diff --git a/autotests/test_x11_timestamp_update.cpp b/autotests/test_x11_timestamp_update.cpp
index f6f5ca07ea..e9b0985140 100644
--- a/autotests/test_x11_timestamp_update.cpp
+++ b/autotests/test_x11_timestamp_update.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <QTest>
 #include <private/qtx11extras_p.h>
 
+#include "libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h"
 #include "main.h"
 #include "utils/common.h"
 
diff --git a/autotests/testutils.h b/autotests/testutils.h
index 98b740dce2..5efbdf2c6c 100644
--- a/autotests/testutils.h
+++ b/autotests/testutils.h
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
 #define TESTUTILS_H
 // KWin
 #include "libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h"
-// XCB
-#include <xcb/xcb.h>
+#include "libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h"
 
 namespace
 {
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/standalone/x11_standalone_xinputintegration.cpp b/src/backends/x11/standalone/x11_standalone_xinputintegration.cpp
index 32a9a2ad4f..05b4e0ffb8 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/standalone/x11_standalone_xinputintegration.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/x11/standalone/x11_standalone_xinputintegration.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include "input.h"
 #include "libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h"
+#include "libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h"
 #include "modifier_only_shortcuts.h"
 #include "workspace.h"
 #include "x11eventfilter.h"
diff --git a/src/client_machine.cpp b/src/client_machine.cpp
index cd9ec7c67b..79cc02107d 100644
--- a/src/client_machine.cpp
+++ b/src/client_machine.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 */
 // own
 #include "client_machine.h"
+#include "libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h"
 #include "main.h"
 #include "utils/common.h"
 // KF5
diff --git a/src/composite.h b/src/composite.h
index 2256d6590b..25090feca6 100644
--- a/src/composite.h
+++ b/src/composite.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h"
+#include <xcb/xcb.h>
 
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QRegion>
diff --git a/src/libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h b/src/libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h
index a4209c109b..3cf3358d78 100644
--- a/src/libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h
+++ b/src/libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 
 #include <kwin_export.h>
 
-#include <xcb/xcb.h>
-
 #include "libkwineffects/kwinconfig.h"
 
 #define KWIN_QT5_PORTING 0
@@ -193,21 +191,6 @@ enum class QuickTileFlag {
 Q_ENUM_NS(QuickTileFlag);
 Q_DECLARE_FLAGS(QuickTileMode, QuickTileFlag)
 
-inline KWIN_EXPORT xcb_connection_t *connection()
-{
-    return reinterpret_cast<xcb_connection_t *>(qApp->property("x11Connection").value<void *>());
-}
-
-inline KWIN_EXPORT xcb_window_t rootWindow()
-{
-    return qApp->property("x11RootWindow").value<quint32>();
-}
-
-inline KWIN_EXPORT xcb_timestamp_t xTime()
-{
-    return qApp->property("x11Time").value<xcb_timestamp_t>();
-}
-
 /**
  * Short wrapper for a cursor image provided by the Platform.
  * @since 5.9
diff --git a/src/libkwineffects/kwinglplatform.cpp b/src/libkwineffects/kwinglplatform.cpp
index 60f178dc3f..4f90947211 100644
--- a/src/libkwineffects/kwinglplatform.cpp
+++ b/src/libkwineffects/kwinglplatform.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 // include kwinglutils_funcs.h to avoid the redeclaration issues
 // between qopengl.h and epoxy/gl.h
 #include "libkwineffects/kwinglutils_funcs.h"
+#include "libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h"
 #include <epoxy/gl.h>
 
