diff --git a/src/backend/x11/backend.c b/src/backend/x11/backend.c
index be25fb3..9f1f4bc 100644
--- a/src/backend/x11/backend.c
+++ b/src/backend/x11/backend.c
@@ -15,13 +15,7 @@
 #include "base/log.h"
 #include "base/memory.h"
 #include "core/types.h"
-
-struct backend_t {
-  xcb_connection_t *conn;
-  xcb_screen_t *screen;
-  int screenp;
-  bool have_xfixes;
-};
+#include "internal.h" /* IWYU pragma: keep */
 
 backend_t *backend_create(const char *display_name) {
   int screen_num = 0;
diff --git a/src/backend/x11/event.c b/src/backend/x11/event.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db9cb4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/x11/event.c
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <xcb/xcb.h>
+#include <xcb/xcb_event.h>
+#include <xcb/xproto.h>
+
+#include "base/memory.h"
+#include "core/backend.h"
+#include "internal.h" /* IWYU pragma: keep */
+
+static bool handle_map_request(event_t *event,
+                               const xcb_map_request_event_t *xcb_event) {
+  p_clear(event, 1);
+  event->type = ZDWM_EVENT_WINDOW_MAP_REQUEST;
+  /* TODO: */
+  return true;
+}
+
+static bool handle_unmap_notify(event_t *event,
+                                const xcb_unmap_notify_event_t *xcb_event) {
+  p_clear(event, 1);
+  event->type = ZDWM_EVENT_WINDOW_REMOVE;
+  /* TODO: */
+  return true;
+}
+
+static bool handle_destroy_notify(event_t *event,
+                                  const xcb_destroy_notify_event_t *xcb_event) {
+  p_clear(event, 1);
+  event->type = ZDWM_EVENT_WINDOW_REMOVE;
+  /* TODO: */
+  return true;
+}
+
+static bool handle_configure_request(
+  event_t *event, const xcb_configure_request_event_t *xcb_event) {
+  p_clear(event, 1);
+  event->type = ZDWM_EVENT_CONFIGURE_REQUEST;
+  /* TODO: */
+  return true;
+}
+
+bool backend_next_event(backend_t *backend, event_t *event) {
+  if (!backend || !backend->conn || !event) return false;
+
+  for (;;) {
+    xcb_generic_event_t *raw_event = xcb_wait_for_event(backend->conn);
+    if (!raw_event) return false;
+
+    uint8_t response_type = XCB_EVENT_RESPONSE_TYPE(raw_event);
+    bool handled = false;
+
+    printf("xcb event type: %u\n", response_type);
+
+    switch (response_type) {
+#define EVENT(type, handler)                     \
+  case type:                                     \
+    handled = handler(event, (void *)raw_event); \
+    break
+
+      EVENT(XCB_MAP_REQUEST, handle_map_request);
+      EVENT(XCB_UNMAP_NOTIFY, handle_unmap_notify);
+      EVENT(XCB_DESTROY_NOTIFY, handle_destroy_notify);
+      EVENT(XCB_CONFIGURE_REQUEST, handle_configure_request);
+
+#undef EVENT
+
+      default:
+        break;
+    }
+
+    p_delete(&raw_event);
+    if (handled) return true;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/backend/x11/internal.h b/src/backend/x11/internal.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..460bc5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/x11/internal.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <xcb/xcb.h>
+
+#include "core/backend.h" /* IWYU pragma: keep */
+
+struct backend_t {
+  xcb_connection_t *conn;
+  xcb_screen_t *screen;
+  int screenp;
+  bool have_xfixes;
+};
diff --git a/src/core/backend.h b/src/core/backend.h
index 317fb98..e46f09d 100644
--- a/src/core/backend.h
+++ b/src/core/backend.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <stddef.h>
 
