diff --git a/lib/arch/CArchAppUtilUnix.cpp b/lib/arch/CArchAppUtilUnix.cpp
index b66126a2..bedc4afa 100644
--- a/lib/arch/CArchAppUtilUnix.cpp
+++ b/lib/arch/CArchAppUtilUnix.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ CArchAppUtilUnix::parseArg(const int& argc, const char* const* argv, int& i)
 		app().argsBase().m_display = argv[++i];
 	}
 
+	else if (app().isArg(i, argc, argv, NULL, "--disable-xinitthreads")) {
+		app().argsBase().m_disableXInitThreads = true;
+	}
+
 	else {
 		// option not supported here
 		return false;
diff --git a/lib/platform/CXWindowsScreen.cpp b/lib/platform/CXWindowsScreen.cpp
index 66fff57f..9dcb11ba 100644
--- a/lib/platform/CXWindowsScreen.cpp
+++ b/lib/platform/CXWindowsScreen.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
 
 CXWindowsScreen*		CXWindowsScreen::s_screen = NULL;
 
-CXWindowsScreen::CXWindowsScreen(const char* displayName, bool isPrimary, int mouseScrollDelta) :
+CXWindowsScreen::CXWindowsScreen(const char* displayName, bool isPrimary, bool disableXInitThreads, int mouseScrollDelta) :
 	m_isPrimary(isPrimary),
 	m_mouseScrollDelta(mouseScrollDelta),
 	m_display(NULL),
@@ -109,12 +109,11 @@ CXWindowsScreen::CXWindowsScreen(const char* displayName, bool isPrimary, int mo
 	if (mouseScrollDelta==0) m_mouseScrollDelta=120;
 	s_screen = this;
 	
-	// initializes Xlib support for concurrent threads.
-	if (XInitThreads() == 0)
-	{
-		throw XArch("XInitThreads() returned zero");
+	if (!disableXInitThreads) {
+	  // initializes Xlib support for concurrent threads.
+	  if (XInitThreads() == 0)
+	    throw XArch("XInitThreads() returned zero");
 	}
-	
 
 	// set the X I/O error handler so we catch the display disconnecting
 	XSetIOErrorHandler(&CXWindowsScreen::ioErrorHandler);
diff --git a/lib/platform/CXWindowsScreen.h b/lib/platform/CXWindowsScreen.h
index 17e9bb4b..753ec9de 100644
--- a/lib/platform/CXWindowsScreen.h
+++ b/lib/platform/CXWindowsScreen.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class CXWindowsScreenSaver;
 //! Implementation of IPlatformScreen for X11
 class CXWindowsScreen : public CPlatformScreen {
 public:
-	CXWindowsScreen(const char* displayName, bool isPrimary, int mouseScrollDelta=0);
+	CXWindowsScreen(const char* displayName, bool isPrimary, bool disableXInitThreads, int mouseScrollDelta=0);
 	virtual ~CXWindowsScreen();
 
 	//! @name manipulators
diff --git a/lib/synergy/CApp.cpp b/lib/synergy/CApp.cpp
index 161859fe..eb7f7757 100644
--- a/lib/synergy/CApp.cpp
+++ b/lib/synergy/CApp.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ m_pauseOnExit(false),
 #else
 m_daemon(true), // backward compatibility for unix (daemon by default)
 #endif
+#if WINAPI_XWINDOWS
+m_disableXInitThreads(false),
+#endif
 m_backend(false),
 m_restartable(true),
 m_noHooks(false),
diff --git a/lib/synergy/CApp.h b/lib/synergy/CApp.h
index 15528a2c..5375f612 100644
--- a/lib/synergy/CApp.h
+++ b/lib/synergy/CApp.h
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ public:
 		bool m_relaunchMode;
 		bool m_debugServiceWait;
 		bool m_pauseOnExit;
+#endif
+#if WINAPI_XWINDOWS
+		bool m_disableXInitThreads;
 #endif
 	};
 
diff --git a/lib/synergy/CClientApp.cpp b/lib/synergy/CClientApp.cpp
index 77a086b4..e3c9f511 100644
--- a/lib/synergy/CClientApp.cpp
+++ b/lib/synergy/CClientApp.cpp
@@ -220,7 +220,9 @@ CClientApp::createScreen()
 #if WINAPI_MSWINDOWS
 	return new CScreen(new CMSWindowsScreen(false, args().m_noHooks));
 #elif WINAPI_XWINDOWS
-	return new CScreen(new CXWindowsScreen(args().m_display, false, args().m_yscroll));
+	return new CScreen(new CXWindowsScreen(
+		args().m_display, false, args().m_disableXInitThreads,
+		args().m_yscroll));
 #elif WINAPI_CARBON
 	return new CScreen(new COSXScreen(false));
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/synergy/CServerApp.cpp b/lib/synergy/CServerApp.cpp
index 141ed4bc..290afc33 100644
--- a/lib/synergy/CServerApp.cpp
+++ b/lib/synergy/CServerApp.cpp
@@ -639,7 +639,8 @@ CServerApp::createScreen()
 #if WINAPI_MSWINDOWS
 	return new CScreen(new CMSWindowsScreen(true, args().m_noHooks));
 #elif WINAPI_XWINDOWS
-	return new CScreen(new CXWindowsScreen(args().m_display, true));
+	return new CScreen(new CXWindowsScreen(
+		args().m_display, true, args().m_disableXInitThreads));
 #elif WINAPI_CARBON
 	return new CScreen(new COSXScreen(true));
 #endif