diff --git a/src/x11/events.c b/src/x11/events.c
index 9dec73a9b..efc34bfbe 100644
--- a/src/x11/events.c
+++ b/src/x11/events.c
@@ -359,6 +359,28 @@ alarm_state_to_string (XSyncAlarmState state)
     }
 }
 
+static const char *
+get_xi2_event_name (XIEvent *input_event)
+{
+  switch (input_event->evtype)
+    {
+    case XI_FocusIn:
+      return "XI_FocusIn";
+    case XI_FocusOut:
+      return "XI_FocusOut";
+    case XI_Enter:
+      return "XI_Enter";
+    case XI_Leave:
+      return "XI_Leave";
+    case XI_BarrierHit:
+      return "XI_BarrierHit";
+    case XI_BarrierLeave:
+      return "XI_BarrierLeave";
+    }
+
+  return NULL;
+}
+
 static void
 meta_spew_xi2_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
                      XIEvent        *input_event,
@@ -370,27 +392,7 @@ meta_spew_xi2_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
 
   XIEnterEvent *enter_event = (XIEnterEvent *) input_event;
 
-  switch (input_event->evtype)
-    {
-    case XI_FocusIn:
-      name = "XI_FocusIn";
-      break;
-    case XI_FocusOut:
-      name = "XI_FocusOut";
-      break;
-    case XI_Enter:
-      name = "XI_Enter";
-      break;
-    case XI_Leave:
-      name = "XI_Leave";
-      break;
-    case XI_BarrierHit:
-      name = "XI_BarrierHit";
-      break;
-    case XI_BarrierLeave:
-      name = "XI_BarrierLeave";
-      break;
-    }
+  name = get_xi2_event_name (input_event);
 
   switch (input_event->evtype)
     {
@@ -417,6 +419,105 @@ meta_spew_xi2_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
   *extra_p = extra;
 }
 
+static const char *
+get_core_event_name (XEvent *event)
+{
+  /* GenericEvent is omitted here, as it's handled separately. */
+  switch (event->type)
+    {
+    case KeyPress:
+      return "KeyPress";
+    case KeyRelease:
+      return "KeyRelease";
+    case ButtonPress:
+      return "ButtonPress";
+    case ButtonRelease:
+      return "ButtonRelease";
+    case MotionNotify:
+      return "MotionNotify";
+    case EnterNotify:
+      return "EnterNotify";
+    case LeaveNotify:
+      return "LeaveNotify";
+    case FocusIn:
+      return "FocusIn";
+    case FocusOut:
+      return "FocusOut";
+    case KeymapNotify:
+      return "KeymapNotify";
+    case Expose:
+      return "Expose";
+    case GraphicsExpose:
+      return "GraphicsExpose";
+    case NoExpose:
+      return "NoExpose";
+    case VisibilityNotify:
+      return "VisibilityNotify";
+    case CreateNotify:
+      return "CreateNotify";
+    case DestroyNotify:
+      return "DestroyNotify";
+    case UnmapNotify:
+      return "UnmapNotify";
+    case MapNotify:
+      return "MapNotify";
+    case MapRequest:
+      return "MapRequest";
+    case ReparentNotify:
+      return "ReparentNotify";
+    case ConfigureNotify:
+      return "ConfigureNotify";
+    case ConfigureRequest:
+      return "ConfigureRequest";
+    case GravityNotify:
+      return "GravityNotify";
+    case ResizeRequest:
+      return "ResizeRequest";
+    case CirculateNotify:
+      return "CirculateNotify";
+    case CirculateRequest:
+      return "CirculateRequest";
+    case PropertyNotify:
+      return "PropertyNotify";
+    case SelectionClear:
+      return "SelectionClear";
+    case SelectionRequest:
+      return "SelectionRequest";
+    case SelectionNotify:
+      return "SelectionNotify";
+    case ColormapNotify:
+      return "ColormapNotify";
+    case ClientMessage:
+      return "ClientMessage";
+    case MappingNotify:
+      return "MappingNotify";
+    }
+
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+static const char *
+get_extension_event_name (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
+                          XEvent         *event)
+{
+  if (META_X11_DISPLAY_HAS_XSYNC (x11_display) &&
+      event->type == (x11_display->xsync_event_base + XSyncAlarmNotify))
+    return "XSyncAlarmNotify";
+
+  if (META_X11_DISPLAY_HAS_SHAPE (x11_display) &&
+      event->type == (x11_display->shape_event_base + ShapeNotify))
+    return "ShapeNotify";
+
+  if (META_X11_DISPLAY_HAS_DAMAGE (x11_display) &&
+      event->type == (x11_display->damage_event_base + XDamageNotify))
+    return "XDamageNotify";
+
+  if (event->type == (x11_display->xfixes_event_base + XFixesSelectionNotify))
+    return "XFixesSelectionNotify";
+
+  return NULL;
+}
+
 static void
 meta_spew_core_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
                       XEvent         *event,
@@ -426,64 +527,60 @@ meta_spew_core_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
   const char *name = NULL;
   char *extra = NULL;
 
