diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d3f96db..3b421bc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -26,14 +26,14 @@ there, but it basically works like this:
 
 ## clipmenud
 
-1. `clipmenud` polls the clipboard every 0.5 seconds (or another interval as
-   configured with the `CM_SLEEP` environment variable). Unfortunately there's
-   no interface to subscribe for changes in X11, so we must poll.
+1. `clipmenud` uses [clipnotify](https://github.com/cdown/clipnotify) to wait
+   for new clipboard events. If clipnotify is not present on the system, we
+   poll every 0.5 seconds (or another interval as configured with the
+   `CM_SLEEP` environment variable).
 
-   Instead of polling, you can bind your copy key binding to also issue
-   `CM_ONESHOT=1 clipmenud`. However, there's no generic way to do this, since
-   any keys or mouse buttons could be bound to do this action in a number of
-   ways.
+   You can also bind your copy key binding to also issue `CM_ONESHOT=1
+   clipmenud`. However, there's no generic way to do this, since any keys or
+   mouse buttons could be bound to do this action in a number of ways.
 2. If `clipmenud` detects changes to the clipboard contents, it writes them out
    to the cache directory.
 
diff --git a/clipmenud b/clipmenud
index d43d806..5ee6e00 100755
--- a/clipmenud
+++ b/clipmenud
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ cache_dir=$CM_DIR/clipmenu.$major_version.$USER/
 cache_file=$cache_dir/line_cache
 lock_file=$cache_dir/lock
 lock_timeout=2
+has_clipnotify=0
 
 xsel_log=/dev/null
 for file in /proc/self/fd/2 /dev/stderr; do
@@ -86,9 +87,25 @@ mkdir -p -m0700 "$cache_dir"
 
 declare -A last_data
 
+command -v clipnotify >/dev/null 2>&1 && has_clipnotify=1
+
+if ! (( has_clipnotify )); then
+    echo "WARN: Consider installing clipnotify for better performance." >&2
+    echo "WARN: See https://github.com/cdown/clipnotify." >&2
+fi
+
 exec {lock_fd}> "$lock_file"
 
-while (( CM_ONESHOT )) || sleep "${CM_SLEEP:-0.5}"; do
+while true; do
+    if ! (( CM_ONESHOT )); then
+        if (( has_clipnotify )); then
+            clipnotify
+        else
+            # Use old polling method
+            sleep "${CM_SLEEP:-0.5}"
+        fi
+    fi
+
     if ! flock -x -w "$lock_timeout" "$lock_fd"; then
         if (( CM_ONESHOT )); then
             printf 'ERROR: %s\n' 'Timed out waiting for lock' >&2