diff --git a/hw/xwin/winclipboardwndproc.c b/hw/xwin/winclipboardwndproc.c
index 04c0c586a..65faedf65 100644
--- a/hw/xwin/winclipboardwndproc.c
+++ b/hw/xwin/winclipboardwndproc.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #include "winclipboard.h"
+#include "misc.h"
 
 extern void		winFixClipboardChain();
 
@@ -261,6 +262,8 @@ winClipboardWindowProc (HWND hwnd, UINT message,
 
     case WM_DRAWCLIPBOARD:
       {
+	static Atom atomClipboard;
+	static int generation;
 	static Bool s_fProcessingDrawClipboard = FALSE;
 	Display	*pDisplay = g_pClipboardDisplay;
 	Window	iWindow = g_iClipboardWindow;
@@ -268,6 +271,12 @@ winClipboardWindowProc (HWND hwnd, UINT message,
 
 	winDebug ("winClipboardWindowProc - WM_DRAWCLIPBOARD: Enter\n");
 
+	if (generation != serverGeneration)
+          {
+            generation = serverGeneration;
+            atomClipboard = XInternAtom (pDisplay, "CLIPBOARD", False);
+          }
+
 	/*
 	 * We've occasionally seen a loop in the clipboard chain.
 	 * Try and fix it on the first hint of recursion.
@@ -355,17 +364,13 @@ winClipboardWindowProc (HWND hwnd, UINT message,
 
 	    /* Release CLIPBOARD selection if owned */
 	    iReturn = XGetSelectionOwner (pDisplay,
-					  XInternAtom (pDisplay,
-						       "CLIPBOARD",
-						       False));
+					  atomClipboard);
 	    if (iReturn == g_iClipboardWindow)
 	      {
 		winDebug ("winClipboardWindowProc - WM_DRAWCLIPBOARD - "
 			"CLIPBOARD selection is owned by us.\n");
 		XSetSelectionOwner (pDisplay,
-				    XInternAtom (pDisplay,
-						 "CLIPBOARD",
-						 False),
+				    atomClipboard,
 				    None,
 				    CurrentTime);
 	      }
@@ -399,17 +404,12 @@ winClipboardWindowProc (HWND hwnd, UINT message,
 	
 	/* Reassert ownership of the CLIPBOARD */	  
 	iReturn = XSetSelectionOwner (pDisplay,
-				      XInternAtom (pDisplay,
-						   "CLIPBOARD",
-						   False),
+				      atomClipboard,
 				      iWindow,
 				      CurrentTime);
 
 	if (iReturn == BadAtom || iReturn == BadWindow ||
-	    XGetSelectionOwner (pDisplay,
-                                XInternAtom (pDisplay,
-                                             "CLIPBOARD",
-                                             False)) != iWindow)
+	    XGetSelectionOwner (pDisplay, atomClipboard) != iWindow)
 	  {
 	    winErrorFVerb (1, "winClipboardWindowProc - WM_DRAWCLIPBOARD - "
 		    "Could not reassert ownership of CLIPBOARD\n");
diff --git a/hw/xwin/winclipboardxevents.c b/hw/xwin/winclipboardxevents.c
index 95e86b1dc..ab8d5e42f 100644
--- a/hw/xwin/winclipboardxevents.c
+++ b/hw/xwin/winclipboardxevents.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <xwin-config.h>
 #endif
 #include "winclipboard.h"
+#include "misc.h"
 
 
 /*
@@ -53,18 +54,20 @@ winClipboardFlushXEvents (HWND hwnd,
 			  Display *pDisplay,
 			  Bool fUseUnicode)
 {
-  Atom			atomLocalProperty = XInternAtom (pDisplay,
-							 WIN_LOCAL_PROPERTY,
-							 False);
-  Atom			atomUTF8String = XInternAtom (pDisplay,
-						      "UTF8_STRING",
-						      False);
-  Atom			atomCompoundText = XInternAtom (pDisplay,
-							"COMPOUND_TEXT",
-							False);
-  Atom			atomTargets = XInternAtom (pDisplay,
-						   "TARGETS",
-						   False);
+  static Atom atomLocalProperty;
+  static Atom atomCompoundText;
+  static Atom atomUTF8String;
+  static Atom atomTargets;
+  static int generation;
+
+  if (generation != serverGeneration)
+    {
+      generation = serverGeneration;
+      atomLocalProperty = XInternAtom (pDisplay, WIN_LOCAL_PROPERTY, False);
+      atomUTF8String = XInternAtom (pDisplay, "UTF8_STRING", False);
+      atomCompoundText = XInternAtom (pDisplay, "COMPOUND_TEXT", False);
+      atomTargets = XInternAtom (pDisplay, "TARGETS", False);
+    }
 
   /* Process all pending events */
   while (XPending (pDisplay))