diff --git a/cursor.cpp b/cursor.cpp
index 35a0365c81..8ec8511e2e 100644
--- a/cursor.cpp
+++ b/cursor.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 // Xlib
 #include <X11/Xcursor/Xcursor.h>
 #include <fixx11h.h>
+// xcb
+#include <xcb/xfixes.h>
 
 namespace KWin
 {
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ KWIN_SINGLETON_FACTORY_FACTORED(Cursor, X11Cursor)
 Cursor::Cursor(QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent)
     , m_mousePollingCounter(0)
+    , m_cursorTrackingCounter(0)
 {
 }
 
@@ -119,6 +122,40 @@ void Cursor::doStopMousePolling()
 {
 }
 
+void Cursor::startCursorTracking()
+{
+    ++m_cursorTrackingCounter;
+    if (m_cursorTrackingCounter == 1) {
+        doStartCursorTracking();
+    }
+}
+
+void Cursor::stopCursorTracking()
+{
+    Q_ASSERT(m_cursorTrackingCounter > 0);
+    --m_cursorTrackingCounter;
+    if (m_cursorTrackingCounter == 0) {
+        doStopCursorTracking();
+    }
+}
+
+void Cursor::doStartCursorTracking()
+{
+}
+
+void Cursor::doStopCursorTracking()
+{
+}
+
+void Cursor::notifyCursorChanged(uint32_t serial)
+{
+    if (m_cursorTrackingCounter <= 0) {
+        // cursor change tracking is currently disabled, so don't emit signal
+        return;
+    }
+    emit cursorChanged(serial);
+}
+
 X11Cursor::X11Cursor(QObject *parent)
     : Cursor(parent)
     , m_timeStamp(XCB_TIME_CURRENT_TIME)
@@ -178,6 +215,16 @@ void X11Cursor::doStopMousePolling()
     m_mousePollingTimer->stop();
 }
 
+void X11Cursor::doStartCursorTracking()
+{
+    xcb_xfixes_select_cursor_input(connection(), rootWindow(), XCB_XFIXES_CURSOR_NOTIFY_MASK_DISPLAY_CURSOR);
+}
+
+void X11Cursor::doStopCursorTracking()
+{
+    xcb_xfixes_select_cursor_input(connection(), rootWindow(), 0);
+}
+
 void X11Cursor::mousePolled()
 {
     const QPoint last = currentPos();
diff --git a/cursor.h b/cursor.h
index 6fb0ad9698..b1d91061af 100644
--- a/cursor.h
+++ b/cursor.h
@@ -58,6 +58,34 @@ public:
     virtual ~Cursor();
     void startMousePolling();
     void stopMousePolling();
+    /**
+     * @brief Enables tracking changes of cursor images.
+     *
+     * After enabling cursor change tracking the signal @link cursorChanged will be emitted
+     * whenever a change to the cursor image is recognized.
+     *
+     * Use @link stopCursorTracking to no longer emit this signal. Note: the signal will be
+     * emitted until each call of this method has been matched with a call to stopCursorTracking.
+     *
+     * This tracking is not about pointer position tracking.
+     * @see stopCursorTracking
+     * @see cursorChanged
+     */
+    void startCursorTracking();
+    /**
+     * @brief Disables tracking changes of cursor images.
+     *
+     * Only call after using @link startCursorTracking.
+     *
+     * @see startCursorTracking
+     */
+    void stopCursorTracking();
+    /**
+     * @internal
+     *
+     * Called from X11 event handler.
+     */
+    void notifyCursorChanged(uint32_t serial);
 
