diff --git a/backend/x11/backend.c b/backend/x11/backend.c
index cd7986a0..a9914879 100644
--- a/backend/x11/backend.c
+++ b/backend/x11/backend.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ static int x11_event(int fd, uint32_t mask, void *data) {
 	}
 
 	xcb_generic_event_t *e;
-	while ((e = xcb_poll_for_event(x11->xcb_conn))) {
+	while ((e = xcb_poll_for_event(x11->xcb))) {
 		handle_x11_event(x11, e);
 		free(e);
 	}
@@ -123,13 +123,13 @@ static bool backend_start(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 	};
 
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(atom) / sizeof(atom[0]); ++i) {
-		atom[i].cookie = xcb_intern_atom(x11->xcb_conn,
+		atom[i].cookie = xcb_intern_atom(x11->xcb,
 			true, strlen(atom[i].name), atom[i].name);
 	}
 
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(atom) / sizeof(atom[0]); ++i) {
 		xcb_intern_atom_reply_t *reply = xcb_intern_atom_reply(
-			x11->xcb_conn, atom[i].cookie, NULL);
+			x11->xcb, atom[i].cookie, NULL);
 
 		if (reply) {
 			*atom[i].atom = reply->atom;
@@ -140,29 +140,29 @@ static bool backend_start(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 	}
 
 	// create a blank cursor
-	xcb_pixmap_t pix = xcb_generate_id(x11->xcb_conn);
-	xcb_create_pixmap(x11->xcb_conn, 1, pix, x11->screen->root, 1, 1);
+	xcb_pixmap_t pix = xcb_generate_id(x11->xcb);
+	xcb_create_pixmap(x11->xcb, 1, pix, x11->screen->root, 1, 1);
 
-	x11->cursor = xcb_generate_id(x11->xcb_conn);
-	xcb_create_cursor(x11->xcb_conn, x11->cursor, pix, pix, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
+	x11->cursor = xcb_generate_id(x11->xcb);
+	xcb_create_cursor(x11->xcb, x11->cursor, pix, pix, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
 		0, 0);
-	xcb_free_pixmap(x11->xcb_conn, pix);
+	xcb_free_pixmap(x11->xcb, pix);
 
 #if WLR_HAS_XCB_XKB
 		const xcb_query_extension_reply_t *reply =
-			xcb_get_extension_data(x11->xcb_conn, &xcb_xkb_id);
+			xcb_get_extension_data(x11->xcb, &xcb_xkb_id);
 		if (reply != NULL && reply->present) {
 			x11->xkb_base_event = reply->first_event;
 			x11->xkb_base_error = reply->first_error;
 
 			xcb_xkb_use_extension_cookie_t cookie = xcb_xkb_use_extension(
-				x11->xcb_conn, XCB_XKB_MAJOR_VERSION, XCB_XKB_MINOR_VERSION);
+				x11->xcb, XCB_XKB_MAJOR_VERSION, XCB_XKB_MINOR_VERSION);
 			xcb_xkb_use_extension_reply_t *reply =
-				xcb_xkb_use_extension_reply(x11->xcb_conn, cookie, NULL);
+				xcb_xkb_use_extension_reply(x11->xcb, cookie, NULL);
 			if (reply != NULL && reply->supported) {
 				x11->xkb_supported = true;
 
-				xcb_xkb_select_events(x11->xcb_conn,
+				xcb_xkb_select_events(x11->xcb,
 					XCB_XKB_ID_USE_CORE_KBD,
 					XCB_XKB_EVENT_TYPE_STATE_NOTIFY,
 					0,
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ static void backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 	wlr_egl_finish(&x11->egl);
 
 	if (x11->cursor) {
-		xcb_free_cursor(x11->xcb_conn, x11->cursor);
+		xcb_free_cursor(x11->xcb, x11->cursor);
 	}
 	if (x11->xlib_conn) {
 		XCloseDisplay(x11->xlib_conn);
@@ -258,15 +258,15 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_x11_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 		goto error_x11;
 	}
 
-	x11->xcb_conn = XGetXCBConnection(x11->xlib_conn);
-	if (!x11->xcb_conn || xcb_connection_has_error(x11->xcb_conn)) {
+	x11->xcb = XGetXCBConnection(x11->xlib_conn);
+	if (!x11->xcb || xcb_connection_has_error(x11->xcb)) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to open xcb connection");
 		goto error_display;
 	}
 
 	XSetEventQueueOwner(x11->xlib_conn, XCBOwnsEventQueue);
 
-	int fd = xcb_get_file_descriptor(x11->xcb_conn);
+	int fd = xcb_get_file_descriptor(x11->xcb);
 	struct wl_event_loop *ev = wl_display_get_event_loop(display);
 	uint32_t events = WL_EVENT_READABLE | WL_EVENT_ERROR | WL_EVENT_HANGUP;
 	x11->event_source = wl_event_loop_add_fd(ev, fd, events, x11_event, x11);
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ struct wlr_backend *wlr_x11_backend_create(struct wl_display *display,
 	}
 	wl_event_source_check(x11->event_source);
 
