diff --git a/lib/platform/COSXClipboard.cpp b/lib/platform/COSXClipboard.cpp
index 3fdfb479..bdf941b0 100644
--- a/lib/platform/COSXClipboard.cpp
+++ b/lib/platform/COSXClipboard.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  * GNU General Public License for more details.
  */
 
+#include "CClipboard.h"
 #include "COSXClipboard.h"
 #include "COSXClipboardUTF16Converter.h"
 #include "COSXClipboardTextConverter.h"
@@ -28,6 +29,20 @@ COSXClipboard::COSXClipboard() :
 {
 	m_converters.push_back(new COSXClipboardUTF16Converter);
 	m_converters.push_back(new COSXClipboardTextConverter);
+
+	OSStatus createErr = PasteboardCreate(kPasteboardClipboard, &m_pboard);
+	if (createErr != noErr) {
+		LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "failed to create clipboard reference: error %i", createErr));
+		LOG((CLOG_ERR "Unable to connect to pasteboard. Clipboard sharing disabled.", createErr));
+		m_pboard = NULL;
+		return;
+
+	}
+
+	OSStatus syncErr = PasteboardSynchronize(m_pboard);
+	if (syncErr != noErr) {
+		LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "failed to syncronize clipboard: error %i", syncErr));
+	}
 }
 
 COSXClipboard::~COSXClipboard()
@@ -35,44 +50,47 @@ COSXClipboard::~COSXClipboard()
 	clearConverters();
 }
 
-bool
+	bool
 COSXClipboard::empty()
 {
-	LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "empty clipboard"));
-	assert(m_pboard != NULL);
+	LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "emptying clipboard"));
+	if (m_pboard == NULL)
+		return false;
 
 	OSStatus err = PasteboardClear(m_pboard);
 	if (err != noErr) {
-		LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "failed to grab clipboard"));
-		return false;
-	}
-
-    
-	// we own the clipboard
-	UInt8 claimString[] = {'s', 'y', 'n', 'e'};
-	CFDataRef claimData = CFDataCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault, claimString, 4);
-
-	err = PasteboardPutItemFlavor(
-				m_pboard,
-                0,
-				getOwnershipFlavor(),
-				claimData,
-				kPasteboardFlavorNoFlags);
-	if (err != noErr) {
-		LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "failed to grab clipboard (%d)", err));
+		LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "failed to clear clipboard: error %i", err));
 		return false;
 	}
 
 	return true;
 }
 
-void
+	bool
+COSXClipboard::synchronize()
+{
+	if (m_pboard == NULL)
+		return false;
+
+	PasteboardSyncFlags flags = PasteboardSynchronize(m_pboard);
+	LOG((CLOG_DEBUG1 "flags: %x", flags));
+
+	if (flags & kPasteboardModified) {
+		return true;
+	}
+	return false;
+}    
+
+	void
 COSXClipboard::add(EFormat format, const CString & data)
 {
+	if (m_pboard == NULL)
+		return;
+
 	LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "add %d bytes to clipboard format: %d", data.size(), format));
 
 	for (ConverterList::const_iterator index = m_converters.begin();
-								index != m_converters.end(); ++index) {
+			index != m_converters.end(); ++index) {
 
 		IOSXClipboardConverter* converter = *index;
 
@@ -80,15 +98,15 @@ COSXClipboard::add(EFormat format, const CString & data)
 		if (converter->getFormat() == format) {
 			CString osXData = converter->fromIClipboard(data);
 			CFStringRef flavorType = converter->getOSXFormat();
-            CFDataRef data_ref = CFDataCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault, (UInt8 *)osXData.data(), osXData.size());
+			CFDataRef dataRef = CFDataCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault, (UInt8 *)osXData.data(), osXData.size());
 
 			PasteboardPutItemFlavor(
-				m_pboard,
-                (PasteboardItemID) 1,
-				flavorType,
-				data_ref, 
-				kPasteboardFlavorNoFlags);
-            LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "added %d bytes to clipboard format: %d", data.size(), format));
+					m_pboard,
+					(PasteboardItemID) 0,
+					flavorType,
+					dataRef, 
+					kPasteboardFlavorNoFlags);
+			LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "added %d bytes to clipboard format: %d", data.size(), format));
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -96,17 +114,19 @@ COSXClipboard::add(EFormat format, const CString & data)
 bool
 COSXClipboard::open(Time time) const 
 {
-	LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "open clipboard"));
+	if (m_pboard == NULL)
+		return false;
+
+	LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "opening clipboard"));
 	m_time = time;
-	OSStatus err = PasteboardCreate(kPasteboardClipboard, &m_pboard);
-	return (err == noErr);
+	return true;
 }
 
 void
 COSXClipboard::close() const
 {
-	LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "close clipboard"));
-	m_pboard = NULL;
+	LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "closing clipboard"));
+	/* not needed */
 }
 
