diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 4dbff6988..4364d15a6 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ libgnome_shell_la_LIBADD =		\
 libgnome_shell_la_CPPFLAGS = $(gnome_shell_cflags)
 
 Shell-0.1.gir: libgnome-shell.la St-1.0.gir
-Shell_0_1_gir_INCLUDES = Clutter-1.0 ClutterX11-1.0 Meta-3.0 TelepathyGLib-0.12 TelepathyLogger-0.2 Soup-2.4 GMenu-3.0 NetworkManager-1.0 NMClient-1.0
+Shell_0_1_gir_INCLUDES = Clutter-1.0 ClutterX11-1.0 Meta-3.0 TelepathyGLib-0.12 TelepathyLogger-0.2 Soup-2.4 GMenu-3.0 NetworkManager-1.0 NMClient-1.0 xlib-2.0
 Shell_0_1_gir_CFLAGS = $(libgnome_shell_la_CPPFLAGS) -I $(srcdir)
 Shell_0_1_gir_LIBS = libgnome-shell.la
 Shell_0_1_gir_FILES = $(libgnome_shell_la_gir_sources)
diff --git a/src/shell-util.c b/src/shell-util.c
index 3821b3aff..abd026f69 100644
--- a/src/shell-util.c
+++ b/src/shell-util.c
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 #include <glib/gi18n-lib.h>
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 #include <gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf.h>
+#include <gdk/gdkx.h>
+#include <X11/Xatom.h>
 
 #ifdef HAVE__NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY
 #include <langinfo.h>
@@ -430,3 +432,56 @@ shell_util_create_pixbuf_from_data (const guchar      *data,
                                    bits_per_sample, width, height, rowstride,
                                    (GdkPixbufDestroyNotify) g_free, NULL);
 }
+
+Pixmap
+shell_util_get_root_background (void)
+{
+  Display *display;
+  Pixmap pixmap;
+  Window rootwin;
+  Atom xrootpmap;
+  Atom actual_type;
+  int actual_format;
+  unsigned long n_items;
+  unsigned long bytes_after;
+  unsigned char *buffer;
+
+  display = gdk_x11_get_default_xdisplay ();
+
+  xrootpmap = gdk_x11_atom_to_xatom (gdk_atom_intern_static_string ("_XROOTPMAP_ID"));
+  rootwin = gdk_x11_get_default_root_xwindow ();
+
+  gdk_error_trap_push ();
+  actual_type = None;
+  buffer = NULL;
+  if (XGetWindowProperty (display, rootwin, xrootpmap,
+                          0, G_MAXLONG,
+                          False, XA_PIXMAP, &actual_type, &actual_format,
+                          &n_items,
+                          &bytes_after,
+                          &buffer) != Success ||
+      actual_type == None)
+    {
+      if (buffer)
+        XFree (buffer);
+      gdk_error_trap_pop_ignored ();
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
+  if (gdk_error_trap_pop () != Success ||
+      n_items == 0 ||
+      actual_type != XA_PIXMAP ||
+      actual_format != 32)
+    {
+      if (buffer)
+        XFree (buffer);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
+  pixmap = *((Pixmap*) buffer);
+
+  XFree (buffer);
+  return pixmap;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/src/shell-util.h b/src/shell-util.h
index 41ba96f4a..0b23dff66 100644
--- a/src/shell-util.h
+++ b/src/shell-util.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <clutter/clutter.h>
 #include <libsoup/soup.h>
 #include <gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf.h>
+#include <gdk/gdkx.h>
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
@@ -46,6 +47,8 @@ GdkPixbuf *shell_util_create_pixbuf_from_data (const guchar      *data,
                                                int                height,
                                                int                rowstride);
 
+Pixmap  shell_util_get_root_background        (void);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __SHELL_UTIL_H__ */