diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1269eaff59..62e9964a60 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ qt4_add_dbus_interface( kwin_KDEINIT_SRCS
 
 qt4_add_resources( kwin_KDEINIT_SRCS resources.qrc )
 
-set(kwinLibs ${KDE4_KDEUI_LIBS} ${KDE4_PLASMA_LIBS} ${QT_QTDECLARATIVE_LIBRARY} ${KDECLARATIVE_LIBRARIES} kdecorations kwineffects ${X11_LIBRARIES} ${X11_Xrandr_LIB} ${X11_Xcomposite_LIB} ${X11_Xdamage_LIB} ${X11_Xrender_LIB} ${X11_Xfixes_LIB} ${XCB_XCB_LIBRARIES} ${X11_XCB_LIBRARIES} ${XCB_XFIXES_LIBRARIES} ${XCB_DAMAGE_LIBRARIES} ${XCB_COMPOSITE_LIBRARIES})
+set(kwinLibs ${KDE4_KDEUI_LIBS} ${KDE4_PLASMA_LIBS} ${QT_QTDECLARATIVE_LIBRARY} ${KDECLARATIVE_LIBRARIES} kdecorations kwineffects ${X11_LIBRARIES} ${X11_Xrandr_LIB} ${X11_Xdamage_LIB} ${X11_Xrender_LIB} ${X11_Xfixes_LIB} ${XCB_XCB_LIBRARIES} ${X11_XCB_LIBRARIES} ${XCB_XFIXES_LIBRARIES} ${XCB_DAMAGE_LIBRARIES} ${XCB_COMPOSITE_LIBRARIES} ${XCB_SHAPE_LIBRARIES})
 
 find_library(XF86VM_LIBRARY Xxf86vm)
 if (XF86VM_LIBRARY)
diff --git a/overlaywindow.cpp b/overlaywindow.cpp
index 221118e8da..d6359c7829 100644
--- a/overlaywindow.cpp
+++ b/overlaywindow.cpp
@@ -20,18 +20,16 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 #include "overlaywindow.h"
 
-#include <config-X11.h>
-
 #include "kwinglobals.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 
 #include "assert.h"
 
 #include <QtCore/QVector>
 
-#include <X11/extensions/shape.h>
-
-#include <X11/extensions/Xcomposite.h>
-#if XCOMPOSITE_MAJOR > 0 || XCOMPOSITE_MINOR >= 3
+#include <xcb/composite.h>
+#include <xcb/shape.h>
+#if XCB_COMPOSITE_MAJOR_VERSION > 0 || XCB_COMPOSITE_MINOR_VERSION >= 3
 #define KWIN_HAVE_XCOMPOSITE_OVERLAY
 #endif
 
@@ -39,7 +37,7 @@ namespace KWin {
 OverlayWindow::OverlayWindow()
     : m_visible(true)
     , m_shown(false)
-    , m_window(None)
+    , m_window(XCB_WINDOW_NONE)
 {
 }
 
@@ -49,50 +47,69 @@ OverlayWindow::~OverlayWindow()
 
 bool OverlayWindow::create()
 {
-    assert(m_window == None);
+    assert(m_window == XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
     if (!Extensions::compositeOverlayAvailable())
         return false;
     if (!Extensions::shapeInputAvailable())  // needed in setupOverlay()
         return false;
 #ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XCOMPOSITE_OVERLAY
-    m_window = XCompositeGetOverlayWindow(display(), rootWindow());
-    if (m_window == None)
+    ScopedCPointer<xcb_composite_get_overlay_window_reply_t> overlay =
+        xcb_composite_get_overlay_window_reply(connection(),
+                                               xcb_composite_get_overlay_window(connection(), rootWindow()),
+                                               NULL);
+    if (overlay.isNull()) {
         return false;
-    XResizeWindow(display(), m_window, displayWidth(), displayHeight());
+    }
+    m_window = overlay->overlay_win;
+    if (m_window == XCB_WINDOW_NONE)
+        return false;
+    resize(QSize(displayWidth(), displayHeight()));
     return true;
 #else
     return false;
 #endif
 }
 
-void OverlayWindow::setup(Window window)
+void OverlayWindow::setup(xcb_window_t window)
 {
-    assert(m_window != None);
+    assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
     assert(Extensions::shapeInputAvailable());
-    XSetWindowBackgroundPixmap(display(), m_window, None);
+    setNoneBackgroundPixmap(m_window);
     m_shape = QRegion();
     setShape(QRect(0, 0, displayWidth(), displayHeight()));
-    if (window != None) {
-        XSetWindowBackgroundPixmap(display(), window, None);
-        XShapeCombineRectangles(display(), window, ShapeInput, 0, 0, NULL, 0, ShapeSet, Unsorted);
+    if (window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE) {
+        setNoneBackgroundPixmap(window);
+        setupInputShape(window);
     }
-    XSelectInput(display(), m_window, VisibilityChangeMask);
+    const uint32_t eventMask = XCB_EVENT_MASK_VISIBILITY_CHANGE;
+    xcb_change_window_attributes(connection(), m_window, XCB_CW_EVENT_MASK, &eventMask);
+}
+
+void OverlayWindow::setupInputShape(xcb_window_t window)
+{
+    xcb_shape_rectangles(connection(), XCB_SHAPE_SO_SET, XCB_SHAPE_SK_INPUT, XCB_CLIP_ORDERING_UNSORTED, window, 0, 0, 0, NULL);
+}
+
+void OverlayWindow::setNoneBackgroundPixmap(xcb_window_t window)
+{
+    const uint32_t mask = XCB_BACK_PIXMAP_NONE;
+    xcb_change_window_attributes(connection(), window, XCB_CW_BACK_PIXMAP, &mask);
 }
 
