diff --git a/lib/src/x11_authority_file.dart b/lib/src/x11_authority_file.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..018f9e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/x11_authority_file.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import "dart:convert";
+import "dart:io";
+
+enum X11AuthorityAddressType { unknown, IPv4, IPv6, local, wild }
+
+class X11AuthorityAddress {
+  final X11AuthorityAddressType type;
+  final List<int> address;
+
+  X11AuthorityAddress(this.type, this.address);
+
+  @override
+  String toString() => "X11AuthorityAddress($type, $address)";
+}
+
+class X11AuthorityFileRecord {
+  final X11AuthorityAddress address;
+  final String display;
+  final String authorizationName;
+  final List<int> authorizationData;
+
+  X11AuthorityFileRecord(
+      {required this.address,
+      required this.display,
+      required this.authorizationName,
+      required this.authorizationData});
+
+  @override
+  String toString() =>
+      "X11AuthorityFileRecord($address, '$display', '$authorizationName', $authorizationData)";
+}
+
+class X11AuthorityFile {
+  final List<X11AuthorityFileRecord> records;
+
+  X11AuthorityFile(this.records);
+}
+
+class X11AuthorityFileLoader {
+  var _data = <int>[];
+  var _offset = 0;
+
+  Future<X11AuthorityFile> load(String path) async {
+    var f = File(path);
+    _data = await f.readAsBytes();
+    _offset = 0;
+
+    var records = <X11AuthorityFileRecord>[];
+    while (_offset < _data.length) {
+      var family = _readUint16();
+      var address = _readBytes();
+      var display = _readString();
+      var authorizationName = _readString();
+      var authorizationData = _readBytes();
+
+      var addressType = {
+            0: X11AuthorityAddressType.IPv4,
+            6: X11AuthorityAddressType.IPv6,
+            256: X11AuthorityAddressType.local,
+            65535: X11AuthorityAddressType.wild
+          }[family] ??
+          X11AuthorityAddressType.unknown;
+
+      var record = X11AuthorityFileRecord(
+          address: X11AuthorityAddress(addressType, address),
+          display: display,
+          authorizationName: authorizationName,
+          authorizationData: authorizationData);
+      records.add(record);
+    }
+
+    return X11AuthorityFile(records);
+  }
+
+  int _readUint8() {
+    if (_offset >= _data.length) {
+      throw 'Invalid XAuthority file';
+    }
+    var value = _data[_offset];
+    _offset++;
+    return value;
+  }
+
+  int _readUint16() {
+    return _readUint8() << 8 | _readUint8();
+  }
+
+  List<int> _readBytes() {
+    var length = _readUint16();
+    var value = <int>[];
+    for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+      value.add(_readUint8());
+    }
+    return value;
+  }
+
+  String _readString() {
+    var data = _readBytes();
+    return utf8.decode(data);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/src/x11_client.dart b/lib/src/x11_client.dart
index a5c867c..255b56f 100644
--- a/lib/src/x11_client.dart
+++ b/lib/src/x11_client.dart
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import 'dart:convert';
 import 'dart:io';
 import 'dart:typed_data';
 
+import 'x11_authority_file.dart';
 import 'x11_big_requests.dart';
 import 'x11_composite.dart';
 import 'x11_damage.dart';
@@ -289,11 +290,38 @@ class X11Client {
       throw "Invalid DISPLAY: '$display'";
     }
 
-    await connectToHost(host, displayNumber);
+    var authorityPath = Platform.environment['XAUTHORITY'];
+    if (authorityPath == null) {
+      var home = Platform.environment['HOME'];
+      if (home == null) {
+        throw 'Unable to determine HOME';
+      }
+
+      authorityPath = '${home}/.Xauthority';
+    }
+    var authorityFile = await X11AuthorityFileLoader().load(authorityPath);
+    var records = authorityFile.records.where((r) =>
+        r.address.type == X11AuthorityAddressType.local &&
+        r.authorizationName == 'MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1');
+    var authorizationName = '';
+    var authorizationData = <int>[];
+    if (records.length > 0) {
+      var record = records.first;
+      authorizationName = 'MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1';
+      authorizationData = record.authorizationData;
+    }
+
+    await connectToHost(host,
+        displayNumber: displayNumber,
+        authorizationName: authorizationName,
+        authorizationData: authorizationData);
   }
 