+  name = get_core_event_name (event);
+
+  if (!name)
+    name = get_extension_event_name (x11_display, event);
+
   switch (event->type)
     {
     case KeymapNotify:
-      name = "KeymapNotify";
-      break;
     case Expose:
-      name = "Expose";
-      break;
     case GraphicsExpose:
-      name = "GraphicsExpose";
-      break;
     case NoExpose:
-      name = "NoExpose";
-      break;
     case VisibilityNotify:
-      name = "VisibilityNotify";
+    case GravityNotify:
+    case CirculateNotify:
+    case CirculateRequest:
+    case SelectionClear:
+    case SelectionRequest:
+    case SelectionNotify:
+    case ColormapNotify:
       break;
     case CreateNotify:
-      name = "CreateNotify";
       extra = g_strdup_printf ("parent: 0x%lx window: 0x%lx",
                                event->xcreatewindow.parent,
                                event->xcreatewindow.window);
       break;
     case DestroyNotify:
-      name = "DestroyNotify";
       extra = g_strdup_printf ("event: 0x%lx window: 0x%lx",
                                event->xdestroywindow.event,
                                event->xdestroywindow.window);
       break;
     case UnmapNotify:
-      name = "UnmapNotify";
       extra = g_strdup_printf ("event: 0x%lx window: 0x%lx from_configure: %d",
                                event->xunmap.event,
                                event->xunmap.window,
                                event->xunmap.from_configure);
       break;
     case MapNotify:
-      name = "MapNotify";
       extra = g_strdup_printf ("event: 0x%lx window: 0x%lx override_redirect: %d",
                                event->xmap.event,
                                event->xmap.window,
                                event->xmap.override_redirect);
       break;
     case MapRequest:
-      name = "MapRequest";
       extra = g_strdup_printf ("window: 0x%lx parent: 0x%lx\n",
                                event->xmaprequest.window,
                                event->xmaprequest.parent);
       break;
     case ReparentNotify:
-      name = "ReparentNotify";
       extra = g_strdup_printf ("window: 0x%lx parent: 0x%lx event: 0x%lx\n",
                                event->xreparent.window,
                                event->xreparent.parent,
                                event->xreparent.event);
       break;
     case ConfigureNotify:
-      name = "ConfigureNotify";
       extra = g_strdup_printf ("x: %d y: %d w: %d h: %d above: 0x%lx override_redirect: %d",
                                event->xconfigure.x,
                                event->xconfigure.y,
@@ -493,7 +590,6 @@ meta_spew_core_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
                                event->xconfigure.override_redirect);
       break;
     case ConfigureRequest:
-      name = "ConfigureRequest";
       extra = g_strdup_printf ("parent: 0x%lx window: 0x%lx x: %d %sy: %d %sw: %d %sh: %d %sborder: %d %sabove: %lx %sstackmode: %s %s",
                                event->xconfigurerequest.parent,
                                event->xconfigurerequest.window,
@@ -519,28 +615,16 @@ meta_spew_core_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
                                event->xconfigurerequest.value_mask &
                                CWStackMode ? "" : "(unset)");
       break;
-    case GravityNotify:
-      name = "GravityNotify";
-      break;
     case ResizeRequest:
-      name = "ResizeRequest";
       extra = g_strdup_printf ("width = %d height = %d",
                                event->xresizerequest.width,
                                event->xresizerequest.height);
       break;
-    case CirculateNotify:
-      name = "CirculateNotify";
-      break;
-    case CirculateRequest:
-      name = "CirculateRequest";
-      break;
     case PropertyNotify:
       {
         char *str;
         const char *state;
 
-        name = "PropertyNotify";
-
         meta_x11_error_trap_push (x11_display);
         str = XGetAtomName (x11_display->xdisplay,
                             event->xproperty.atom);
@@ -559,22 +643,9 @@ meta_spew_core_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
         meta_XFree (str);
       }
       break;
-    case SelectionClear:
-      name = "SelectionClear";
-      break;
-    case SelectionRequest:
-      name = "SelectionRequest";
-      break;
-    case SelectionNotify:
-      name = "SelectionNotify";
-      break;
-    case ColormapNotify:
-      name = "ColormapNotify";
-      break;
     case ClientMessage:
       {
         char *str;
-        name = "ClientMessage";
         meta_x11_error_trap_push (x11_display);
         str = XGetAtomName (x11_display->xdisplay,
                             event->xclient.message_type);
@@ -586,7 +657,6 @@ meta_spew_core_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
       }
       break;
     case MappingNotify:
-      name = "MappingNotify";
       break;
     default:
       if (META_X11_DISPLAY_HAS_XSYNC (x11_display) &&
@@ -594,7 +664,6 @@ meta_spew_core_event (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
         {
           XSyncAlarmNotifyEvent *aevent = (XSyncAlarmNotifyEvent*) event;
 
-          name = "XSyncAlarmNotify";
           extra =
             g_strdup_printf ("alarm: 0x%lx"
                              " counter_value: %" G_GINT64_FORMAT