diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
index e7742bd21b..18be58fcec 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
@@ -1446,7 +1446,6 @@ _gdk_x11_display_open (const gchar *display_name)
 #endif
 
   gdk_x11_display_init_input (display);
-  _gdk_x11_display_init_dnd (display);
 
   for (i = 0; i < ScreenCount (display_x11->xdisplay); i++)
     _gdk_x11_screen_setup (display_x11->screens[i]);
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkdnd-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkdnd-x11.c
index 2784060c59..ee557c677f 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkdnd-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkdnd-x11.c
@@ -3125,18 +3125,32 @@ xdnd_drop_filter (GdkXEvent *xev,
   return GDK_FILTER_REMOVE;
 }
 
-void
-_gdk_x11_display_init_dnd (GdkDisplay *display)
+GdkFilterReturn
+_gdk_x11_dnd_filter (GdkXEvent *xev,
+                     GdkEvent  *event,
+                     gpointer   data)
 {
+  XEvent *xevent = (XEvent *) xev;
+  GdkDisplay *display;
   int i;
 
+  if (!GDK_IS_X11_WINDOW (event->any.window))
+    return GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE;
+
+  if (xevent->type != ClientMessage)
+    return GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE;
+
+  display = GDK_WINDOW_DISPLAY (event->any.window);
+
   for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (xdnd_filters); i++)
     {
-      gdk_display_add_client_message_filter (
-        display,
-        gdk_atom_intern_static_string (xdnd_filters[i].atom_name),
-        xdnd_filters[i].func, NULL);
+      if (xevent->xclient.message_type != gdk_x11_get_xatom_by_name_for_display (display, xdnd_filters[i].atom_name))
+        continue;
+
+      return xdnd_filters[i].func (xev, event, data);
     }
+
+  return GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE;
 }
 
 /* Source side */
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c
index 469e019d5f..e4cce5f9c6 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c
@@ -120,6 +120,9 @@ _gdk_x11_windowing_init (void)
   gdk_window_add_filter (NULL,
                          _gdk_wm_protocols_filter,
                          NULL);
+  gdk_window_add_filter (NULL,
+                         _gdk_x11_dnd_filter,
+                         NULL);
 }
 
 GdkGrabStatus
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h b/gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h
index d4114c9108..7a69805bbf 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h
@@ -286,7 +286,10 @@ void _gdk_x11_precache_atoms (GdkDisplay          *display,
                               const gchar * const *atom_names,
                               gint                 n_atoms);
 
-void _gdk_x11_display_init_dnd        (GdkDisplay *display);
+GdkFilterReturn
+_gdk_x11_dnd_filter (GdkXEvent *xev,
+                     GdkEvent  *event,
+                     gpointer   data);
 
 void _gdk_x11_screen_init_root_window (GdkScreen *screen);
 void _gdk_x11_screen_init_visuals     (GdkScreen *screen);