diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index bd23686..d73152b 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -1131,7 +1131,7 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 {
 	XGCValues gcvalues;
 	Cursor cursor;
-	Window parent;
+	Window parent, root;
 	pid_t thispid = getpid();
 	XColor xmousefg, xmousebg;
 
@@ -1168,16 +1168,19 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 		| ButtonMotionMask | ButtonPressMask | ButtonReleaseMask;
 	xw.attrs.colormap = xw.cmap;
 
+	root = XRootWindow(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
 	if (!(opt_embed && (parent = strtol(opt_embed, NULL, 0))))
-		parent = XRootWindow(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
-	xw.win = XCreateWindow(xw.dpy, parent, xw.l, xw.t,
+		parent = root;
+	xw.win = XCreateWindow(xw.dpy, root, xw.l, xw.t,
 			win.w, win.h, 0, XDefaultDepth(xw.dpy, xw.scr), InputOutput,
 			xw.vis, CWBackPixel | CWBorderPixel | CWBitGravity
 			| CWEventMask | CWColormap, &xw.attrs);
+	if (parent != root)
+		XReparentWindow(xw.dpy, xw.win, parent, xw.l, xw.t);
 
 	memset(&gcvalues, 0, sizeof(gcvalues));
 	gcvalues.graphics_exposures = False;
-	dc.gc = XCreateGC(xw.dpy, parent, GCGraphicsExposures,
+	dc.gc = XCreateGC(xw.dpy, xw.win, GCGraphicsExposures,
 			&gcvalues);
 	xw.buf = XCreatePixmap(xw.dpy, xw.win, win.w, win.h,
 			DefaultDepth(xw.dpy, xw.scr));