     cairo
     pango
     pangocairo
-    xcb
     xcb-event
     xcb-randr
     xcb-xinerama
@@ -149,7 +151,7 @@ pkg_check_modules(AWESOME_REQUIRED REQUIRED
     xcb-icccm
     cairo-xcb)
 
-if(NOT AWESOME_REQUIRED_FOUND)
+if(NOT AWESOME_REQUIRED_FOUND OR NOT AWESOME_COMMON_REQUIRED_FOUND)
     message(FATAL_ERROR)
 endif()
 
@@ -170,16 +172,25 @@ if(NOT LUA_FOUND)
     message(FATAL_ERROR "lua library not found")
 endif()
 
-set(AWESOME_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES ${AWESOME_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES}
+set(AWESOME_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES
+    ${AWESOME_COMMON_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES}
+    ${AWESOME_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES}
     ${LIB_EV}
     ${LUA_LIBRARIES})
 
-set(AWESOME_REQUIRED_INCLUDE_DIRS ${AWESOME_REQUIRED_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+set(AWESOME_REQUIRED_INCLUDE_DIRS
+    ${AWESOME_COMMON_REQUIRED_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+    ${AWESOME_REQUIRED_INCLUDE_DIRS}
     ${LUA_INCLUDE_DIR})
 
 set(AWESOMECLIENT_LIBRARIES
+    ${AWESOME_COMMON_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES}
     ${LIB_READLINE}
+    ${LIB_XCB}
     ${CURSES_LIBRARIES})
+
+set(AWESOMECLIENT_REQUIRED_INCLUDE_DIRS
+    ${AWESOME_COMMON_REQUIRED_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 # }}}
 
 # {{{ Optional libraries
diff --git a/common/socket.c b/common/socket.c
index 1c5341cc1..ed287b99c 100644
--- a/common/socket.c
+++ b/common/socket.c
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <sys/un.h>
 
+#include <xcb/xcb.h>
+
 #include "common/socket.h"
 #include "common/util.h"
 
@@ -38,77 +40,27 @@
 struct sockaddr_un *
 socket_getaddr(const char *display)
 {
-    char *homedir, *tmp, *dot;
-    char *hostname = NULL, *screen = NULL;
-    ssize_t path_len, hostname_len, screen_len;
+    char *homedir, *host = NULL;
+    int screenp, displayp;
+    ssize_t path_len;
     struct sockaddr_un *addr;
 
     addr = p_new(struct sockaddr_un, 1);
     homedir = getenv("HOME");
-
-    if(a_strlen(display))
-    {
-        /* find hostname */
-        if((tmp = strchr(display, ':')))
-        {
-            /* if display starts with : */
-            if(tmp == display)
-            {
-                hostname = a_strdup("localhost");
-                hostname_len = 9;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                hostname_len = tmp - display;
-                hostname = a_strndup(display, hostname_len);
-            }
-
-            tmp++;
-            if((dot = strchr(tmp, '.')))
-            {
-                screen_len = dot - tmp;
-                screen = a_strndup(tmp, screen_len); 
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                screen = a_strdup(tmp);
-                screen_len = a_strlen(screen);
-            }
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            hostname = a_strdup("unknown");
-            hostname_len = 7;
-            screen = a_strdup("0");
-            screen_len = 1;
-        }
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        hostname = a_strdup("localhost");
-        hostname_len = 9;
-        screen = a_strdup("0");
-        screen_len = 1;
-    }
+    
+    xcb_parse_display(NULL, &host, &displayp, &screenp);
 
     /* + 2 for / and . and \0 */
-    path_len = a_strlen(homedir) + sizeof(CONTROL_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH) - 1
-               + screen_len + hostname_len + 3;
+    path_len = snprintf(addr->sun_path, sizeof(addr->sun_path),
+                        "%s/" CONTROL_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH "%s%s%d",
+                        homedir, host, a_strlen(host) ? "." : "",
+                        displayp);
 
     if(path_len >= ssizeof(addr->sun_path))
     {
         fprintf(stderr, "error: path of control UNIX domain socket is too long");
         return NULL;
     }
-    a_strcpy(addr->sun_path, path_len, homedir);
-    a_strcat(addr->sun_path, path_len, "/");
-    a_strcat(addr->sun_path, path_len, CONTROL_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH);
-    a_strcat(addr->sun_path, path_len, hostname);
-    a_strcat(addr->sun_path, path_len, "|");
-    a_strcat(addr->sun_path, path_len, screen);
-
-    p_delete(&hostname);
-    p_delete(&screen);
 
     addr->sun_family = AF_UNIX;
 
diff --git a/lua.c b/lua.c
index 027ea2b4e..5b5700f1a 100644
--- a/lua.c
+++ b/lua.c
@@ -483,9 +483,9 @@ static int
 luaA_spawn(lua_State *L)
 {
     static const char *shell = NULL;
-    char display[128], *tmp, newdisplay[128];
+    char *host, newdisplay[128];
     const char *cmd;
-    int screen = 0;
+    int screen = 0, screenp, displayp;
 
     if(!shell && !(shell = getenv("SHELL")))
         shell = "/bin/sh";
@@ -498,14 +498,12 @@ luaA_spawn(lua_State *L)
 
     cmd = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
 
-    if(!globalconf.screens_info->xinerama_is_active
-       && (tmp = getenv("DISPLAY")))
+    if(!globalconf.screens_info->xinerama_is_active)
     {
-        a_strcpy(display, sizeof(display) - 1, tmp);
-        if((tmp = strrchr(display, '.')))
-            *tmp = '\0';
-        snprintf(newdisplay, sizeof(newdisplay) - 1, "%s.%d", display, screen);
+        xcb_parse_display(NULL, &host, &displayp, &screenp);
+        snprintf(newdisplay, sizeof(newdisplay), "%s:%d.%d", host, displayp, screen);
         setenv("DISPLAY", newdisplay, 1);
+        p_delete(&host);
     }
 
     /* The double-fork construct avoids zombie processes and keeps the code