diff --git a/src/x11_clipboard.c b/src/x11_clipboard.c
index 37d002b5..cd0b5976 100644
--- a/src/x11_clipboard.c
+++ b/src/x11_clipboard.c
@@ -135,11 +135,10 @@ size_t _glfwPlatformGetClipboardString(_GLFWwindow* window, char* data, size_t s
                           _glfwLibrary.X11.selection.atom,
                           _glfwLibrary.X11.selection.request,
                           None, window->X11.handle, CurrentTime);
-        XFlush(_glfwLibrary.X11.display);
 
-        // Process pending events until we get a SelectionNotify.
-        while (!_glfwLibrary.X11.selection.converted)
-            _glfwPlatformWaitEvents();
+        // Process the resulting SelectionNotify event
+        XSync(_glfwLibrary.X11.display, False);
+        _glfwProcessPendingEvents();
 
         // Successful?
         if (_glfwLibrary.X11.selection.converted == 1)
diff --git a/src/x11_platform.h b/src/x11_platform.h
index f3c4dd35..8de54ead 100644
--- a/src/x11_platform.h
+++ b/src/x11_platform.h
@@ -283,4 +283,7 @@ long _glfwKeySym2Unicode(KeySym keysym);
 // Clipboard handling
 Atom _glfwSelectionRequest(XSelectionRequestEvent *request);
 
+// Event processing
+void _glfwProcessPendingEvents(void);
+
 #endif // _platform_h_
diff --git a/src/x11_window.c b/src/x11_window.c
index 57871d65..854480c5 100644
--- a/src/x11_window.c
+++ b/src/x11_window.c
@@ -1299,6 +1299,23 @@ static void processSingleEvent(void)
 }
 
 
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//////                       GLFW internal API                      //////
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+//========================================================================
+// Processes all pending events
+//========================================================================
+
+void _glfwProcessPendingEvents(void)
+{
+    int i, count = XPending(_glfwLibrary.X11.display);
+
+    for (i = 0;  i < count;  i++)
+        processSingleEvent();
+}
+
+
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //////                       GLFW platform API                      //////
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -1369,7 +1386,7 @@ int _glfwPlatformOpenWindow(_GLFWwindow* window,
     }
 
     // Process the window map event and any other that may have arrived
-    _glfwPlatformPollEvents();
+    _glfwProcessPendingEvents();
 
     // Retrieve and set initial cursor position
     {