diff --git a/src/conky.cc b/src/conky.cc
index cb34e213..52f5c81d 100644
--- a/src/conky.cc
+++ b/src/conky.cc
@@ -308,9 +308,6 @@ struct _x11_stuff_s {
 static int text_start_x, text_start_y;	/* text start position in window */
 static int text_width = 1, text_height = 1; /* initially 1 so no zero-sized window is created */
 
-/* display to connect to */
-static char *disp = NULL;
-
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 
 /* struct that has all info to be shared between
@@ -2246,7 +2243,6 @@ static void main_loop(void)
 					XFixesDestroyRegion(display, x11_stuff.region2);
 					XFixesDestroyRegion(display, x11_stuff.part);
 #endif /* BUILD_XDAMAGE */
-					free_and_zero(disp);
 				}
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 				free_and_zero(overwrite_file);
@@ -2662,7 +2658,7 @@ static void X11_initialisation(void)
 	if (x_initialised == YES) return;
 	state->pushboolean(true);
 	out_to_x.lua_set(*state);
-	init_X11(disp);
+	init_X11();
 	set_default_configurations_for_x();
 	x_initialised = YES;
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -2811,14 +2807,6 @@ char load_config_file(const char *f)
 		}
 
 #ifdef BUILD_X11
-		CONF("display") {
-			if (!value || x_initialised == YES) {
-				CONF_ERR;
-			} else {
-				free_and_zero(disp);
-				disp = strdup(value);
-			}
-		}
 		CONF("background") {
 			fork_to_background = string_to_bool(value);
 		}
@@ -3850,6 +3838,10 @@ void initialisation(int argc, char **argv) {
 				state->pushstring(optarg);
 				text_alignment.lua_set(*state);
 				break;
+			case 'X':
+				state->pushstring(optarg);
+				display_name.lua_set(*state);
+				break;
 
 #ifdef OWN_WINDOW
 			case 'o':
@@ -4051,10 +4043,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			case 'w':
 				window.window = strtol(optarg, 0, 0);
 				break;
-			case 'X':
-				free_and_zero(disp);
-				disp = strdup(optarg);
-				break;
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */
 
 			case '?':
diff --git a/src/x11.cc b/src/x11.cc
index fd845650..dfbbd48c 100644
--- a/src/x11.cc
+++ b/src/x11.cc
@@ -75,9 +75,12 @@ static Window find_desktop_window(Window *p_root, Window *p_desktop);
 static Window find_subwindow(Window win, int w, int h);
 
 /* X11 initializer */
-void init_X11(const char *disp)
+void init_X11()
 {
 	if (!display) {
+		const std::string &dispstr = display_name.get(*state).c_str();
+		// passing NULL to XOpenDisplay should open the default display
+		const char *disp = dispstr.size() ? dispstr.c_str() : NULL;
 		if ((display = XOpenDisplay(disp)) == NULL) {
 			CRIT_ERR(NULL, NULL, "can't open display: %s", XDisplayName(disp));
 		}
@@ -941,6 +944,8 @@ conky::simple_config_setting<alignment> text_alignment("alignment", NONE, false)
 
 conky::simple_config_setting<bool> out_to_x("out_to_x", false, false);
 
+conky::simple_config_setting<std::string> display_name("display", std::string(), false);
+
 #ifdef OWN_WINDOW
 conky::simple_config_setting<bool> own_window("own_window", false, false);
 conky::simple_config_setting<bool> set_transparent("own_window_transparent", false, false);
diff --git a/src/x11.h b/src/x11.h
index c7e3b198..1267193a 100644
--- a/src/x11.h
+++ b/src/x11.h
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ extern int workarea[4];
 extern struct conky_window window;
 extern char window_created;
 
-void init_X11(const char*);
+void init_X11();
 void init_window(int width, int height, char **argv, int argc);
 void destroy_window(void);
 void create_gc(void);
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ enum alignment {
 
 extern conky::simple_config_setting<alignment>   text_alignment;
 extern conky::simple_config_setting<bool>        out_to_x;
+extern conky::simple_config_setting<std::string> display_name;
 
 #ifdef OWN_WINDOW
 extern conky::simple_config_setting<bool>        own_window;