diff --git a/include/xwayland/xwm.h b/include/xwayland/xwm.h
index 36409539..8b4bbdb5 100644
--- a/include/xwayland/xwm.h
+++ b/include/xwayland/xwm.h
@@ -172,4 +172,6 @@ xcb_void_cookie_t xwm_send_event_with_size(xcb_connection_t *c,
 	uint8_t propagate, xcb_window_t destination,
 	uint32_t event_mask, const void *event, uint32_t length);
 
+void xwm_schedule_flush(struct wlr_xwm *xwm);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/xwayland/selection/dnd.c b/xwayland/selection/dnd.c
index e9cc63d9..166e4e63 100644
--- a/xwayland/selection/dnd.c
+++ b/xwayland/selection/dnd.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static void xwm_dnd_send_event(struct wlr_xwm *xwm, xcb_atom_t type,
 		XCB_EVENT_MASK_NO_EVENT,
 		&event,
 		sizeof(event));
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 }
 
 static void xwm_dnd_send_enter(struct wlr_xwm *xwm) {
diff --git a/xwayland/selection/incoming.c b/xwayland/selection/incoming.c
index 4a0b450c..72f82c27 100644
--- a/xwayland/selection/incoming.c
+++ b/xwayland/selection/incoming.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ xwm_selection_transfer_create_incoming(struct wlr_xwm_selection *selection) {
 			XCB_EVENT_MASK_SUBSTRUCTURE_NOTIFY | XCB_EVENT_MASK_PROPERTY_CHANGE
 		}
 	);
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 
 	return transfer;
 }
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ static void xwm_notify_ready_for_next_incr_chunk(
 	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "deleting property");
 	xcb_delete_property(xwm->xcb_conn, transfer->incoming_window,
 		xwm->atoms[WL_SELECTION]);
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 
 	xwm_selection_transfer_remove_event_source(transfer);
 	xwm_selection_transfer_destroy_property_reply(transfer);
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ static void source_send(struct wlr_xwm_selection *selection,
 		xwm->atoms[WL_SELECTION],
 		XCB_TIME_CURRENT_TIME);
 
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 
 	fcntl(fd, F_SETFL, O_WRONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
 	transfer->wl_client_fd = fd;
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ int xwm_handle_xfixes_selection_notify(struct wlr_xwm *xwm,
 		xwm->atoms[WL_SELECTION],
 		event->timestamp
 	);
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 
 	return 1;
 }
diff --git a/xwayland/selection/outgoing.c b/xwayland/selection/outgoing.c
index 3f2e2c71..4763da00 100644
--- a/xwayland/selection/outgoing.c
+++ b/xwayland/selection/outgoing.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ static void xwm_selection_send_notify(struct wlr_xwm *xwm,
 		XCB_EVENT_MASK_NO_EVENT,
 		&selection_notify,
 		sizeof(selection_notify));
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 }
 
 static int xwm_selection_flush_source_data(
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ static int xwm_selection_flush_source_data(
 		8, // format
 		transfer->source_data.size,
 		transfer->source_data.data);
-	xcb_flush(transfer->selection->xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(transfer->selection->xwm);
 	transfer->property_set = true;
 	size_t length = transfer->source_data.size;
 	transfer->source_data.size = 0;
diff --git a/xwayland/selection/selection.c b/xwayland/selection/selection.c
index 4d1e366e..deb695e2 100644
--- a/xwayland/selection/selection.c
+++ b/xwayland/selection/selection.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ void xwm_selection_transfer_destroy(
 	if (transfer->incoming_window) {
 		struct wlr_xwm *xwm = transfer->selection->xwm;
 		xcb_destroy_window(xwm->xcb_conn, transfer->incoming_window);
-		xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+		xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 	}
 
 	wl_list_remove(&transfer->link);
@@ -269,14 +269,14 @@ static void xwm_selection_set_owner(struct wlr_xwm_selection *selection,
 			selection->window,
 			selection->atom,
 			XCB_TIME_CURRENT_TIME);
-		xcb_flush(selection->xwm->xcb_conn);
+		xwm_schedule_flush(selection->xwm);
 	} else {
 		if (selection->owner == selection->window) {
 			xcb_set_selection_owner(selection->xwm->xcb_conn,
 				XCB_WINDOW_NONE,
 				selection->atom,
 				selection->timestamp);
-			xcb_flush(selection->xwm->xcb_conn);
+			xwm_schedule_flush(selection->xwm);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/xwayland/xwm.c b/xwayland/xwm.c
index 5b6a07b3..b3e11ef4 100644
--- a/xwayland/xwm.c
+++ b/xwayland/xwm.c
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ static void xwm_send_wm_message(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface,
 		event_mask,
 		&event,
 		sizeof(event));
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 }
 
