diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ce73bde5aa..9f02a50938 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,17 @@
+2005-09-20  Matthias Clasen  <mclasen@redhat.com>
+
+	Avoid unnecessary XkbGetState() calls and XkbStateNotify
+	events.  (#151555, Søren Sandmann)
+
+	* gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c (gdk_display_open): Use 
+	XkbSelectEventDetails() to select XkbStateNotify events
+	for only the state we care about.
+
+	* gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h:
+	* gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c (_gdk_keymap_state_changed): Pass
+	the event into the function and update the keymap state from
+	the state information contained in the event. Adjust all callers.
+	
 2005-09-19  Matthias Clasen  <mclasen@redhat.com>
 
 	* gtk/gtkiconview.c: Use g_list_nth_data() instead of g_list_nth()->data
diff --git a/ChangeLog.pre-2-10 b/ChangeLog.pre-2-10
index ce73bde5aa..9f02a50938 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.pre-2-10
+++ b/ChangeLog.pre-2-10
@@ -1,3 +1,17 @@
+2005-09-20  Matthias Clasen  <mclasen@redhat.com>
+
+	Avoid unnecessary XkbGetState() calls and XkbStateNotify
+	events.  (#151555, Søren Sandmann)
+
+	* gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c (gdk_display_open): Use 
+	XkbSelectEventDetails() to select XkbStateNotify events
+	for only the state we care about.
+
+	* gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h:
+	* gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c (_gdk_keymap_state_changed): Pass
+	the event into the function and update the keymap state from
+	the state information contained in the event. Adjust all callers.
+	
 2005-09-19  Matthias Clasen  <mclasen@redhat.com>
 
 	* gtk/gtkiconview.c: Use g_list_nth_data() instead of g_list_nth()->data
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
index fac1a5ef52..14a46deed5 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
@@ -281,6 +281,11 @@ gdk_display_open (const gchar *display_name)
                              XkbNewKeyboardNotifyMask | XkbMapNotifyMask | XkbStateNotifyMask,
                              XkbNewKeyboardNotifyMask | XkbMapNotifyMask | XkbStateNotifyMask);
 
+	    /* keep this in sync with _gdk_keymap_state_changed() */ 
+	    XkbSelectEventDetails (display_x11->xdisplay,
+				   XkbUseCoreKbd, XkbStateNotify,
+				   XkbGroupLockMask, XkbGroupLockMask);
+
 	    XkbSetDetectableAutoRepeat (display_x11->xdisplay,
 					True,
 					&detectable_autorepeat_supported);
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkevents-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkevents-x11.c
index d2e6a0d7c3..522e1cdf68 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkevents-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkevents-x11.c
@@ -2050,7 +2050,7 @@ gdk_event_translate (GdkDisplay *display,
 	      break;
 	      
 	    case XkbStateNotify:
-	      _gdk_keymap_state_changed (display);
+	      _gdk_keymap_state_changed (display, xevent);
 	      break;
 	    }
 	}
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c
index 48aa0383e9..bf0f39b1d0 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c
@@ -536,16 +536,12 @@ get_direction (XkbDescRec *xkb,
 }
 
 static void
-update_direction (GdkKeymapX11 *keymap_x11)
+update_direction (GdkKeymapX11 *keymap_x11,
+		  gint          group)
 {
   XkbDescRec *xkb = get_xkb (keymap_x11);
-  XkbStateRec state_rec;
-  GdkDisplay *display = GDK_KEYMAP (keymap_x11)->display;
-  gint group;
   Atom group_atom;
 
-  XkbGetState (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (display), XkbUseCoreKbd, &state_rec);
-  group = XkbGroupLock (&state_rec);
   group_atom = xkb->names->groups[group];
 
   /* a group change? */
@@ -609,32 +605,29 @@ update_direction (GdkKeymapX11 *keymap_x11)
     }
 }
 
-static void
-_gdk_keymap_direction_changed (GdkKeymapX11 *keymap_x11)
-{
-  gboolean had_direction;
-  PangoDirection direction;
-
-  had_direction = keymap_x11->have_direction;
-  direction = keymap_x11->current_direction;
-
-  update_direction (keymap_x11);
-  
-  if (!had_direction || direction != keymap_x11->current_direction)
-    g_signal_emit_by_name (keymap_x11, "direction_changed");
-}
-
-
+/* keep this in sync with the XkbSelectEventDetails() call 
+ * in gdk_display_open()
+ */
 void
-_gdk_keymap_state_changed (GdkDisplay *display)
+_gdk_keymap_state_changed (GdkDisplay *display,
+			   XEvent     *xevent)
 {
   GdkDisplayX11 *display_x11 = GDK_DISPLAY_X11 (display);
+  XkbEvent *xkb_event = (XkbEvent *)xevent;
   
   if (display_x11->keymap)
     {
       GdkKeymapX11 *keymap_x11 = GDK_KEYMAP_X11 (display_x11->keymap);
+      gboolean had_direction;
+      PangoDirection direction;
       
-      _gdk_keymap_direction_changed (keymap_x11);
+      had_direction = keymap_x11->have_direction;
+      direction = keymap_x11->current_direction;
+      
+      update_direction (keymap_x11, xkb_event->state.locked_group);
+      
+      if (!had_direction || direction != keymap_x11->current_direction)
+	g_signal_emit_by_name (keymap_x11, "direction_changed");      
     }
 }
 
@@ -660,9 +653,16 @@ gdk_keymap_get_direction (GdkKeymap *keymap)
   if (KEYMAP_USE_XKB (keymap))
     {
       GdkKeymapX11 *keymap_x11 = GDK_KEYMAP_X11 (keymap);
-      
+
       if (!keymap_x11->have_direction)
-	update_direction (keymap_x11);
+	{
+	  GdkDisplay *display = GDK_KEYMAP (keymap_x11)->display;
+	  XkbStateRec state_rec;
+
+	  XkbGetState (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (display), XkbUseCoreKbd, 
+		       &state_rec);
+	  update_direction (keymap_x11, XkbGroupLock (&state_rec));
+	}
   
       return keymap_x11->current_direction;
     }
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h b/gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h
index 26f94fe349..73f4410c32 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkprivate-x11.h
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ gboolean _gdk_moveresize_handle_event   (XEvent     *event);
 gboolean _gdk_moveresize_configure_done (GdkDisplay *display,
 					 GdkWindow  *window);
 
-void _gdk_keymap_state_changed    (GdkDisplay      *display);
+void _gdk_keymap_state_changed    (GdkDisplay      *display,
+				   XEvent          *event);
 void _gdk_keymap_keys_changed     (GdkDisplay      *display);
 gint _gdk_x11_get_group_for_state (GdkDisplay      *display,
 				   GdkModifierType  state);