diff --git a/spnav.c b/spnav.c
index f9e10f8..27149f7 100644
--- a/spnav.c
+++ b/spnav.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <sys/select.h>
 #include "spnav.h"
 
-#define SPNAV_SOCK_PATH "/var/run/spnav.sock"
+#define DEFAULT_SPNAV_SOCK_PATH "/run/spnav.sock"
 
 #ifdef USE_X11
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
@@ -70,6 +70,24 @@ static struct event_node *ev_queue, *ev_queue_tail;
 /* AF_UNIX socket used for alternative communication with daemon */
 static int sock = -1;
 
+static char *spath = NULL;
+
+static char *socket_path()
+{
+	char *xdg_runtime_dir;
+	if((xdg_runtime_dir = getenv("XDG_RUNTIME_DIR"))) {
+		if ( spath == NULL ) {
+			spath = malloc(strlen(xdg_runtime_dir) + strlen("/spnav.sock") + 1);
+			if ( spath != NULL ) {
+				sprintf(spath, "%s/spnav.sock", xdg_runtime_dir);
+			}
+		}
+		if(access(spath, F_OK) != -1){
+			return spath;
+		}
+	}
+	return DEFAULT_SPNAV_SOCK_PATH;
+}
 
 int spnav_open(void)
 {
@@ -92,7 +110,7 @@ int spnav_open(void)
 
 	memset(&addr, 0, sizeof addr);
 	addr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
-	strncpy(addr.sun_path, SPNAV_SOCK_PATH, sizeof(addr.sun_path));
+	strncpy(addr.sun_path, socket_path(), sizeof(addr.sun_path));
 
 
 	if(connect(s, (struct sockaddr*)&addr, sizeof addr) == -1) {