diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index 3b75d380..d6a7572f 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -63,24 +63,23 @@ endif
 cflags_for_lib = $(shell pkg-config --silence-errors --cflags $(1) 2>/dev/null)
 ldflags_for_lib = $(shell pkg-config --exists 2>/dev/null $(1) && pkg-config --libs $(1) 2>/dev/null || echo -l$(2))
 
-ifeq ($(shell pkg-config --exists xcb-util 2>/dev/null || echo 1),1)
-I3_CPPFLAGS += -DXCB_COMPAT
-CFLAGS += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-atom)
-CFLAGS += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-aux)
-else
-CFLAGS += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-util)
-endif
-CFLAGS += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb)
 
 LIBS += -L $(TOPDIR) -li3
-LIBS += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-event,xcb-event)
+
+# XCB common stuff
+XCB_CFLAGS  := $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb)
+XCB_CFLAGS  += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-event)
+XCB_LIBS    := $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb,xcb)
+XCB_LIBS    += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-event,xcb-event)
 ifeq ($(shell pkg-config --exists xcb-util 2>/dev/null || echo 1),1)
-LIBS += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-atom,xcb-atom)
-LIBS += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-aux,xcb-aux)
+XCB_CFLAGS  += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-atom)
+XCB_CFLAGS  += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-aux)
+XCB_LIBS    += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-atom,xcb-atom)
+XCB_LIBS    += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-aux,xcb-aux)
 else
-LIBS += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-util)
+XCB_CFLAGS  += $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-util)
+XCB_LIBS    += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb-util)
 endif
-LIBS += $(call ldflags_for_lib, xcb,xcb)
 
 # XCB keyboard stuff
 XCB_KBD_CFLAGS := $(call cflags_for_lib, xcb-keysyms)
diff --git a/i3-config-wizard/i3-config-wizard.mk b/i3-config-wizard/i3-config-wizard.mk
index 1d2bc37a..bce679df 100644
--- a/i3-config-wizard/i3-config-wizard.mk
+++ b/i3-config-wizard/i3-config-wizard.mk
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ CLEAN_TARGETS += clean-i3-config-wizard
 i3_config_wizard_SOURCES_GENERATED  = i3-config-wizard/cfgparse.tab.c i3-config-wizard/cfgparse.yy.c
 i3_config_wizard_SOURCES           := $(filter-out $(i3_config_wizard_SOURCES_GENERATED),$(wildcard i3-config-wizard/*.c))
 i3_config_wizard_HEADERS           := $(wildcard i3-config-wizard/*.h)
-i3_config_wizard_CFLAGS             = $(XCB_KBD_CFLAGS) $(X11_CFLAGS)
-i3_config_wizard_LIBS               = $(XCB_KBD_LIBS) $(X11_LIBS)
+i3_config_wizard_CFLAGS             = $(XCB_CFLAGS) $(XCB_KBD_CFLAGS) $(X11_CFLAGS)
+i3_config_wizard_LIBS               = $(XCB_LIBS) $(XCB_KBD_LIBS) $(X11_LIBS)
 
 i3_config_wizard_OBJECTS := $(i3_config_wizard_SOURCES_GENERATED:.c=.o) $(i3_config_wizard_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
diff --git a/i3-dump-log/i3-dump-log.mk b/i3-dump-log/i3-dump-log.mk
index edaead4c..1508a8dc 100644
--- a/i3-dump-log/i3-dump-log.mk
+++ b/i3-dump-log/i3-dump-log.mk
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ CLEAN_TARGETS += clean-i3-dump-log
 
 i3_dump_log_SOURCES := $(wildcard i3-dump-log/*.c)
 i3_dump_log_HEADERS := $(wildcard i3-dump-log/*.h)
-i3_dump_log_CFLAGS   =
-i3_dump_log_LIBS     =
+i3_dump_log_CFLAGS   = $(XCB_CFLAGS)
+i3_dump_log_LIBS     = $(XCB_LIBS)
 
 i3_dump_log_OBJECTS := $(i3_dump_log_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
diff --git a/i3-input/i3-input.mk b/i3-input/i3-input.mk
index 849fbc69..9fb4b194 100644
--- a/i3-input/i3-input.mk
+++ b/i3-input/i3-input.mk
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ CLEAN_TARGETS += clean-i3-input
 
 i3_input_SOURCES := $(wildcard i3-input/*.c)
 i3_input_HEADERS := $(wildcard i3-input/*.h)
-i3_input_CFLAGS   = $(XCB_KBD_CFLAGS)
-i3_input_LIBS     = $(XCB_KBD_LIBS)
+i3_input_CFLAGS   = $(XCB_CFLAGS) $(XCB_KBD_CFLAGS)
+i3_input_LIBS     = $(XCB_LIBS) $(XCB_KBD_LIBS)
 