   /// Connects to the X server on [host] using [displayNumber].
-  Future<void> connectToHost(String host, int displayNumber) async {
+  Future<void> connectToHost(String host,
+      {int displayNumber = 0,
+      String authorizationName = '',
+      List<int> authorizationData = const []}) async {
     if (!(host == '' || host == 'localhost')) {
       throw 'Connecting to host $host not supported';
     }
@@ -305,7 +333,9 @@ class X11Client {
 
     var buffer = X11WriteBuffer();
     buffer.writeUint8(0x6c); // Little endian
-    var request = X11SetupRequest();
+    var request = X11SetupRequest(
+        authorizationName: authorizationName,
+        authorizationData: authorizationData);
     request.encode(buffer);
     _socket?.add(buffer.data);
 
diff --git a/lib/src/x11_requests.dart b/lib/src/x11_requests.dart
index 53fb351..8ff0708 100644
--- a/lib/src/x11_requests.dart
+++ b/lib/src/x11_requests.dart
@@ -15,54 +15,52 @@ int pad(int length) {
 
 class X11SetupRequest {
   final X11Version protocolVersion;
-  final String authorizationProtocolName;
-  final List<int> authorizationProtocolData;
+  final String authorizationName;
+  final List<int> authorizationData;
 
   const X11SetupRequest(
       {this.protocolVersion = const X11Version(11, 0),
-      this.authorizationProtocolName = '',
-      this.authorizationProtocolData = const []});
+      this.authorizationName = '',
+      this.authorizationData = const []});
 
   factory X11SetupRequest.fromBuffer(X11ReadBuffer buffer) {
     buffer.skip(1);
     var protocolMajorVersion = buffer.readUint16();
     var protocolMinorVersion = buffer.readUint16();
-    var authorizationProtocolNameLength = buffer.readUint16();
-    var authorizationProtocolDataLength = buffer.readUint16();
-    var authorizationProtocolName =
-        buffer.readString8(authorizationProtocolNameLength);
-    buffer.skip(pad(authorizationProtocolNameLength));
-    var authorizationProtocolData = <int>[];
-    for (var i = 0; i < authorizationProtocolDataLength; i++) {
-      authorizationProtocolData.add(buffer.readUint8());
-    }
-    buffer.skip(pad(authorizationProtocolDataLength));
+    var authorizationNameLength = buffer.readUint16();
+    var authorizationDataLength = buffer.readUint16();
+    var authorizationName = buffer.readString8(authorizationNameLength);
+    buffer.skip(pad(authorizationNameLength));
+    var authorizationData = <int>[];
+    for (var i = 0; i < authorizationDataLength; i++) {
+      authorizationData.add(buffer.readUint8());
+    }
+    buffer.skip(pad(authorizationDataLength));
     buffer.skip(2);
 
     return X11SetupRequest(
         protocolVersion: X11Version(protocolMajorVersion, protocolMinorVersion),
-        authorizationProtocolName: authorizationProtocolName,
-        authorizationProtocolData: authorizationProtocolData);
+        authorizationName: authorizationName,
+        authorizationData: authorizationData);
   }
 
   void encode(X11WriteBuffer buffer) {
     buffer.skip(1);
     buffer.writeUint16(protocolVersion.major);
     buffer.writeUint16(protocolVersion.minor);
-    var authorizationProtocolNameLength =
-        buffer.getString8Length(authorizationProtocolName);
-    buffer.writeUint16(authorizationProtocolNameLength);
-    buffer.writeUint16(authorizationProtocolData.length);
+    var authorizationNameLength = buffer.getString8Length(authorizationName);
+    buffer.writeUint16(authorizationNameLength);
+    buffer.writeUint16(authorizationData.length);
     buffer.skip(2);
-    buffer.writeString8(authorizationProtocolName);
-    buffer.skip(pad(authorizationProtocolNameLength));
-    buffer.writeListOfUint8(authorizationProtocolData);
-    buffer.skip(pad(authorizationProtocolData.length));
+    buffer.writeString8(authorizationName);
+    buffer.skip(pad(authorizationNameLength));
+    buffer.writeListOfUint8(authorizationData);
+    buffer.skip(pad(authorizationData.length));
   }
 
   @override
   String toString() =>
-      "X11SetupRequest(protocolVersion = $protocolVersion, authorizationProtocolName: '$authorizationProtocolName', authorizationProtocolData: $authorizationProtocolData)";
+      "X11SetupRequest(protocolVersion = $protocolVersion, authorizationName: '$authorizationName', authorizationData: $authorizationData)";
 }
 
 class X11SetupFailedReply {