diff --git a/src/xcb_conn.c b/src/xcb_conn.c
index 7979491..3ff824e 100644
--- a/src/xcb_conn.c
+++ b/src/xcb_conn.c
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ xcb_connection_t *_xcb_conn_ret_error(int err)
 
 int _xcb_conn_wait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vector, int *count)
 {
-    int ret;
+    int ret, already_reading;
 #if USE_POLL
     struct pollfd fd;
 #else
@@ -381,12 +381,20 @@ int _xcb_conn_wait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vec
 #if USE_POLL
     memset(&fd, 0, sizeof(fd));
     fd.fd = c->fd;
-    fd.events = POLLIN;
 #else
     FD_ZERO(&rfds);
-    FD_SET(c->fd, &rfds);
 #endif
-    ++c->in.reading;
+
+    already_reading = c->in.reading;
+    if(!already_reading)
+    {
+#if USE_POLL
+        fd.events = POLLIN;
+#else
+        FD_SET(c->fd, &rfds);
+#endif
+        ++c->in.reading;
+    }
 
 #if USE_POLL
     if(count)
@@ -444,7 +452,8 @@ int _xcb_conn_wait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vec
 
     if(count)
         --c->out.writing;
-    --c->in.reading;
+    if(!already_reading)
+        --c->in.reading;
 
     return ret;
 }