 static void xwm_set_net_client_list(struct wlr_xwm *xwm) {
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ static void xwm_surface_activate(struct wlr_xwm *xwm,
 	}
 
 	xwm_set_focused_window(xwm, xsurface);
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 }
 
 static void xsurface_set_net_wm_state(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface) {
@@ -1187,7 +1187,7 @@ void wlr_xwayland_surface_restack(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface,
 
 	wl_list_insert(node, &xsurface->stack_link);
 	xwm_set_net_client_list_stacking(xwm);
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 }
 
 static void xwm_handle_map_request(struct wlr_xwm *xwm,
@@ -1809,9 +1809,19 @@ static int x11_event_handler(int fd, uint32_t mask, void *data) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	int count = read_x11_events(xwm);
-	if (count) {
+	int count = 0;
+	if (mask & WL_EVENT_READABLE) {
+		count = read_x11_events(xwm);
+		if (count) {
+			xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (mask & WL_EVENT_WRITABLE) {
+		// xcb_flush() always blocks until it's written all pending requests,
+		// but it's the only thing we have
 		xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+		wl_event_source_fd_update(xwm->event_source, WL_EVENT_READABLE);
 	}
 
 	return count;
@@ -1835,7 +1845,7 @@ static void handle_compositor_new_surface(struct wl_listener *listener,
 	wl_list_for_each(xsurface, &xwm->unpaired_surfaces, unpaired_link) {
 		if (xsurface->surface_id == surface_id) {
 			xwayland_surface_associate(xwm, xsurface, surface);
-			xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+			xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 			return;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1924,7 +1934,7 @@ void wlr_xwayland_surface_configure(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface,
 			sizeof(configure_notify));
 	}
 
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 }
 
 void wlr_xwayland_surface_close(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface) {
@@ -1945,7 +1955,7 @@ void wlr_xwayland_surface_close(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *xsurface) {
 		xwm_send_wm_message(xsurface, &message_data, XCB_EVENT_MASK_NO_EVENT);
 	} else {
 		xcb_kill_client(xwm->xcb_conn, xsurface->window_id);
-		xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+		xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2238,7 +2248,7 @@ void xwm_set_cursor(struct wlr_xwm *xwm, const uint8_t *pixels, uint32_t stride,
 	uint32_t values[] = {xwm->cursor};
 	xcb_change_window_attributes(xwm->xcb_conn, xwm->screen->root,
 		XCB_CW_CURSOR, values);
-	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(xwm);
 }
 
 struct wlr_xwm *xwm_create(struct wlr_xwayland *xwayland, int wm_fd) {
@@ -2364,7 +2374,7 @@ void wlr_xwayland_surface_set_withdrawn(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface,
 	surface->withdrawn = withdrawn;
 	xsurface_set_wm_state(surface);
 	xsurface_set_net_wm_state(surface);
-	xcb_flush(surface->xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(surface->xwm);
 }
 
 void wlr_xwayland_surface_set_minimized(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface,
@@ -2372,7 +2382,7 @@ void wlr_xwayland_surface_set_minimized(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface,
 	surface->minimized = minimized;
 	xsurface_set_wm_state(surface);
 	xsurface_set_net_wm_state(surface);
-	xcb_flush(surface->xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(surface->xwm);
 }
 
 void wlr_xwayland_surface_set_maximized(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface,
@@ -2380,14 +2390,14 @@ void wlr_xwayland_surface_set_maximized(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface,
 	surface->maximized_horz = maximized_horz;
 	surface->maximized_vert = maximized_vert;
 	xsurface_set_net_wm_state(surface);
-	xcb_flush(surface->xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(surface->xwm);
 }
 
 void wlr_xwayland_surface_set_fullscreen(struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface,
 		bool fullscreen) {
 	surface->fullscreen = fullscreen;
 	xsurface_set_net_wm_state(surface);
-	xcb_flush(surface->xwm->xcb_conn);
+	xwm_schedule_flush(surface->xwm);
 }
 
 bool xwm_atoms_contains(struct wlr_xwm *xwm, xcb_atom_t *atoms,
@@ -2513,3 +2523,7 @@ xcb_connection_t *wlr_xwayland_get_xwm_connection(
 	struct wlr_xwayland *wlr_xwayland) {
 	return wlr_xwayland->xwm ? wlr_xwayland->xwm->xcb_conn : NULL;
 }
+
+void xwm_schedule_flush(struct wlr_xwm *xwm) {
+	wl_event_source_fd_update(xwm->event_source, WL_EVENT_READABLE | WL_EVENT_WRITABLE);
+}