diff --git a/common/flatpak-run.c b/common/flatpak-run.c
index 1b640c15e..08fabee98 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-run.c
+++ b/common/flatpak-run.c
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ flatpak_run_parse_x11_display (const char  *display,
   while (g_ascii_isdigit (*display_nr_end))
     display_nr_end++;
 
-  if (display == colon)
+  if (display == colon || g_str_has_prefix (display, "unix:"))
     {
       *display_nr_out = g_strndup (display_nr, display_nr_end - display_nr);
       *x11_socket = g_strdup_printf ("/tmp/.X11-unix/X%s", *display_nr_out);
diff --git a/tests/testcommon.c b/tests/testcommon.c
index dfc2c4869..aecf21e0d 100644
--- a/tests/testcommon.c
+++ b/tests/testcommon.c
@@ -1779,6 +1779,7 @@ static const DisplayTest x11_display_tests[] =
   { ":0", FamilyLocal, "/tmp/.X11-unix/X0", NULL, "0" },
   { ":0.0", FamilyLocal, "/tmp/.X11-unix/X0", NULL, "0" },
   { ":42.0", FamilyLocal, "/tmp/.X11-unix/X42", NULL, "42" },
+  { "unix:42", FamilyLocal, "/tmp/.X11-unix/X42", NULL, "42" },
   { "othermachine:23", FamilyWild, NULL, "othermachine", "23" },
   { "bees.example.com:23", FamilyWild, NULL, "bees.example.com", "23" },
   { "[::1]:0", FamilyInternet6, NULL, "::1", "0" },