diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0b06bf41..e6b6bcd9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@
   bindings `ctrl-+` and `ctrl+-`).
 * Use XRGB pixel format (instead of ARGB) when there is no
   transparency.
+* Prefer CSS xcursor names, and fallback to legacy X11 names.
 
 [1526]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1526
 [1528]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1528
diff --git a/cursor-shape.c b/cursor-shape.c
index 131e6f1a..bbf75ab8 100644
--- a/cursor-shape.c
+++ b/cursor-shape.c
@@ -9,28 +9,26 @@
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
-const char *
+const char *const *
 cursor_shape_to_string(enum cursor_shape shape)
 {
-    static const char *const table[CURSOR_SHAPE_COUNT] = {
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_NONE] = NULL,
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_HIDDEN] = "hidden",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_LEFT_PTR] = "left_ptr",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TEXT] = "text",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TEXT_FALLBACK] = "xterm",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_LEFT_CORNER] = "top_left_corner",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_RIGHT_CORNER] = "top_right_corner",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_BOTTOM_LEFT_CORNER] = "bottom_left_corner",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_BOTTOM_RIGHT_CORNER] = "bottom_right_corner",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_LEFT_SIDE] = "left_side",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_RIGHT_SIDE] = "right_side",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_SIDE] = "top_side",
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_BOTTOM_SIDE] = "bottom_side",
+    static const char *const table[][CURSOR_SHAPE_COUNT]= {
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_NONE] = {NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_HIDDEN] = {"hidden", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_LEFT_PTR] = {"default", "left_ptr", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TEXT] = {"text", "xterm", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_LEFT_CORNER] = {"nw-resize", "top_left_corner", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_RIGHT_CORNER] = {"ne-resize", "top_right_corner", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_BOTTOM_LEFT_CORNER] = {"sw-resize", "bottom_left_corner", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_BOTTOM_RIGHT_CORNER] = {"se-resize", "bottom_right_corner", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_LEFT_SIDE] = {"w-resize", "left_side", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_RIGHT_SIDE] = {"e-resize", "right_side", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_SIDE] = {"n-resize", "top_side", NULL},
+        [CURSOR_SHAPE_BOTTOM_SIDE] = {"s-resize", "bottom_side", NULL},
 
     };
 
     xassert(shape <= ALEN(table));
-    xassert(table[shape] != NULL);
     return table[shape];
 }
 
@@ -40,7 +38,6 @@ cursor_shape_to_server_shape(enum cursor_shape shape)
     static const enum wp_cursor_shape_device_v1_shape table[CURSOR_SHAPE_COUNT] = {
         [CURSOR_SHAPE_LEFT_PTR] = WP_CURSOR_SHAPE_DEVICE_V1_SHAPE_DEFAULT,
         [CURSOR_SHAPE_TEXT] = WP_CURSOR_SHAPE_DEVICE_V1_SHAPE_TEXT,
-        [CURSOR_SHAPE_TEXT_FALLBACK] = WP_CURSOR_SHAPE_DEVICE_V1_SHAPE_TEXT,
         [CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_LEFT_CORNER] = WP_CURSOR_SHAPE_DEVICE_V1_SHAPE_NW_RESIZE,
         [CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_RIGHT_CORNER] = WP_CURSOR_SHAPE_DEVICE_V1_SHAPE_NE_RESIZE,
         [CURSOR_SHAPE_BOTTOM_LEFT_CORNER] = WP_CURSOR_SHAPE_DEVICE_V1_SHAPE_SW_RESIZE,
diff --git a/cursor-shape.h b/cursor-shape.h
index 58755382..110dbd2e 100644
--- a/cursor-shape.h
+++ b/cursor-shape.h
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ enum cursor_shape {
 
     CURSOR_SHAPE_LEFT_PTR,
     CURSOR_SHAPE_TEXT,
-    CURSOR_SHAPE_TEXT_FALLBACK,
     CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_LEFT_CORNER,
     CURSOR_SHAPE_TOP_RIGHT_CORNER,
     CURSOR_SHAPE_BOTTOM_LEFT_CORNER,
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ enum cursor_shape {
     CURSOR_SHAPE_COUNT,
 };
 
-const char *cursor_shape_to_string(enum cursor_shape shape);
+const char *const *cursor_shape_to_string(enum cursor_shape shape);
 
 enum wp_cursor_shape_device_v1_shape cursor_shape_to_server_shape(
     enum cursor_shape shape);
diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index 3ce8a226..91472027 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -4625,38 +4625,48 @@ render_xcursor_set(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term,
         return true;
     }
 
-    /* TODO: skip this when using server-side cursors */
-    if (shape != CURSOR_SHAPE_HIDDEN) {
-        const char *const xcursor = shape == CURSOR_SHAPE_CUSTOM
-            ? term->mouse_user_cursor
-            : cursor_shape_to_string(shape);
-        const char *const fallback =
-            cursor_shape_to_string(CURSOR_SHAPE_TEXT_FALLBACK);
-
-        seat->pointer.cursor = wl_cursor_theme_get_cursor(
-            seat->pointer.theme, xcursor);
-
-        if (seat->pointer.cursor == NULL) {
-            seat->pointer.cursor = wl_cursor_theme_get_cursor(
-                seat->pointer.theme, fallback);
-
-            if (seat->pointer.cursor == NULL) {
-                LOG_ERR("failed to load xcursor pointer "
-                        "'%s', and fallback '%s'", xcursor, fallback);
-                return false;
-            }
-        }
-
-        if (shape == CURSOR_SHAPE_CUSTOM) {
-            free(seat->pointer.last_custom_xcursor);
-            seat->pointer.last_custom_xcursor = xstrdup(term->mouse_user_cursor);
-        }
-    } else {
+    if (shape == CURSOR_SHAPE_HIDDEN) {
         seat->pointer.cursor = NULL;
         free(seat->pointer.last_custom_xcursor);
         seat->pointer.last_custom_xcursor = NULL;
     }
 
+    else if (seat->pointer.shape_device == NULL) {
+        const char *const custom_xcursors[] = {term->mouse_user_cursor, NULL};
+        const char *const *xcursors = shape == CURSOR_SHAPE_CUSTOM
+            ? custom_xcursors
+            : cursor_shape_to_string(shape);
+
+        xassert(xcursors[0] != NULL);
+
+        seat->pointer.cursor = NULL;
+
+        for (size_t i = 0; xcursors[i] != NULL; i++) {
+            seat->pointer.cursor =
+                wl_cursor_theme_get_cursor(seat->pointer.theme, xcursors[i]);
+
+            if (seat->pointer.cursor != NULL) {
+                LOG_DBG("loaded xcursor %s", xcursors[i]);
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (seat->pointer.cursor == NULL) {
+            LOG_ERR(
+                "failed to load xcursor pointer '%s', and all of its fallbacks",
+                xcursors[0]);
+            return false;
+        }
+    } else {
+        /* Server-side cursors - no need to load anything */
+    }
+
+    if (shape == CURSOR_SHAPE_CUSTOM) {
+        free(seat->pointer.last_custom_xcursor);
+        seat->pointer.last_custom_xcursor =
+            xstrdup(term->mouse_user_cursor);
+    }
+
     /* FDM hook takes care of actual rendering */
     seat->pointer.shape = shape;
     seat->pointer.xcursor_pending = true;