diff --git a/dmenu.c b/dmenu.c
index 91e5c85..251fbd8 100644
--- a/dmenu.c
+++ b/dmenu.c
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ run(void)
 	XEvent ev;
 
 	while (!XNextEvent(dpy, &ev)) {
-		if (XFilterEvent(&ev, win))
+		if (XFilterEvent(&ev, None))
 			continue;
 		switch(ev.type) {
 		case DestroyNotify:
@@ -694,15 +694,29 @@ setup(void)
 	                    CWOverrideRedirect | CWBackPixel | CWEventMask, &swa);
 	XSetClassHint(dpy, win, &ch);
 
-
 	/* input methods */
-	if ((xim = XOpenIM(dpy, NULL, NULL, NULL)) == NULL)
-		die("XOpenIM failed: could not open input device");
-
+	if ((xim = XOpenIM(dpy, NULL, NULL, NULL)) == NULL) {
+		XSetLocaleModifiers("@im=local");
+		if ((xim = XOpenIM(dpy, NULL, NULL, NULL)) == NULL) {
+			XSetLocaleModifiers("@im=");
+			if ((xim = XOpenIM(dpy, NULL, NULL, NULL)) == NULL)
+				die("XOpenIM failed: could not open input device");
+		}
+	}
 	xic = XCreateIC(xim, XNInputStyle, XIMPreeditNothing | XIMStatusNothing,
-	                XNClientWindow, win, XNFocusWindow, win, NULL);
+	                XNClientWindow, embed ? win : parentwin, XNFocusWindow, embed ? win : parentwin, NULL);
 
 	XMapRaised(dpy, win);
+	XVaNestedList preedit_attr;
+	XPoint spot;
+
+	spot.x = x;
+	spot.y = topbar ? y + mh: 0;
+
+	preedit_attr = XVaCreateNestedList(0, XNSpotLocation, &spot, NULL);
+	XSetICValues(xic, XNPreeditAttributes, preedit_attr, NULL);
+	XFree(preedit_attr);
+
 	if (embed) {
 		XReparentWindow(dpy, win, parentwin, x, y);
 		XSelectInput(dpy, parentwin, FocusChangeMask | SubstructureNotifyMask);
@@ -770,6 +784,8 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	if (!setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "") || !XSupportsLocale())
 		fputs("warning: no locale support\n", stderr);
+	if (!XSetLocaleModifiers(""))
+		fputs("warning: no locale modifiers support\n", stderr);
 	if (!(dpy = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
 		die("cannot open display");
 	screen = DefaultScreen(dpy);