diff --git a/hw/xnest/Cursor.c b/hw/xnest/Cursor.c
index f6fed8d14..11e4a42cf 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/Cursor.c
+++ b/hw/xnest/Cursor.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ xnestRealizeCursor(DeviceIntPtr pDev, ScreenPtr pScreen, CursorPtr pCursor)
         .foreground = 1L,
     };
 
-    xcb_aux_change_gc(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn, xnestBitmapGC->gid, valuemask, &values);
+    xcb_aux_change_gc(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn, xnestBitmapGC, valuemask, &values);
 
     uint32_t const winId = xnestDefaultWindows[pScreen->myNum];
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ xnestRealizeCursor(DeviceIntPtr pDev, ScreenPtr pScreen, CursorPtr pCursor)
     xcb_put_image(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn,
                   XCB_IMAGE_FORMAT_XY_BITMAP,
                   source,
-                  xnestBitmapGC->gid,
+                  xnestBitmapGC,
                   pCursor->bits->width,
                   pCursor->bits->height,
                   0, // x
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ xnestRealizeCursor(DeviceIntPtr pDev, ScreenPtr pScreen, CursorPtr pCursor)
     xcb_put_image(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn,
                   XCB_IMAGE_FORMAT_XY_BITMAP,
                   mask,
-                  xnestBitmapGC->gid,
+                  xnestBitmapGC,
                   pCursor->bits->width,
                   pCursor->bits->height,
                   0, // x
diff --git a/hw/xnest/Display.c b/hw/xnest/Display.c
index 44e3b52dc..64b2e552d 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/Display.c
+++ b/hw/xnest/Display.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ int xnestNumPixmapFormats;
 Drawable xnestDefaultDrawables[MAXDEPTH + 1];
 Pixmap xnestIconBitmap;
 Pixmap xnestScreenSaverPixmap;
-GC xnestBitmapGC;
+uint32_t xnestBitmapGC;
 unsigned long xnestEventMask;
 
 static int _X_NORETURN
@@ -155,7 +155,12 @@ xnestOpenDisplay(int argc, char *argv[])
                 xnestDefaultDrawables[xnestPixmapFormats[i].depth] = pixmap;
             }
 
-    xnestBitmapGC = XCreateGC(xnestDisplay, xnestDefaultDrawables[1], 0L, NULL);
+    xnestBitmapGC = xcb_generate_id(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn);
+    xcb_create_gc(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn,
+                  xnestBitmapGC,
+                  xnestDefaultDrawables[1],
+                  0,
+                  NULL);
 
     if (!(xnestUserGeometry & XValue))
         xnestX = 0;
diff --git a/hw/xnest/Display.h b/hw/xnest/Display.h
index a39337c85..633012456 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/Display.h
+++ b/hw/xnest/Display.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ extern int xnestNumPixmapFormats;
 extern Drawable xnestDefaultDrawables[MAXDEPTH + 1];
 extern Pixmap xnestIconBitmap;
 extern Pixmap xnestScreenSaverPixmap;
-extern GC xnestBitmapGC;
+extern uint32_t xnestBitmapGC;
 extern unsigned long xnestEventMask;
 
 void xnestOpenDisplay(int argc, char *argv[]);
diff --git a/hw/xnest/GC.c b/hw/xnest/GC.c
index bed50e0d8..5e574e3b4 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/GC.c
+++ b/hw/xnest/GC.c
@@ -83,9 +83,12 @@ xnestCreateGC(GCPtr pGC)
 
     pGC->miTranslate = 1;
 
-    xnestGCPriv(pGC)->gc = XCreateGC(xnestDisplay,
-                                     xnestDefaultDrawables[pGC->depth],
-                                     0L, NULL);
+    xnestGCPriv(pGC)->gc = xcb_generate_id(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn);
+    xcb_create_gc(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn,
+                  xnestGCPriv(pGC)->gc,
+                  xnestDefaultDrawables[pGC->depth],
+                  0,
+                  NULL);
 
     return TRUE;
 }
@@ -189,13 +192,16 @@ xnestChangeGC(GCPtr pGC, unsigned long mask)
 void
 xnestCopyGC(GCPtr pGCSrc, unsigned long mask, GCPtr pGCDst)
 {
-    XCopyGC(xnestDisplay, xnestGC(pGCSrc), mask, xnestGC(pGCDst));
+    xcb_copy_gc(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn,
+                xnestGC(pGCSrc),
+                xnestGC(pGCDst),
+                mask);
 }
 
 void
 xnestDestroyGC(GCPtr pGC)
 {
-    XFreeGC(xnestDisplay, xnestGC(pGC));
+    xcb_free_gc(xnestUpstreamInfo.conn, xnestGC(pGC));
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/hw/xnest/XNGC.h b/hw/xnest/XNGC.h
index d4f3578ce..512f4627f 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/XNGC.h
+++ b/hw/xnest/XNGC.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ is" without express or implied warranty.
 #include "include/privates.h"
 
 typedef struct {
-    GC gc;
+    uint32_t gc;
 } xnestPrivGC;
 
 extern DevPrivateKeyRec xnestGCPrivateKeyRec;
diff --git a/hw/xnest/xcb.c b/hw/xnest/xcb.c
index 18fbc09ff..83284361d 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/xcb.c
+++ b/hw/xnest/xcb.c
@@ -38,9 +38,7 @@ uint32_t xnest_upstream_gc(GCPtr pGC) {
     if (pGC == NULL) return 0;
 
     xnestPrivGC *priv = dixLookupPrivate(&(pGC)->devPrivates, xnestGCPrivateKey);
-    if ((priv == NULL) || (priv->gc == NULL)) return 0;
+    if (priv == NULL) return 0;
 
-    // make sure Xlib's GC cache is written out before using (server side) GC.
-    XFlushGC(xnestDisplay, priv->gc);
-    return priv->gc->gid;
+    return priv->gc;
 }