 i3_input_OBJECTS := $(i3_input_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
diff --git a/i3-msg/i3-msg.mk b/i3-msg/i3-msg.mk
index b835185c..bab26da6 100644
--- a/i3-msg/i3-msg.mk
+++ b/i3-msg/i3-msg.mk
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ CLEAN_TARGETS += clean-i3-msg
 
 i3_msg_SOURCES := $(wildcard i3-msg/*.c)
 i3_msg_HEADERS := $(wildcard i3-msg/*.h)
-i3_msg_CFLAGS   =
-i3_msg_LIBS     =
+i3_msg_CFLAGS   = $(XCB_CFLAGS)
+i3_msg_LIBS     = $(XCB_LIBS)
 
 i3_msg_OBJECTS := $(i3_msg_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
diff --git a/i3-nagbar/i3-nagbar.mk b/i3-nagbar/i3-nagbar.mk
index 37c91a98..f54d8380 100644
--- a/i3-nagbar/i3-nagbar.mk
+++ b/i3-nagbar/i3-nagbar.mk
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ CLEAN_TARGETS += clean-i3-nagbar
 
 i3_nagbar_SOURCES := $(wildcard i3-nagbar/*.c)
 i3_nagbar_HEADERS := $(wildcard i3-nagbar/*.h)
-i3_nagbar_CFLAGS   =
-i3_nagbar_LIBS     =
+i3_nagbar_CFLAGS   = $(XCB_CFLAGS)
+i3_nagbar_LIBS     = $(XCB_LIBS)
 
 i3_nagbar_OBJECTS := $(i3_nagbar_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
diff --git a/i3bar/i3bar.mk b/i3bar/i3bar.mk
index 9ede97f6..cf3bf346 100644
--- a/i3bar/i3bar.mk
+++ b/i3bar/i3bar.mk
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ CLEAN_TARGETS += clean-i3bar
 
 i3bar_SOURCES := $(wildcard i3bar/src/*.c)
 i3bar_HEADERS := $(wildcard i3bar/include/*.h)
-i3bar_CFLAGS   = $(X11_CFLAGS) $(YAJL_CFLAGS) $(LIBEV_CFLAGS)
-i3bar_LIBS     = $(X11_LIBS) $(YAJL_LIBS) $(LIBEV_LIBS)
+i3bar_CFLAGS   = $(XCB_CFLAGS) $(X11_CFLAGS) $(YAJL_CFLAGS) $(LIBEV_CFLAGS)
+i3bar_LIBS     = $(XCB_LIBS) $(X11_LIBS) $(YAJL_LIBS) $(LIBEV_LIBS)
 
 i3bar_OBJECTS := $(i3bar_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
diff --git a/src/i3.mk b/src/i3.mk
index 49b7ce46..6030bbc6 100644
--- a/src/i3.mk
+++ b/src/i3.mk
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ i3_SOURCES_GENERATED  = src/cfgparse.tab.c src/cfgparse.yy.c
 i3_SOURCES           := $(filter-out $(i3_SOURCES_GENERATED),$(wildcard src/*.c))
 i3_HEADERS_CMDPARSER := $(wildcard include/GENERATED_*.h)
 i3_HEADERS           := $(filter-out $(i3_HEADERS_CMDPARSER),$(wildcard include/*.h))
-i3_CFLAGS             = $(XCB_KBD_CFLAGS) $(XCB_WM_CFLAGS) $(X11_CFLAGS) $(XCURSOR_CFLAGS) $(YAJL_CFLAGS) $(LIBEV_CFLAGS) $(PCRE_CFLAGS) $(LIBSN_CFLAGS)
-i3_LIBS               = $(XCB_KBD_LIBS) $(XCB_WM_LIBS) $(X11_LIBS) $(XCURSOR_LIBS) $(YAJL_LIBS) $(LIBEV_LIBS) $(PCRE_LIBS) $(LIBSN_LIBS) -lm
+i3_CFLAGS             = $(XCB_CFLAGS) $(XCB_KBD_CFLAGS) $(XCB_WM_CFLAGS) $(X11_CFLAGS) $(XCURSOR_CFLAGS) $(YAJL_CFLAGS) $(LIBEV_CFLAGS) $(PCRE_CFLAGS) $(LIBSN_CFLAGS)
+i3_LIBS               = $(XCB_LIBS) $(XCB_KBD_LIBS) $(XCB_WM_LIBS) $(X11_LIBS) $(XCURSOR_LIBS) $(YAJL_LIBS) $(LIBEV_LIBS) $(PCRE_LIBS) $(LIBSN_LIBS) -lm
 
 i3_OBJECTS := $(i3_SOURCES_GENERATED:.c=.o) $(i3_SOURCES:.c=.o)