diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
index 617459685a..25ae8184b6 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
@@ -198,6 +198,11 @@ GdkDisplay *_gdk_x11_display_impl_display_new (gchar * display_name)
       return NULL;
     }
 
+#ifndef GDK_MULTIHEAD_SAFE
+    gdk_display = display_impl->xdisplay;
+#endif
+    
+
   screen_num = ScreenCount (display_impl->xdisplay);
   default_screen = DefaultScreenOfDisplay (display_impl->xdisplay);
   /* populate the screen list and set default */
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplaymgr-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplaymgr-x11.c
index 45c3feb7db..8675c09bee 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplaymgr-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplaymgr-x11.c
@@ -81,9 +81,6 @@ gdk_display_manager_set_default_display (GdkDisplayManager * display_mgr,
   g_return_if_fail (GDK_IS_DISPLAY_MANAGER (display_mgr));
   g_return_if_fail (GDK_IS_DISPLAY (default_display));
   display_mgr->default_display = default_display;
-#ifndef GDK_MULTIHEAD_SAFE
-  gdk_display = GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (default_display);
-#endif
 }
 
 GdkDisplay *
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkx.h b/gdk/x11/gdkx.h
index 5a04c5a727..9507034cd3 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkx.h
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkx.h
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ gint     gdk_x11_get_default_screen       (void);
 #define GDK_IMAGE_XDISPLAY(image)     (gdk_x11_image_get_xdisplay (image))
 #define GDK_IMAGE_XIMAGE(image)       (gdk_x11_image_get_ximage (image))
 
-#define GDK_DISPLAY()                 gdk_x11_get_default_xdisplay()
+#ifndef GDK_MULTIHEAD_SAFE
+#define GDK_DISPLAY()                 gdk_display
+#endif
 
 #ifdef INSIDE_GDK_X11