diff --git a/src/common/idle.py b/src/common/idle.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eb7e1be6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/idle.py
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+## src/common/idle.py
+##
+## (C) 2008 Thorsten P. 'dGhvcnN0ZW5wIEFUIHltYWlsIGNvbQ==\n'.decode("base64")
+##
+## This file is part of Gajim.
+##
+## Gajim is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+## it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published
+## by the Free Software Foundation; version 3 only.
+##
+## Gajim is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+## but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+## MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+## GNU General Public License for more details.
+##
+## You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+## along with Gajim. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+import ctypes
+import ctypes.util
+
+class XScreenSaverInfo(ctypes.Structure):
+	_fields_ = [
+		('window', ctypes.c_ulong),
+		('state', ctypes.c_int),
+		('kind', ctypes.c_int),
+		('til_or_since', ctypes.c_ulong),
+		('idle', ctypes.c_ulong),
+		('eventMask', ctypes.c_ulong)
+	]
+XScreenSaverInfo_p = ctypes.POINTER(XScreenSaverInfo)
+
+display_p = ctypes.c_void_p
+xid = ctypes.c_ulong
+c_int_p = ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_int)
+
+try:
+	libX11path = ctypes.util.find_library('X11')
+	if libX11path == None:
+		raise OSError('libX11 could not be found.')
+	libX11 = ctypes.cdll.LoadLibrary(libX11path)
+	libX11.XOpenDisplay.restype = display_p
+	libX11.XOpenDisplay.argtypes = ctypes.c_char_p,
+	libX11.XDefaultRootWindow.restype = xid
+	libX11.XDefaultRootWindow.argtypes = display_p,
+
+	libXsspath = ctypes.util.find_library('Xss')
+	if libXsspath == None:
+		raise OSError('libXss could not be found.')
+	libXss = ctypes.cdll.LoadLibrary(libXsspath)
+	libXss.XScreenSaverQueryExtension.argtypes = display_p, c_int_p, c_int_p
+	libXss.XScreenSaverAllocInfo.restype = XScreenSaverInfo_p
+	libXss.XScreenSaverQueryInfo.argtypes = (display_p, xid, XScreenSaverInfo_p)
+
+	dpy_p = libX11.XOpenDisplay(None)
+	if dpy_p == None:
+		raise OSError('Could not open X Display.')
+
+	_event_basep = ctypes.c_int()
+	_error_basep = ctypes.c_int()
+	if libXss.XScreenSaverQueryExtension(dpy_p, ctypes.byref(_event_basep),
+			ctypes.byref(_error_basep)) == 0:
+		raise OSError('XScreenSaver Extension not available on display.')
+
+	xss_info_p = libXss.XScreenSaverAllocInfo()
+	if xss_info_p == None:
+		raise OSError('XScreenSaverAllocInfo: Out of Memory.')
+
+	rootwindow = libX11.XDefaultRootWindow(dpy_p)
+	xss_available = True
+except OSError, e:
+	# Logging?
+	xss_available = False
+
+def getIdleSec():
+	"""Returns the idle time in seconds"""
+	if not xss_available:
+		return 0
+	if libXss.XScreenSaverQueryInfo(dpy_p, rootwindow, xss_info_p) == 0:
+		return 0
+	else:
+		return int(xss_info_p.contents.idle) / 1000
+
+def close():
+	global xss_available
+	if xss_available:
+		libX11.XFree(xss_info_p)
+		libX11.XCloseDisplay(dpy_p)
+		xss_available = False
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+	import time
+	time.sleep(2.1)
+	print getIdleSec()
+	close()
+	print getIdleSec()