diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 91ab8ca..20f1c88 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -170,6 +170,42 @@ static unsigned int defaultattr = 11;
  */
 static uint forcemousemod = ShiftMask;
 
+/*
+ * Xresources preferences to load at startup
+ */
+ResourcePref resources[] = {
+		{ "font",         STRING,  &font },
+		{ "color0",       STRING,  &colorname[0] },
+		{ "color1",       STRING,  &colorname[1] },
+		{ "color2",       STRING,  &colorname[2] },
+		{ "color3",       STRING,  &colorname[3] },
+		{ "color4",       STRING,  &colorname[4] },
+		{ "color5",       STRING,  &colorname[5] },
+		{ "color6",       STRING,  &colorname[6] },
+		{ "color7",       STRING,  &colorname[7] },
+		{ "color8",       STRING,  &colorname[8] },
+		{ "color9",       STRING,  &colorname[9] },
+		{ "color10",      STRING,  &colorname[10] },
+		{ "color11",      STRING,  &colorname[11] },
+		{ "color12",      STRING,  &colorname[12] },
+		{ "color13",      STRING,  &colorname[13] },
+		{ "color14",      STRING,  &colorname[14] },
+		{ "color15",      STRING,  &colorname[15] },
+		{ "background",   STRING,  &colorname[256] },
+		{ "foreground",   STRING,  &colorname[257] },
+		{ "cursorColor",  STRING,  &colorname[258] },
+		{ "termname",     STRING,  &termname },
+		{ "shell",        STRING,  &shell },
+		{ "minlatency",   INTEGER, &minlatency },
+		{ "maxlatency",   INTEGER, &maxlatency },
+		{ "blinktimeout", INTEGER, &blinktimeout },
+		{ "bellvolume",   INTEGER, &bellvolume },
+		{ "tabspaces",    INTEGER, &tabspaces },
+		{ "borderpx",     INTEGER, &borderpx },
+		{ "cwscale",      FLOAT,   &cwscale },
+		{ "chscale",      FLOAT,   &chscale },
+};
+
 /*
  * Internal mouse shortcuts.
  * Beware that overloading Button1 will disable the selection.
diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index aa09997..ab10269 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <X11/keysym.h>
 #include <X11/Xft/Xft.h>
 #include <X11/XKBlib.h>
+#include <X11/Xresource.h>
 
 char *argv0;
 #include "arg.h"
@@ -45,6 +46,19 @@ typedef struct {
 	signed char appcursor; /* application cursor */
 } Key;
 
+/* Xresources preferences */
+enum resource_type {
+	STRING = 0,
+	INTEGER = 1,
+	FLOAT = 2
+};
+
+typedef struct {
+	char *name;
+	enum resource_type type;
+	void *dst;
+} ResourcePref;
+
 /* X modifiers */
 #define XK_ANY_MOD    UINT_MAX
 #define XK_NO_MOD     0
@@ -859,8 +873,8 @@ xclear(int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2)
 void
 xhints(void)
 {
-	XClassHint class = {opt_name ? opt_name : termname,
-	                    opt_class ? opt_class : termname};
+	XClassHint class = {opt_name ? opt_name : "st",
+	                    opt_class ? opt_class : "St"};
 	XWMHints wm = {.flags = InputHint, .input = 1};
 	XSizeHints *sizeh;
 
@@ -1135,8 +1149,6 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	pid_t thispid = getpid();
 	XColor xmousefg, xmousebg;
 
-	if (!(xw.dpy = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
-		die("can't open display\n");
 	xw.scr = XDefaultScreen(xw.dpy);
 	xw.vis = XDefaultVisual(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
 
@@ -2014,6 +2026,59 @@ run(void)
 	}
 }
 
+int
+resource_load(XrmDatabase db, char *name, enum resource_type rtype, void *dst)
+{
+	char **sdst = dst;
+	int *idst = dst;
+	float *fdst = dst;
+
+	char fullname[256];
+	char fullclass[256];
+	char *type;
+	XrmValue ret;
+
+	snprintf(fullname, sizeof(fullname), "%s.%s",
+			opt_name ? opt_name : "st", name);
+	snprintf(fullclass, sizeof(fullclass), "%s.%s",
+			opt_class ? opt_class : "St", name);
+	fullname[sizeof(fullname) - 1] = fullclass[sizeof(fullclass) - 1] = '\0';
+
+	XrmGetResource(db, fullname, fullclass, &type, &ret);
+	if (ret.addr == NULL || strncmp("String", type, 64))
+		return 1;
+
+	switch (rtype) {
+	case STRING:
+		*sdst = ret.addr;
+		break;
+	case INTEGER:
+		*idst = strtoul(ret.addr, NULL, 10);
+		break;
+	case FLOAT:
+		*fdst = strtof(ret.addr, NULL);
+		break;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void
+config_init(void)
+{
+	char *resm;
+	XrmDatabase db;
+	ResourcePref *p;
+
+	XrmInitialize();
+	resm = XResourceManagerString(xw.dpy);
+	if (!resm)
+		return;
+
+	db = XrmGetStringDatabase(resm);
+	for (p = resources; p < resources + LEN(resources); p++)
+		resource_load(db, p->name, p->type, p->dst);
+}
+
 void
 usage(void)
 {
@@ -2087,6 +2152,11 @@ run:
 
 	setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "");
 	XSetLocaleModifiers("");
+
+	if(!(xw.dpy = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
+		die("Can't open display\n");
+
+	config_init();
 	cols = MAX(cols, 1);
 	rows = MAX(rows, 1);
 	tnew(cols, rows);