-	x11->screen = xcb_setup_roots_iterator(xcb_get_setup(x11->xcb_conn)).data;
+	x11->screen = xcb_setup_roots_iterator(xcb_get_setup(x11->xcb)).data;
 
 	if (!create_renderer_func) {
 		create_renderer_func = wlr_renderer_autocreate;
diff --git a/backend/x11/input_device.c b/backend/x11/input_device.c
index 5b108ffb..b64151e0 100644
--- a/backend/x11/input_device.c
+++ b/backend/x11/input_device.c
@@ -166,9 +166,9 @@ void update_x11_pointer_position(struct wlr_x11_output *output,
 	struct wlr_x11_backend *x11 = output->x11;
 
 	xcb_query_pointer_cookie_t cookie =
-		xcb_query_pointer(x11->xcb_conn, output->win);
+		xcb_query_pointer(x11->xcb, output->win);
 	xcb_query_pointer_reply_t *reply =
-		xcb_query_pointer_reply(x11->xcb_conn, cookie, NULL);
+		xcb_query_pointer_reply(x11->xcb, cookie, NULL);
 	if (!reply) {
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/backend/x11/output.c b/backend/x11/output.c
index 1ac12a8d..92eeca66 100644
--- a/backend/x11/output.c
+++ b/backend/x11/output.c
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ static int signal_frame(void *data) {
 }
 
 static void parse_xcb_setup(struct wlr_output *output,
-		xcb_connection_t *xcb_conn) {
-	const xcb_setup_t *xcb_setup = xcb_get_setup(xcb_conn);
+		xcb_connection_t *xcb) {
+	const xcb_setup_t *xcb_setup = xcb_get_setup(xcb);
 
 	snprintf(output->make, sizeof(output->make), "%.*s",
 			xcb_setup_vendor_length(xcb_setup),
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ static bool output_set_custom_mode(struct wlr_output *wlr_output,
 
 	const uint32_t values[] = { width, height };
 	xcb_void_cookie_t cookie = xcb_configure_window_checked(
-		x11->xcb_conn, output->win,
+		x11->xcb, output->win,
 		XCB_CONFIG_WINDOW_WIDTH | XCB_CONFIG_WINDOW_HEIGHT, values);
 
 	xcb_generic_error_t *error;
-	if ((error = xcb_request_check(x11->xcb_conn, cookie))) {
+	if ((error = xcb_request_check(x11->xcb, cookie))) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Could not set window size to %dx%d\n",
 			width, height);
 		free(error);
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ static void output_destroy(struct wlr_output *wlr_output) {
 	wl_list_remove(&output->link);
 	wl_event_source_remove(output->frame_timer);
 	wlr_egl_destroy_surface(&x11->egl, output->surf);
-	xcb_destroy_window(x11->xcb_conn, output->win);
-	xcb_flush(x11->xcb_conn);
+	xcb_destroy_window(x11->xcb, output->win);
+	xcb_flush(x11->xcb);
 	free(output);
 }
 
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ struct wlr_output *wlr_x11_output_create(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 
 	snprintf(wlr_output->name, sizeof(wlr_output->name), "X11-%d",
 		wl_list_length(&x11->outputs) + 1);
-	parse_xcb_setup(wlr_output, x11->xcb_conn);
+	parse_xcb_setup(wlr_output, x11->xcb);
 
 	uint32_t mask = XCB_CW_EVENT_MASK;
 	uint32_t values[] = {
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ struct wlr_output *wlr_x11_output_create(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 		XCB_EVENT_MASK_POINTER_MOTION |
 		XCB_EVENT_MASK_STRUCTURE_NOTIFY
 	};
-	output->win = xcb_generate_id(x11->xcb_conn);
-	xcb_create_window(x11->xcb_conn, XCB_COPY_FROM_PARENT, output->win,
+	output->win = xcb_generate_id(x11->xcb);
+	xcb_create_window(x11->xcb, XCB_COPY_FROM_PARENT, output->win,
 		x11->screen->root, 0, 0, wlr_output->width, wlr_output->height, 1,
 		XCB_WINDOW_CLASS_INPUT_OUTPUT, x11->screen->root_visual, mask, values);
 
@@ -164,23 +164,23 @@ struct wlr_output *wlr_x11_output_create(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	xcb_change_property(x11->xcb_conn, XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE, output->win,
+	xcb_change_property(x11->xcb, XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE, output->win,
 		x11->atoms.wm_protocols, XCB_ATOM_ATOM, 32, 1,
 		&x11->atoms.wm_delete_window);
 
 	char title[32];
 	if (snprintf(title, sizeof(title), "wlroots - %s", wlr_output->name)) {
-		xcb_change_property(x11->xcb_conn, XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE, output->win,
+		xcb_change_property(x11->xcb, XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE, output->win,
 			x11->atoms.net_wm_name, x11->atoms.utf8_string, 8,
 			strlen(title), title);
 	}
 
 	uint32_t cursor_values[] = { x11->cursor };
-	xcb_change_window_attributes(x11->xcb_conn, output->win, XCB_CW_CURSOR,
+	xcb_change_window_attributes(x11->xcb, output->win, XCB_CW_CURSOR,
 		cursor_values);
 
-	xcb_map_window(x11->xcb_conn, output->win);
-	xcb_flush(x11->xcb_conn);
+	xcb_map_window(x11->xcb, output->win);
+	xcb_flush(x11->xcb);
 
 	struct wl_event_loop *ev = wl_display_get_event_loop(x11->wl_display);
 	output->frame_timer = wl_event_loop_add_timer(ev, signal_frame, output);
diff --git a/include/backend/x11.h b/include/backend/x11.h
index 06803768..cc7850b1 100644
--- a/include/backend/x11.h
+++ b/include/backend/x11.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct wlr_x11_backend {
 	bool started;
 
 	Display *xlib_conn;
-	xcb_connection_t *xcb_conn;
+	xcb_connection_t *xcb;
 	xcb_screen_t *screen;
 
 	size_t requested_outputs;