diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index c03a9161f..cc8055efa 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -274,23 +274,14 @@ event_handle_configurenotify(void *data __attribute__ ((unused)),
 {
     int screen_nbr;
     const xcb_screen_t *screen;
-    client_t *c;
 
     for(screen_nbr = 0; screen_nbr < xcb_setup_roots_length(xcb_get_setup (connection)); screen_nbr++)
         if((screen = xutil_screen_get(connection, screen_nbr)) != NULL
            && ev->window == screen->root
            && (ev->width != screen->width_in_pixels
                || ev->height != screen->height_in_pixels))
-        {
             /* it's not that we panic, but restart */
-            for(c = globalconf.clients; c; c = c->next)
-                client_unban(c);
-
-            xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
-            xcb_disconnect(globalconf.connection);
-
-            a_exec(globalconf.argv);
-        }
+            ewmh_restart();
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -591,8 +582,6 @@ event_handle_randr_screen_change_notify(void *data __attribute__ ((unused)),
                                         xcb_connection_t *connection __attribute__ ((unused)),
                                         xcb_randr_screen_change_notify_event_t *ev)
 {
-    client_t *c;
-
     if(!globalconf.have_randr)
         return -1;
 
@@ -613,13 +602,8 @@ event_handle_randr_screen_change_notify(void *data __attribute__ ((unused)),
      * XRenderSetSubpixelOrder(dpy, snum, scevent->subpixel_order);
      */
 
-    for(c = globalconf.clients; c; c = c->next)
-        client_unban(c);
+    ewmh_restart();
 
-    xcb_aux_sync(globalconf.connection);
-    xcb_disconnect(globalconf.connection);
-
-    a_exec(globalconf.argv);
     return 0;
 }