diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index c86daa3d..278589b3 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ static unsigned int rows = 24;
 /*
  * Default colour and shape of the mouse cursor
  */
-static unsigned int mouseshape = XC_xterm;
+static const char *mouseshape = "xterm";
 static unsigned int mousefg = 7;
 static unsigned int mousebg = 0;
 
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index ef6de394..3bb1e010 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ INCS = -I$(X11INC) \
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags fontconfig` \
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags freetype2` \
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags harfbuzz`
-LIBS = -L$(X11LIB) -lm -lrt -lX11 -lutil -lXft -lXrender\
+LIBS = -L$(X11LIB) -lm -lrt -lX11 -lutil -lXft -lXrender -lXcursor\
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --libs fontconfig` \
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --libs freetype2` \
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --libs harfbuzz`
diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index 0a92fcc1..b3b33299 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@
 #include <libgen.h>
 #include <X11/Xatom.h>
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
-#include <X11/cursorfont.h>
 #include <X11/keysym.h>
 #include <X11/Xft/Xft.h>
 #include <X11/XKBlib.h>
 #include <X11/Xresource.h>
+#include <X11/Xcursor/Xcursor.h>
 
 char *argv0;
 #include "arg.h"
@@ -1353,7 +1353,7 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	}
 
 	/* white cursor, black outline */
-	cursor = XCreateFontCursor(xw.dpy, mouseshape);
+	cursor = XcursorLibraryLoadCursor(xw.dpy, mouseshape);
 	XDefineCursor(xw.dpy, xw.win, cursor);
 
 	if (XParseColor(xw.dpy, xw.cmap, colorname[mousefg], &xmousefg) == 0) {