 void OverlayWindow::show()
 {
-    assert(m_window != None);
+    assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
     if (m_shown)
         return;
-    XMapSubwindows(display(), m_window);
-    XMapWindow(display(), m_window);
+    xcb_map_subwindows(connection(), m_window);
+    xcb_map_window(connection(), m_window);
     m_shown = true;
 }
 
 void OverlayWindow::hide()
 {
-    assert(m_window != None);
-    XUnmapWindow(display(), m_window);
+    assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
+    xcb_unmap_window(connection(), m_window);
     m_shown = false;
     setShape(QRect(0, 0, displayWidth(), displayHeight()));
 }
@@ -104,7 +121,7 @@ void OverlayWindow::setShape(const QRegion& reg)
     if (reg == m_shape)
         return;
     QVector< QRect > rects = reg.rects();
-    XRectangle* xrects = new XRectangle[ rects.count()];
+    xcb_rectangle_t *xrects = new xcb_rectangle_t[rects.count()];
     for (int i = 0;
             i < rects.count();
             ++i) {
@@ -113,17 +130,21 @@ void OverlayWindow::setShape(const QRegion& reg)
         xrects[ i ].width = rects[ i ].width();
         xrects[ i ].height = rects[ i ].height();
     }
-    XShapeCombineRectangles(display(), m_window, ShapeBounding, 0, 0,
-                            xrects, rects.count(), ShapeSet, Unsorted);
+    xcb_shape_rectangles(connection(), XCB_SHAPE_SO_SET, XCB_SHAPE_SK_BOUNDING, XCB_CLIP_ORDERING_UNSORTED,
+                         m_window, 0, 0, rects.count(), xrects);
     delete[] xrects;
-    XShapeCombineRectangles(display(), m_window, ShapeInput, 0, 0, NULL, 0, ShapeSet, Unsorted);
+    setupInputShape(m_window);
     m_shape = reg;
 }
 
 void OverlayWindow::resize(const QSize &size)
 {
-    assert(m_window != None);
-    XResizeWindow(display(), m_window, size.width(), size.height());
+    assert(m_window != XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
+    const uint32_t geometry[2] = {
+        static_cast<uint32_t>(size.width()),
+        static_cast<uint32_t>(size.height())
+    };
+    xcb_configure_window(connection(), m_window, XCB_CONFIG_WINDOW_WIDTH | XCB_CONFIG_WINDOW_HEIGHT, geometry);
     setShape(QRegion(0, 0, size.width(), size.height()));
 }
 
@@ -139,20 +160,20 @@ void OverlayWindow::setVisibility(bool visible)
 
 void OverlayWindow::destroy()
 {
-    if (m_window == None)
+    if (m_window == XCB_WINDOW_NONE)
         return;
     // reset the overlay shape
-    XRectangle rec = { 0, 0, static_cast<unsigned short>(displayWidth()), static_cast<unsigned short>(displayHeight()) };
-    XShapeCombineRectangles(display(), m_window, ShapeBounding, 0, 0, &rec, 1, ShapeSet, Unsorted);
-    XShapeCombineRectangles(display(), m_window, ShapeInput, 0, 0, &rec, 1, ShapeSet, Unsorted);
+    xcb_rectangle_t rec = { 0, 0, static_cast<uint16_t>(displayWidth()), static_cast<uint16_t>(displayHeight()) };
+    xcb_shape_rectangles(connection(), XCB_SHAPE_SO_SET, XCB_SHAPE_SK_BOUNDING, XCB_CLIP_ORDERING_UNSORTED, m_window, 0, 0, 1, &rec);
+    xcb_shape_rectangles(connection(), XCB_SHAPE_SO_SET, XCB_SHAPE_SK_INPUT, XCB_CLIP_ORDERING_UNSORTED, m_window, 0, 0, 1, &rec);
 #ifdef KWIN_HAVE_XCOMPOSITE_OVERLAY
-    XCompositeReleaseOverlayWindow(display(), m_window);
+    xcb_composite_release_overlay_window(connection(), m_window);
 #endif
-    m_window = None;
+    m_window = XCB_WINDOW_NONE;
     m_shown = false;
 }
 
-Window OverlayWindow::window() const
+xcb_window_t OverlayWindow::window() const
 {
     return m_window;
 }
diff --git a/overlaywindow.h b/overlaywindow.h
index d2d999523b..4d7b171a18 100644
--- a/overlaywindow.h
+++ b/overlaywindow.h
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #define KWIN_OVERLAYWINDOW_H
 
 #include <QRegion>
-
-#include <X11/Xlib.h>
+// xcb
+#include <xcb/xcb.h>
 
 namespace KWin {
 class OverlayWindow {
@@ -33,21 +33,23 @@ public:
     /// Creates XComposite overlay window, call initOverlay() afterwards
     bool create();
     /// Init overlay and the destination window in it
-    void setup(Window window);
+    void setup(xcb_window_t window);
     void show();
     void hide(); // hides and resets overlay window
     void setShape(const QRegion& reg);
     void resize(const QSize &size);
     /// Destroys XComposite overlay window
     void destroy();
-    Window window() const;
+    xcb_window_t window() const;
     bool isVisible() const;
     void setVisibility(bool visible);
 private:
+    void setNoneBackgroundPixmap(xcb_window_t window);
+    void setupInputShape(xcb_window_t window);
     bool m_visible;
     bool m_shown; // For showOverlay()
     QRegion m_shape;
-    Window m_window;
+    xcb_window_t m_window;
 };
 } // namespace