+#include "core/event.h"
 #include "core/types.h"
 
 typedef struct backend_t backend_t;
@@ -16,3 +17,5 @@ void backend_destroy(backend_t *backend);
 
 backend_detect_t *backend_detect(backend_t *backend);
 void backend_detect_destroy(backend_detect_t *detect);
+
+bool backend_next_event(backend_t *backend, event_t *event);
diff --git a/src/core/event.h b/src/core/event.h
index 9c34e02..b6612cc 100644
--- a/src/core/event.h
+++ b/src/core/event.h
@@ -63,9 +63,10 @@ typedef struct pointer_enter_event_t {
 } pointer_enter_event_t;
 
 typedef struct window_map_request_event_t {
-  window_id_t id;
+  window_id_t window;
   window_props_t props;
   window_metadata_t metadata;
+  window_geometry_mode_t geometry;
 } window_map_request_event_t;
 
 typedef enum window_remove_reason_t {
@@ -154,7 +155,6 @@ typedef struct configure_request_event_t {
 
 typedef struct event_t {
   event_type_t type;
-  uint32_t time_ms;
   union {
     key_press_event_t key_press;
     pointer_button_event_t pointer_button_press;
diff --git a/src/core/runtime.c b/src/core/runtime.c
index c77549c..6c15e34 100644
--- a/src/core/runtime.c
+++ b/src/core/runtime.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include "base/memory.h"
 #include "core/backend.h"
+#include "core/event.h"
 #include "core/state.h"
 #include "core/wm_desc.h"
 
@@ -90,3 +91,12 @@ void runtime_shutdown(runtime_t *runtime) {
   if (runtime->config_module_handle) dlclose(runtime->config_module_handle);
   runtime->config_module_handle = nullptr;
 }
+
+void runtime_run(runtime_t *runtime) {
+  for (;;) {
+    event_t event = {0};
+    if (!backend_next_event(runtime->backend, &event)) {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/core/runtime.h b/src/core/runtime.h
index 455f679..0ec78cb 100644
--- a/src/core/runtime.h
+++ b/src/core/runtime.h
@@ -30,3 +30,4 @@ typedef struct runtime_t {
 bool runtime_init(runtime_t *runtime, runtime_init_desc_t *desc);
 void runtime_init_desc_cleanup(runtime_init_desc_t *desc);
 void runtime_shutdown(runtime_t *runtime);
+void runtime_run(runtime_t *runtime);
diff --git a/src/core/window.h b/src/core/window.h
index 05fdb64..e1d0259 100644
--- a/src/core/window.h
+++ b/src/core/window.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ typedef struct window_props_t {
   window_id_t transient_for;
 
   bool override_redirect;
+  bool skip_taskbar;
+  bool urgent;
 
   window_type_t *types;
   size_t type_count;
@@ -48,3 +50,9 @@ typedef struct window_metadata_t {
   const char *class_name;
   const char *instance_name;
 } window_metadata_t;
+
+typedef struct window_geometry_t {
+  window_geometry_mode_t mode;
+  rect_t rect;
+  bool fixed_size;
+} window_geometry_t;
diff --git a/tests/config/runtime_config_test.c b/tests/config/runtime_config_test.c
index e94c8a8..bfc847d 100644
--- a/tests/config/runtime_config_test.c
+++ b/tests/config/runtime_config_test.c
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ struct backend_t {
 
 void backend_destroy(backend_t *backend) { free(backend); }
 
+bool backend_next_event(backend_t *backend, event_t *event) {
+  (void)backend;
+  (void)event;
+  return false;
+}
+
 static backend_t *test_backend_create(void) {
   return calloc(1, sizeof(backend_t));
 }
diff --git a/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 0402a2f..1f16a73 100644
--- a/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ add_executable(${TEST_APP_NAME}
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/config/loader.c
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/config/runtime_config.c
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/backend/x11/backend.c
+    ${SOURCE_DIR}/backend/x11/event.c
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/core/layout.c
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/core/runtime.c
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/core/state.c
diff --git a/tests/core/main.c b/tests/core/main.c
index 5dd5f61..71fc834 100644
--- a/tests/core/main.c
+++ b/tests/core/main.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ int main(void) {
   runtime_t runtime = {0};
 
   bootstrap(&runtime);
+  runtime_run(&runtime);
   runtime_shutdown(&runtime);
 
   return 0;