     /**
      * Returns the current cursor position. This method does an update of the mouse position if
@@ -79,6 +107,16 @@ Q_SIGNALS:
     void mouseChanged(const QPoint& pos, const QPoint& oldpos,
                       Qt::MouseButtons buttons, Qt::MouseButtons oldbuttons,
                       Qt::KeyboardModifiers modifiers, Qt::KeyboardModifiers oldmodifiers);
+    /**
+     * @brief Signal emitted when the cursor image changes.
+     *
+     * To enable these signals use @link startCursorTracking.
+     *
+     * @param serial The serial number of the new selected cursor.
+     * @see startCursorTracking
+     * @see stopCursorTracking
+     */
+    void cursorChanged(uint32_t serial);
 
 protected:
     /**
@@ -106,6 +144,16 @@ protected:
      * does nothing, inheriting classes can overwrite to e.g. stop a timer.
      **/
     virtual void doStopMousePolling();
+    /**
+     * Called from @link startCursorTracking when cursor image tracking gets activated. Inheriting class needs
+     * to overwrite to enable platform specific code for the tracking.
+     */
+    virtual void doStartCursorTracking();
+    /**
+     * Called from @link stopCursorTracking when cursor image tracking gets deactivated. Inheriting class needs
+     * to overwrite to disable platform specific code for the tracking.
+     */
+    virtual void doStopCursorTracking();
     /**
      * Provides the actual internal cursor position to inheriting classes. If an inheriting class needs
      * access to the cursor position this method should be used instead of the static @link pos, as
@@ -122,6 +170,7 @@ protected:
 private:
     QPoint m_pos;
     int m_mousePollingCounter;
+    int m_cursorTrackingCounter;
 
     KWIN_SINGLETON(Cursor)
 };
@@ -137,6 +186,8 @@ protected:
     virtual void doGetPos();
     virtual void doStartMousePolling();
     virtual void doStopMousePolling();
+    virtual void doStartCursorTracking();
+    virtual void doStopCursorTracking();
 
 private slots:
     /**
diff --git a/events.cpp b/events.cpp
index fda07e75a5..1cb3a38e9b 100644
--- a/events.cpp
+++ b/events.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include <kkeyserver.h>
 
 #include <X11/extensions/shape.h>
+#include <X11/extensions/Xfixes.h>
 #include <X11/extensions/Xrandr.h>
 #include <X11/Xatom.h>
 #include <QX11Info>
@@ -343,6 +344,8 @@ bool Workspace::workspaceEvent(XEvent * e)
             foreach (Client * c, desktops)
                 c->syncEvent(reinterpret_cast< XSyncAlarmNotifyEvent* >(e));
 #endif
+        } else if (e->type == Xcb::Extensions::self()->fixesCursorNotifyEvent() && Xcb::Extensions::self()->isFixesAvailable()) {
+            Cursor::self()->notifyCursorChanged(reinterpret_cast<XFixesCursorNotifyEvent*>(e)->cursor_serial);
         }
         break;
     }
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 781dae5e52..56f3859ecf 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ target_link_libraries( testClientMachine
                        ${QT_QTCORE_LIBRARY}
                        ${KDE4_KDEUI_LIBS}
                        ${XCB_XCB_LIBRARIES}
+                       ${XCB_XFIXES_LIBRARIES}
                        ${X11_XCB_LIBRARIES}
                        ${X11_X11_LIB} # to make jenkins happy
                        ${X11_Xcursor_LIB}
diff --git a/xcbutils.cpp b/xcbutils.cpp
index 525a6803b0..54a09e33c7 100644
--- a/xcbutils.cpp
+++ b/xcbutils.cpp
@@ -215,6 +215,11 @@ bool Extensions::isFixesRegionAvailable() const
     return m_fixes.version >= 0x30; // 3
 }
 
+int Extensions::fixesCursorNotifyEvent() const
+{
+    return m_fixes.eventBase + XCB_XFIXES_CURSOR_NOTIFY;
+}
+
 bool Extensions::isShapeInputAvailable() const
 {
     return m_shape.version >= 0x11; // 1.1
diff --git a/xcbutils.h b/xcbutils.h
index a5609cb7d7..b09a126b24 100644
--- a/xcbutils.h
+++ b/xcbutils.h
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ public:
     bool isFixesAvailable() const {
         return m_fixes.version > 0;
     }
+    int fixesCursorNotifyEvent() const;
     bool isFixesRegionAvailable() const;
     bool isSyncAvailable() const {
         return m_sync.present;