diff --git a/hw/xnest/Screen.c b/hw/xnest/Screen.c
index c55f00410..142186bb8 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/Screen.c
+++ b/hw/xnest/Screen.c
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ xnestOpenScreen(ScreenPtr pScreen, int argc, char *argv[])
 #define POSITION_OFFSET (pScreen->myNum * (xnestWidth + xnestHeight) / 32)
 
     if (xnestDoFullGeneration) {
-        XnestScreenPtr xnscr = xnestScreenPriv(pScreen);
+        XnestScreenPtr xnscr = xnestAllocScreenPriv(pScreen);
 
         valuemask = CWBackPixel | CWEventMask | CWColormap;
         attributes.background_pixel = xnestWhitePixel;
diff --git a/hw/xnest/multiscreen.c b/hw/xnest/multiscreen.c
index fc96a22cf..c8eaff23c 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/multiscreen.c
+++ b/hw/xnest/multiscreen.c
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
 
 XnestScreenRec xnestScreens[MAXSCREENS] = { 0 };
 
+XnestScreenPtr xnestAllocScreenPriv(ScreenPtr pScreen)
+{
+    xnestScreens[pScreen->myNum].pScreen = pScreen;
+    return &xnestScreens[pScreen->myNum];
+}
+
 XnestScreenPtr xnestScreenPriv(ScreenPtr pScreen)
 {
     return &xnestScreens[pScreen->myNum];
diff --git a/hw/xnest/multiscreen.h b/hw/xnest/multiscreen.h
index 2cd931fe9..e31011456 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/multiscreen.h
+++ b/hw/xnest/multiscreen.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 typedef struct xnest_screen {
     Window rootWindow;
+    ScreenPtr pScreen;
 } XnestScreenRec, *XnestScreenPtr;
 
 /* retrieve private screen structure by ScreenPtr */
@@ -21,4 +22,7 @@ XnestScreenPtr xnestScreenPriv(ScreenPtr pScreen);
 /* retrieve private screen structure by global index */
 XnestScreenPtr xnestScreenByIdx(int idx);
 
+/* allocate new private screen structure for ScreenPtr */
+XnestScreenPtr xnestAllocScreenPriv(ScreenPtr pScreen);
+
 #endif /* _XSERVER_CALLBACK_PRIV_H */