diff --git a/src/core/screen.c b/src/core/screen.c
index 46d818f3b..6ef5dd01e 100644
--- a/src/core/screen.c
+++ b/src/core/screen.c
@@ -1166,7 +1166,7 @@ update_num_workspaces (MetaScreen *screen,
   if (meta_prefs_get_dynamic_workspaces ())
     {
       int n_items;
-      gulong *list;
+      uint32_t *list;
 
       n_items = 0;
       list = NULL;
@@ -1755,7 +1755,7 @@ meta_screen_get_monitor_geometry (MetaScreen    *screen,
 void
 meta_screen_update_workspace_layout (MetaScreen *screen)
 {
-  gulong *list;
+  uint32_t *list;
   int n_items;
 
   if (screen->workspace_layout_overridden)
diff --git a/src/x11/window-props.c b/src/x11/window-props.c
index 8836a1dd1..2bf83ef0a 100644
--- a/src/x11/window-props.c
+++ b/src/x11/window-props.c
@@ -428,10 +428,10 @@ reload_net_wm_pid (MetaWindow    *window,
 {
   if (value->type != META_PROP_VALUE_INVALID)
     {
-      gulong cardinal = (int) value->v.cardinal;
+      uint32_t cardinal = (int) value->v.cardinal;
 
       if (cardinal <= 0)
-        meta_warning ("Application set a bogus _NET_WM_PID %lu\n",
+        meta_warning ("Application set a bogus _NET_WM_PID %u\n",
                       cardinal);
       else
         {
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ reload_net_wm_user_time (MetaWindow    *window,
 {
   if (value->type != META_PROP_VALUE_INVALID)
     {
-      gulong cardinal = value->v.cardinal;
+      uint32_t cardinal = value->v.cardinal;
       meta_window_set_user_time (window, cardinal);
     }
 }
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ reload_opaque_region (MetaWindow    *window,
 
   if (value->type != META_PROP_VALUE_INVALID)
     {
-      gulong *region = value->v.cardinal_list.cardinals;
+      uint32_t *region = value->v.cardinal_list.cardinals;
       int nitems = value->v.cardinal_list.n_cardinals;
 
       cairo_rectangle_int_t *rects;
diff --git a/src/x11/window-x11.c b/src/x11/window-x11.c
index f37be2620..b69fb793f 100644
--- a/src/x11/window-x11.c
+++ b/src/x11/window-x11.c
@@ -1283,7 +1283,7 @@ meta_window_x11_update_struts (MetaWindow *window)
   GSList *old_struts;
   GSList *new_struts;
   GSList *old_iter, *new_iter;
-  gulong *struts = NULL;
+  uint32_t *struts = NULL;
   int nitems;
   gboolean changed;
 
@@ -1346,7 +1346,7 @@ meta_window_x11_update_struts (MetaWindow *window)
               new_struts = g_slist_prepend (new_struts, temp);
             }
 
-          meta_verbose ("_NET_WM_STRUT_PARTIAL struts %lu %lu %lu %lu for "
+          meta_verbose ("_NET_WM_STRUT_PARTIAL struts %u %u %u %u for "
                         "window %s\n",
                         struts[0], struts[1], struts[2], struts[3],
                         window->desc);
@@ -1405,7 +1405,7 @@ meta_window_x11_update_struts (MetaWindow *window)
               new_struts = g_slist_prepend (new_struts, temp);
             }
 
-          meta_verbose ("_NET_WM_STRUT struts %lu %lu %lu %lu for window %s\n",
+          meta_verbose ("_NET_WM_STRUT struts %u %u %u %u for window %s\n",
                         struts[0], struts[1], struts[2], struts[3],
                         window->desc);
         }
diff --git a/src/x11/xprops.c b/src/x11/xprops.c
index f50709a3b..56b607bde 100644
--- a/src/x11/xprops.c
+++ b/src/x11/xprops.c
@@ -275,26 +275,16 @@ meta_prop_get_atom_list (MetaDisplay *display,
 
 static gboolean
 cardinal_list_from_results (GetPropertyResults *results,
-                            gulong            **cardinals_p,
+                            uint32_t          **cardinals_p,
                             int                *n_cardinals_p)
 {
   if (!validate_or_free_results (results, 32, XA_CARDINAL, FALSE))
     return FALSE;
 
-  *cardinals_p = (gulong*) results->prop;
+  *cardinals_p = (uint32_t *) results->prop;
   *n_cardinals_p = results->n_items;
   results->prop = NULL;
 
-#if GLIB_SIZEOF_LONG == 8
-  /* Xlib sign-extends format=32 items, but we want them unsigned */
-  {
-    int i;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < *n_cardinals_p; i++)
-      (*cardinals_p)[i] = (*cardinals_p)[i] & 0xffffffff;
-  }
-#endif
-
   return TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -302,7 +292,7 @@ gboolean
 meta_prop_get_cardinal_list (MetaDisplay *display,
                              Window       xwindow,
                              Atom         xatom,
-                             gulong     **cardinals_p,
+                             uint32_t   **cardinals_p,
                              int         *n_cardinals_p)
 {
   GetPropertyResults results;
@@ -677,7 +667,7 @@ counter_from_results (GetPropertyResults *results,
 
 static gboolean
 counter_list_from_results (GetPropertyResults *results,
-                           XSyncCounter      **counters_p,
+                           uint32_t          **counters_p,
                            int                *n_counters_p)
 {
   if (!validate_or_free_results (results, 32,
@@ -685,7 +675,7 @@ counter_list_from_results (GetPropertyResults *results,
                                  FALSE))
     return FALSE;
 
-  *counters_p = (XSyncCounter*) results->prop;
+  *counters_p = (uint32_t *) results->prop;
   *n_counters_p = results->n_items;
   results->prop = NULL;
 
@@ -727,11 +717,7 @@ cardinal_with_atom_type_from_results (GetPropertyResults *results,
   if (!validate_or_free_results (results, 32, prop_type, TRUE))
     return FALSE;
 
-  *cardinal_p = *(gulong*) results->prop;
-#if GLIB_SIZEOF_LONG == 8
-  /* Xlib sign-extends format=32 items, but we want them unsigned */
-  *cardinal_p &= 0xffffffff;
-#endif
+  *cardinal_p = *((uint32_t *) results->prop);
   g_free (results->prop);
   results->prop = NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/x11/xprops.h b/src/x11/xprops.h
index 0e8e28729..d30af7c74 100644
--- a/src/x11/xprops.h
+++ b/src/x11/xprops.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ gboolean meta_prop_get_motif_hints   (MetaDisplay   *display,
 gboolean meta_prop_get_cardinal_list (MetaDisplay   *display,
                                       Window         xwindow,
                                       Atom           xatom,
-                                      gulong       **cardinals_p,
+                                      uint32_t     **cardinals_p,
                                       int           *n_cardinals_p);
 gboolean meta_prop_get_latin1_string (MetaDisplay   *display,
                                       Window         xwindow,
@@ -180,8 +180,8 @@ typedef struct
     XSyncCounter xcounter;
     struct
     {
-      gulong *counters;
-      int     n_counters;
+      uint32_t *counters;
+      int       n_counters;
     } xcounter_list;
 
     struct
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@ typedef struct
 
     struct
     {
-      gulong *cardinals;
-      int     n_cardinals;
+      uint32_t *cardinals;
+      int       n_cardinals;
     } cardinal_list;
 
     struct