diff --git a/backend/meson.build b/backend/meson.build
index a74ea024..df12d703 100644
--- a/backend/meson.build
+++ b/backend/meson.build
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ endif
 
 if conf_data.get('WLR_HAS_X11_BACKEND', false)
 	backend_files += files('x11/backend.c')
+	backend_deps += xcb_xkb
 endif
 
 if conf_data.get('WLR_HAS_ELOGIND', false)
diff --git a/backend/x11/backend.c b/backend/x11/backend.c
index 36d72d9e..7d560d97 100644
--- a/backend/x11/backend.c
+++ b/backend/x11/backend.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <wayland-server.h>
 #include <wlr/backend/interface.h>
 #include <wlr/backend/x11.h>
+#include <wlr/config.h>
 #include <wlr/interfaces/wlr_input_device.h>
 #include <wlr/interfaces/wlr_keyboard.h>
 #include <wlr/interfaces/wlr_output.h>
@@ -21,6 +22,9 @@
 #elif __FreeBSD__
 #include <dev/evdev/input-event-codes.h>
 #endif
+#ifdef WLR_HAS_XCB_XKB
+#include <xcb/xkb.h>
+#endif
 #include "backend/x11.h"
 #include "util/signal.h"
 
@@ -157,6 +161,14 @@ static bool handle_x11_event(struct wlr_x11_backend *x11, xcb_generic_event_t *e
 		break;
 	}
 	default:
+#ifdef WLR_HAS_XCB_XKB
+		if (x11->xkb_supported && event->response_type == x11->xkb_base_event) {
+			xcb_xkb_state_notify_event_t *ev =
+				(xcb_xkb_state_notify_event_t *)event;
+			wlr_keyboard_notify_modifiers(&x11->keyboard, ev->baseMods,
+				ev->latchedMods, ev->lockedMods, ev->lockedGroup);
+		}
+#endif
 		break;
 	}
 
@@ -282,6 +294,32 @@ static bool wlr_x11_backend_start(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 			strlen(title), title);
 	}
 
+#ifdef WLR_HAS_XCB_XKB
+		const xcb_query_extension_reply_t *reply =
+			xcb_get_extension_data(x11->xcb_conn, &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);
+			xcb_xkb_use_extension_reply_t *reply =
+				xcb_xkb_use_extension_reply(x11->xcb_conn, cookie, NULL);
+			if (reply != NULL && reply->supported) {
+				x11->xkb_supported = true;
+
+				xcb_xkb_select_events(x11->xcb_conn,
+					XCB_XKB_ID_USE_CORE_KBD,
+					XCB_XKB_EVENT_TYPE_STATE_NOTIFY,
+					0,
+					XCB_XKB_EVENT_TYPE_STATE_NOTIFY,
+					0,
+					0,
+					0);
+			}
+		}
+#endif
+
 	xcb_map_window(x11->xcb_conn, output->win);
 	xcb_flush(x11->xcb_conn);
 	wlr_output_update_enabled(&output->wlr_output, true);
diff --git a/include/backend/x11.h b/include/backend/x11.h
index 840509bf..72710f6c 100644
--- a/include/backend/x11.h
+++ b/include/backend/x11.h
@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@ struct wlr_x11_backend {
 	// The time we last received an event
 	xcb_timestamp_t time;
 
+#ifdef WLR_HAS_XCB_XKB
+	bool xkb_supported;
+	uint8_t xkb_base_event;
+	uint8_t xkb_base_error;
+#endif
+
 	struct wl_listener display_destroy;
 };
 
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 7740b416..04c93817 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -82,35 +82,40 @@ if elogind.found() and get_option('enable_elogind') != 'false'
 endif
 
 if get_option('enable_x11_backend') or get_option('enable_xwayland')
-        xcb            = dependency('xcb')
-        xcb_composite  = dependency('xcb-composite')
-        xcb_xfixes     = dependency('xcb-xfixes')
-        xcb_image      = dependency('xcb-image')
-        xcb_render     = dependency('xcb-render')
-        x11_xcb        = dependency('x11-xcb')
+	xcb            = dependency('xcb')
+	xcb_composite  = dependency('xcb-composite')
+	xcb_xfixes     = dependency('xcb-xfixes')
+	xcb_image      = dependency('xcb-image')
+	xcb_render     = dependency('xcb-render')
+	x11_xcb        = dependency('x11-xcb')
 
-        xcb_icccm      = dependency('xcb-icccm', required: false)
-        xcb_errors     = dependency('xcb-errors', required: get_option('enable_xcb_errors') == 'true')
+	xcb_icccm      = dependency('xcb-icccm', required: false)
+	xcb_xkb        = dependency('xcb-xkb', required: false)
+	xcb_errors     = dependency('xcb-errors', required: get_option('enable_xcb_errors') == 'true')
 
-        if xcb_icccm.found()
-                conf_data.set('WLR_HAS_XCB_ICCCM', true)
-        endif
+	if xcb_icccm.found()
+		conf_data.set('WLR_HAS_XCB_ICCCM', true)
+	endif
 
-        if xcb_errors.found() and get_option('enable_xcb_errors') != 'false'
-                conf_data.set('WLR_HAS_XCB_ERRORS', true)
-        endif
+	if xcb_xkb.found()
+		conf_data.set('WLR_HAS_XCB_XKB', true)
+	endif
 
-        wlr_deps += [
-                xcb,
-                xcb_composite,
-                x11_xcb,
-        ]
+	if xcb_errors.found() and get_option('enable_xcb_errors') != 'false'
+		conf_data.set('WLR_HAS_XCB_ERRORS', true)
+	endif
+
+	wlr_deps += [
+		xcb,
+		xcb_composite,
+		x11_xcb,
+	]
 else
-        add_project_arguments('-DMESA_EGL_NO_X11_HEADERS', language: 'c')
+	add_project_arguments('-DMESA_EGL_NO_X11_HEADERS', language: 'c')
 endif
 
 if get_option('enable_x11_backend')
-        conf_data.set('WLR_HAS_X11_BACKEND', true)
+	conf_data.set('WLR_HAS_X11_BACKEND', true)
 endif
 
 if get_option('enable_xwayland')