diff --git a/src/x11/meta-x11-selection-output-stream-private.h b/src/x11/meta-x11-selection-output-stream-private.h
index 83390da48..41bedd9db 100644
--- a/src/x11/meta-x11-selection-output-stream-private.h
+++ b/src/x11/meta-x11-selection-output-stream-private.h
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (MetaX11SelectionOutputStream,
 
 GOutputStream * meta_x11_selection_output_stream_new         (MetaX11Display                *x11_display,
                                                               Window                         window,
-                                                              const char                    *selection,
-                                                              const char                    *target,
-                                                              const char                    *property,
-                                                              const char                    *type,
+                                                              Atom                           selection,
+                                                              Atom                           target,
+                                                              Atom                           property,
+                                                              Atom                           type,
                                                               int                            format,
                                                               gulong                         timestamp);
 
diff --git a/src/x11/meta-x11-selection-output-stream.c b/src/x11/meta-x11-selection-output-stream.c
index 41a691c9a..c8b76b68c 100644
--- a/src/x11/meta-x11-selection-output-stream.c
+++ b/src/x11/meta-x11-selection-output-stream.c
@@ -657,10 +657,10 @@ meta_x11_selection_output_stream_xevent (MetaX11SelectionOutputStream *stream,
 GOutputStream *
 meta_x11_selection_output_stream_new (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
                                       Window          requestor,
-                                      const char     *selection,
-                                      const char     *target,
-                                      const char     *property,
-                                      const char     *type,
+                                      Atom            selection,
+                                      Atom            target,
+                                      Atom            property,
+                                      Atom            type,
                                       int             format,
                                       gulong          timestamp)
 {
@@ -675,10 +675,10 @@ meta_x11_selection_output_stream_new (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
 
   priv->x11_display = x11_display;
   priv->xwindow = requestor;
-  priv->xselection = XInternAtom (x11_display->xdisplay, selection, False);
-  priv->xtarget = XInternAtom (x11_display->xdisplay, target, False);
-  priv->xproperty = XInternAtom (x11_display->xdisplay, property, False);
-  priv->xtype = XInternAtom (x11_display->xdisplay, type, False);
+  priv->xselection = selection;
+  priv->xtarget = target;
+  priv->xproperty = property;
+  priv->xtype = type;
   priv->format = format;
   priv->timestamp = timestamp;
 
diff --git a/src/x11/meta-x11-selection.c b/src/x11/meta-x11-selection.c
index 4e96aecd5..0700fb506 100644
--- a/src/x11/meta-x11-selection.c
+++ b/src/x11/meta-x11-selection.c
@@ -248,11 +248,14 @@ meta_x11_selection_handle_selection_request (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
           return FALSE;
         }
 
-      output = meta_x11_selection_output_stream_new (x11_display, event->requestor,
-                                                     XGetAtomName (xdisplay, event->selection),
-                                                     XGetAtomName (xdisplay, event->target),
-                                                     XGetAtomName (xdisplay, event->property),
-                                                     "ATOM", 32, event->time);
+      output = meta_x11_selection_output_stream_new (x11_display,
+                                                     event->requestor,
+                                                     event->selection,
+                                                     event->target,
+                                                     event->property,
+                                                     XInternAtom (xdisplay, "ATOM", False),
+                                                     32,
+                                                     event->time);
 
       bytes = mimetypes_to_bytes (mimetypes, x11_display->xdisplay);
       g_list_free_full (mimetypes, g_free);
@@ -284,10 +287,10 @@ meta_x11_selection_handle_selection_request (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
         {
           output = meta_x11_selection_output_stream_new (x11_display,
                                                          event->requestor,
-                                                         XGetAtomName (xdisplay, event->selection),
-                                                         XGetAtomName (xdisplay, event->target),
-                                                         XGetAtomName (xdisplay, event->property),
-                                                         XGetAtomName (xdisplay, event->target),
+                                                         event->selection,
+                                                         event->target,
+                                                         event->property,
+                                                         event->target,
                                                          8, event->time);
 
           meta_selection_transfer_async (selection,