diff --git a/glfw/x11_init.c b/glfw/x11_init.c
index bb88c588f..1a1b6e9de 100644
--- a/glfw/x11_init.c
+++ b/glfw/x11_init.c
@@ -62,18 +62,12 @@ static Atom getSupportedAtom(Atom* supportedAtoms,
 //
 static void detectEWMH(void)
 {
+    // First we read the _NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK property on the root window
     Window* windowFromRoot = NULL;
-    Window* windowFromChild = NULL;
-
-    // First we need a couple of atoms
-    const Atom supportingWmCheck =
-        XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, "_NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK", False);
-    const Atom wmSupported =
-        XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, "_NET_SUPPORTED", False);
 
     // Then we look for the _NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK property of the root window
     if (!_glfwGetWindowPropertyX11(_glfw.x11.root,
-                                   supportingWmCheck,
+                                   _glfw.x11.NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK,
                                    XA_WINDOW,
                                    (unsigned char**) &windowFromRoot))
     {
@@ -82,10 +76,12 @@ static void detectEWMH(void)
 
     _glfwGrabErrorHandlerX11();
 
-    // It should be the ID of a child window (of the root)
-    // Then we look for the same property on the child window
+    // If it exists, it should be the XID of a top-level window
+    // Then we look for the same property on that window
+
+    Window* windowFromChild = NULL;
     if (!_glfwGetWindowPropertyX11(*windowFromRoot,
-                                   supportingWmCheck,
+                                   _glfw.x11.NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK,
                                    XA_WINDOW,
                                    (unsigned char**) &windowFromChild))
     {
@@ -95,7 +91,7 @@ static void detectEWMH(void)
 
     _glfwReleaseErrorHandlerX11();
 
-    // It should be the ID of that same child window
+    // If the property exists, it should contain the XID of the window
     if (*windowFromRoot != *windowFromChild)
     {
         XFree(windowFromRoot);
@@ -107,18 +103,20 @@ static void detectEWMH(void)
     XFree(windowFromChild);
 
     // We are now fairly sure that an EWMH-compliant window manager is running
+    // We can now start querying the WM about what features it supports by
+    // looking in the _NET_SUPPORTED property on the root window
+    // It should contain a list of supported EWMH protocol and state atoms
 
-    Atom* supportedAtoms;
-    unsigned long atomCount;
-
-    // Now we need to check the _NET_SUPPORTED property of the root window
-    // It should be a list of supported WM protocol and state atoms
-    atomCount = _glfwGetWindowPropertyX11(_glfw.x11.root,
-                                          wmSupported,
+    Atom* supportedAtoms = NULL;
+    const unsigned long atomCount = _glfwGetWindowPropertyX11(_glfw.x11.root,
+                                          _glfw.x11.NET_SUPPORTED,
                                           XA_ATOM,
                                           (unsigned char**) &supportedAtoms);
+    if (!supportedAtoms)
+        return;
 
     // See which of the atoms we support that are supported by the WM
+
     _glfw.x11.NET_WM_STATE =
         getSupportedAtom(supportedAtoms, atomCount, "_NET_WM_STATE");
     _glfw.x11.NET_WM_STATE_ABOVE =
@@ -148,8 +146,7 @@ static void detectEWMH(void)
     _glfw.x11.NET_REQUEST_FRAME_EXTENTS =
         getSupportedAtom(supportedAtoms, atomCount, "_NET_REQUEST_FRAME_EXTENTS");
 
-    if (supportedAtoms)
-        XFree(supportedAtoms);
+    XFree(supportedAtoms);
 }
 
 // Look for and initialize supported X11 extensions
@@ -387,9 +384,6 @@ static bool initExtensions(void)
     if (!glfw_xkb_update_x11_keyboard_id(&_glfw.x11.xkb)) return false;
     if (!glfw_xkb_compile_keymap(&_glfw.x11.xkb, NULL)) return false;
 
-    // Detect whether an EWMH-conformant window manager is running
-    detectEWMH();
-
     // String format atoms
     _glfw.x11.NULL_ = XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, "NULL", False);
     _glfw.x11.UTF8_STRING = XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, "UTF8_STRING", False);
@@ -433,6 +427,10 @@ static bool initExtensions(void)
         XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, "WM_STATE", False);
     _glfw.x11.WM_DELETE_WINDOW =
         XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, "WM_DELETE_WINDOW", False);
+    _glfw.x11.NET_SUPPORTED =
+        XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, "_NET_SUPPORTED", False);
+    _glfw.x11.NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK =
+        XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, "_NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK", False);
     _glfw.x11.NET_WM_ICON =
         XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, "_NET_WM_ICON", False);
     _glfw.x11.NET_WM_PING =
@@ -457,6 +455,9 @@ static bool initExtensions(void)
         _glfw.x11.NET_WM_CM_Sx = XInternAtom(_glfw.x11.display, name, False);
     }
 
+    // Detect whether an EWMH-conformant window manager is running
+    detectEWMH();
+
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/glfw/x11_platform.h b/glfw/x11_platform.h
index cf9c2d113..26441235b 100644
--- a/glfw/x11_platform.h
+++ b/glfw/x11_platform.h
@@ -227,6 +227,8 @@ typedef struct _GLFWlibraryX11
     _GLFWwindow*    disabledCursorWindow;
 
     // Window manager atoms
+    Atom            NET_SUPPORTED;
+    Atom            NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK;
     Atom            WM_PROTOCOLS;
     Atom            WM_STATE;
     Atom            WM_DELETE_WINDOW;
@@ -425,4 +427,3 @@ void _glfwInputErrorX11(int error, const char* message);
 
 void _glfwGetSystemContentScaleX11(float* xscale, float* yscale, bool bypass_cache);
 void _glfwPushSelectionToManagerX11(void);
-