 #include <QDebug>
diff --git a/src/libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h b/src/libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0993380b68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*
+    KWin - the KDE window manager
+    This file is part of the KDE project.
+
+    SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2006 Lubos Lunak <l.lunak@kde.org>
+
+    SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+*/
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <QGuiApplication>
+#include <kwin_export.h>
+#include <xcb/xcb.h>
+
+namespace KWin
+{
+
+inline KWIN_EXPORT xcb_connection_t *connection()
+{
+    return reinterpret_cast<xcb_connection_t *>(qApp->property("x11Connection").value<void *>());
+}
+
+inline KWIN_EXPORT xcb_window_t rootWindow()
+{
+    return qApp->property("x11RootWindow").value<quint32>();
+}
+
+inline KWIN_EXPORT xcb_timestamp_t xTime()
+{
+    return qApp->property("x11Time").value<xcb_timestamp_t>();
+}
+
+void KWIN_EXPORT grabXServer();
+void KWIN_EXPORT ungrabXServer();
+bool KWIN_EXPORT grabXKeyboard(xcb_window_t w = XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
+void KWIN_EXPORT ungrabXKeyboard();
+
+/**
+ * Small helper class which performs grabXServer in the ctor and
+ * ungrabXServer in the dtor. Use this class to ensure that grab and
+ * ungrab are matched.
+ */
+class XServerGrabber
+{
+public:
+    XServerGrabber()
+    {
+        grabXServer();
+    }
+    ~XServerGrabber()
+    {
+        ungrabXServer();
+    }
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index df08d78c77..b612b756eb 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QProcessEnvironment>
 
+#include <xcb/xcb.h>
+
 class KPluginMetaData;
 class QCommandLineParser;
 
diff --git a/src/screenedge.h b/src/screenedge.h
index 43e5a10bd5..2c7aa7a5bf 100644
--- a/src/screenedge.h
+++ b/src/screenedge.h
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QRect>
 #include <QVector>
+
 #include <memory>
+#include <xcb/xcb.h>
 
 class QAction;
 class QMouseEvent;
diff --git a/src/utils/common.cpp b/src/utils/common.cpp
index ec64aa4747..82db671cd7 100644
--- a/src/utils/common.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/common.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 */
 
 #include "utils/common.h"
+#include "libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h"
 #include "utils/c_ptr.h"
 
 #include <QPainter>
diff --git a/src/utils/common.h b/src/utils/common.h
index c2f001821a..df9f55e9ba 100644
--- a/src/utils/common.h
+++ b/src/utils/common.h
@@ -84,11 +84,6 @@ inline MaximizeMode operator^(MaximizeMode m1, MaximizeMode m2)
     return MaximizeMode(int(m1) ^ int(m2));
 }
 
-void KWIN_EXPORT grabXServer();
-void KWIN_EXPORT ungrabXServer();
-bool KWIN_EXPORT grabXKeyboard(xcb_window_t w = XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
-void KWIN_EXPORT ungrabXKeyboard();
-
 static inline QRegion mapRegion(const QMatrix4x4 &matrix, const QRegion &region)
 {
     QRegion result;
@@ -98,24 +93,6 @@ static inline QRegion mapRegion(const QMatrix4x4 &matrix, const QRegion &region)
     return result;
 }
 
-/**
- * Small helper class which performs grabXServer in the ctor and
- * ungrabXServer in the dtor. Use this class to ensure that grab and
- * ungrab are matched.
- */
-class XServerGrabber
-{
-public:
-    XServerGrabber()
-    {
-        grabXServer();
-    }
-    ~XServerGrabber()
-    {
-        ungrabXServer();
-    }
-};
-
 // converting between X11 mouse/keyboard state mask and Qt button/keyboard states
 Qt::MouseButton x11ToQtMouseButton(int button);
 Qt::MouseButton KWIN_EXPORT x11ToQtMouseButton(int button);
diff --git a/src/utils/xcbutils.h b/src/utils/xcbutils.h
index b0e94bb843..1589d0cb2f 100644
--- a/src/utils/xcbutils.h
+++ b/src/utils/xcbutils.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h"
+#include "libkwineffects/kwinxcb.h"
 #include "main.h"
 #include "utils/c_ptr.h"