diff --git a/src/gui/jtk/Jtk_event.cc b/src/gui/jtk/Jtk_event.cc
index cb1231e..bf8ac3d 100644
--- a/src/gui/jtk/Jtk_event.cc
+++ b/src/gui/jtk/Jtk_event.cc
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@
 /** Do not wait longer than 100ms */
 #define MAX_WAIT_TIME 100000u
 
-/** Hold a copy of the last-seen keyboard modifier state. */
-static unsigned int g_x_state;
 static std::unordered_map<unsigned int, size_t> g_repeating_keys;
 static std::unordered_map<size_t, unsigned int> g_key_repeat_timers;
 
@@ -29,6 +27,15 @@ static void StopKeyRepeat(unsigned int x_keycode)
     }
 }
 
+static unsigned int GetXState()
+{
+    Window win;
+    int i;
+    unsigned int state;
+    XQueryPointer(g_display, RootWindow(g_display, DefaultScreen(g_display)), &win, &win, &i, &i, &i, &i, &state);
+    return state;
+}
+
 static uint32_t XKeyToJtkKey(unsigned int x_keycode)
 {
     XKeyEvent x_key_event;
@@ -36,7 +43,8 @@ static uint32_t XKeyToJtkKey(unsigned int x_keycode)
     x_key_event.display = g_display;
     /* Turn off the ControlMask bit for looking up keys. We'll handle control
      * keys ourselves. */
-    x_key_event.state = g_x_state & ~ControlMask;
+    unsigned int x_state = GetXState();
+    x_key_event.state = x_state & ~ControlMask;
     x_key_event.keycode = x_keycode;
     char buffer;
     KeySym keysym;
@@ -166,15 +174,15 @@ static uint32_t XKeyToJtkKey(unsigned int x_keycode)
     }
 
     /* OR in the modifier states */
-    if (g_x_state & ShiftMask)
+    if (x_state & ShiftMask)
     {
         key |= JTK_KEY_MODS_SHIFT;
     }
-    if (g_x_state & LockMask)
+    if (x_state & LockMask)
     {
         key |= JTK_KEY_MODS_LOCK;
     }
-    if (g_x_state & ControlMask)
+    if (x_state & ControlMask)
     {
         key |= JTK_KEY_MODS_CTRL;
     }
@@ -221,7 +229,6 @@ static bool IsRepeatKey(Display * display, XEvent * event)
 static bool ProcessXKeyPressEvent(XEvent * x_event, Jtk_Event * event)
 {
     unsigned int x_keycode = x_event->xkey.keycode;
-    g_x_state = x_event->xkey.state;
     event->type = JTK_EVENT_KEY_PRESS;
     event->key.repeat = false;
     event->key.key = XKeyToJtkKey(x_keycode);
@@ -243,7 +250,6 @@ static bool ProcessXKeyReleaseEvent(XEvent * x_event, Jtk_Event * event)
     {
         return false;
     }
-    g_x_state = x_event->xkey.state;
     StopKeyRepeat(x_event->xkey.keycode);
     return false;
 }