diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8d93b2c2f6d8acf8f22ff816cd719ee483d40c0c..eca53f06555006aed052de34792cf712ee09b9d8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ set (COMPIZ_REQUIRES
     xext
     xdamage
     xcomposite
+    xcursor
     x11-xcb
     xrandr
     xinerama
diff --git a/src/privatescreen.h b/src/privatescreen.h
index 555510993874dd20787eb3c7aea1c249da1235c9..2efb53109cfd5ba094f49dbd4ecd254967ad399d 100644
--- a/src/privatescreen.h
+++ b/src/privatescreen.h
@@ -710,6 +710,8 @@ class PrivateScreen :
 
 	void setDefaultWindowAttributes (XWindowAttributes *);
 
+	void updateCursors (const CompString& theme, int size);
+
 	static void compScreenSnEvent (SnMonitorEvent *event,
 			   void           *userData);
 
diff --git a/src/screen.cpp b/src/screen.cpp
index 273a7f94dd243a560c303c43887cc54fa82d9027..eace9ecb8fe8102539537b7fa1f6b0f97d071a7f 100644
--- a/src/screen.cpp
+++ b/src/screen.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 #include <X11/extensions/shape.h>
 #include <X11/cursorfont.h>
 #include <X11/extensions/XInput2.h>
+#include <X11/Xcursor/Xcursor.h>
 
 #include <core/global.h>
 #include <core/screen.h>
@@ -4153,8 +4154,26 @@ CompScreen::cursorChangeNotify (const CompString& theme, int size)
     _cursorChangeNotify (theme, size);
 }
 
-void CompScreenImpl::_cursorChangeNotify (const CompString&, int)
+void
+PrivateScreen::updateCursors (const CompString& theme, int size)
+{
+    XFreeCursor (dpy, normalCursor);
+    XFreeCursor (dpy, busyCursor);
+
+    XcursorSetDefaultSize (dpy, size);
+    XcursorSetTheme (dpy, theme.c_str());
+
+    normalCursor = XCreateFontCursor (dpy, XC_left_ptr);
+    busyCursor   = XCreateFontCursor (dpy, XC_watch);
+
+    XIDefineCursor (dpy, clientPointerDeviceId, root, normalCursor);
+    startupSequence.updateStartupFeedback ();
+}
+
+void
+CompScreenImpl::_cursorChangeNotify (const CompString& theme, int size)
 {
+    privateScreen.updateCursors (theme, size);
 }
 
 /* Returns default viewport for some window geometry. If the window spans
@@ -5154,14 +5173,10 @@ PrivateScreen::initDisplay (const char *name, cps::History& history, unsigned in
     eventManager.setSupportingWmCheck (dpy, rootWindow());
     screen->updateSupportedWmHints ();
 
-    updateResources ();
 
     XIGetClientPointer (dpy, None, &clientPointerDeviceId);
-
-    normalCursor = XCreateFontCursor (dpy, XC_left_ptr);
-    busyCursor   = XCreateFontCursor (dpy, XC_watch);
-
-    XIDefineCursor (dpy, clientPointerDeviceId, rootWindow(), normalCursor);
+    updateCursors (XcursorGetTheme (dpy), XcursorGetDefaultSize (dpy));
+    updateResources ();
 
     /* Attempt to gain SubstructureRedirectMask */
     CompScreenImpl::checkForError (dpy);