diff --git a/common/window.py b/common/window.py
index 983dc439843539..ce1eecb8818442 100644
--- a/common/window.py
+++ b/common/window.py
@@ -11,11 +11,18 @@ def __init__(self, w, h, caption="window", double=False, halve=False):
     self.double = double
     self.halve = halve
     if self.double:
-      self.screen = pygame.display.set_mode((w*2, h*2))
+      self.rw, self.rh = w*2, h*2
     elif self.halve:
-      self.screen = pygame.display.set_mode((w//2, h//2))
+      self.rw, self.rh = w//2, h//2
     else:
-      self.screen = pygame.display.set_mode((w, h))
+      self.rw, self.rh = w, h
+    self.screen = pygame.display.set_mode((self.rw, self.rh))
+    pygame.display.flip()
+
+    # hack for xmonad, it shrinks the window by 6 pixels after the display.flip
+    if self.screen.get_width() != self.rw:
+      self.screen = pygame.display.set_mode((self.rw+(self.rw-self.screen.get_width()), self.rh+(self.rh-self.screen.get_height())))
+      pygame.display.flip()
 
   def draw(self, out):
     pygame.event.pump()