 IClipboard::Time
@@ -118,16 +138,22 @@ COSXClipboard::getTime() const
 bool
 COSXClipboard::has(EFormat format) const
 {
-	assert(m_pboard != NULL);
+	if (m_pboard == NULL)
+		return false;
+
+	PasteboardItemID item;
+	PasteboardGetItemIdentifier(m_pboard, (CFIndex) 1, &item);
 
 	for (ConverterList::const_iterator index = m_converters.begin();
-							index != m_converters.end(); ++index) {
+			index != m_converters.end(); ++index) {
 		IOSXClipboardConverter* converter = *index;
 		if (converter->getFormat() == format) {
-			PasteboardFlavorFlags* flags = NULL;
+			PasteboardFlavorFlags flags;
 			CFStringRef type = converter->getOSXFormat();
 
-			if (PasteboardGetItemFlavorFlags(m_pboard, (void *)1, type, flags) == noErr) {
+			OSStatus res;
+
+			if ((res = PasteboardGetItemFlavorFlags(m_pboard, item, type, &flags)) == noErr) {
 				return true;
 			}
 		}
@@ -139,20 +165,27 @@ COSXClipboard::has(EFormat format) const
 CString
 COSXClipboard::get(EFormat format) const
 {
+	CFStringRef type;
+	PasteboardItemID item;
 	CString result;
-  CFStringRef type;
+
+	if (m_pboard == NULL)
+		return result;
+
+	PasteboardGetItemIdentifier(m_pboard, (CFIndex) 1, &item);
+
 
 	// find the converter for the first clipboard format we can handle
 	IOSXClipboardConverter* converter = NULL;
 	for (ConverterList::const_iterator index = m_converters.begin();
-							index != m_converters.end(); ++index) {
+			index != m_converters.end(); ++index) {
 		converter = *index;
 
-		PasteboardFlavorFlags* flags = NULL;
+		PasteboardFlavorFlags flags;
 		type = converter->getOSXFormat();
 
 		if (converter->getFormat() == format &&
-	    PasteboardGetItemFlavorFlags(m_pboard, (void *)1, type, flags) == noErr) {
+				PasteboardGetItemFlavorFlags(m_pboard, item, type, &flags) == noErr) {
 			break;
 		}
 		converter = NULL;
@@ -160,15 +193,15 @@ COSXClipboard::get(EFormat format) const
 
 	// if no converter then we don't recognize any formats
 	if (converter == NULL) {
+		LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "Unable to find converter for data"));
 		return result;
 	}
 
 	// get the clipboard data.
-  CFDataRef buffer = NULL;
+	CFDataRef buffer = NULL;
 	try {
-		OSStatus err = PasteboardCopyItemFlavorData(m_pboard, (void *)1,
-							type, &buffer);
-    
+		OSStatus err = PasteboardCopyItemFlavorData(m_pboard, item, type, &buffer);
+
 		if (err != noErr) {
 			throw err;
 		}
@@ -183,37 +216,21 @@ COSXClipboard::get(EFormat format) const
 		RETHROW_XTHREAD
 	}
 
-  if (buffer != NULL)
-    CFRelease(buffer);
+	if (buffer != NULL)
+		CFRelease(buffer);
 
 	return converter->toIClipboard(result);
 }
 
-void
+	void
 COSXClipboard::clearConverters()
 {
+	if (m_pboard == NULL)
+		return;
+
 	for (ConverterList::iterator index = m_converters.begin();
-							index != m_converters.end(); ++index) {
+			index != m_converters.end(); ++index) {
 		delete *index;
 	}
 	m_converters.clear();
 }
-
-bool 
-COSXClipboard::isOwnedBySynergy()
-{
-	PasteboardFlavorFlags flags;
-  PasteboardRef pboard;
-	OSStatus err = PasteboardCreate(kPasteboardClipboard, &pboard);
-	if (err == noErr) {
-		err = PasteboardGetItemFlavorFlags(pboard, 0, getOwnershipFlavor() , &flags);
-	}
-	return (err == noErr);
-}
-
-CFStringRef 
-COSXClipboard::getOwnershipFlavor()
-{
-	return CFSTR("Syne");
-}
-
diff --git a/lib/platform/COSXClipboard.h b/lib/platform/COSXClipboard.h
index 48edf854..76902b3c 100644
--- a/lib/platform/COSXClipboard.h
+++ b/lib/platform/COSXClipboard.h
@@ -39,17 +39,16 @@ public:
 	virtual bool		has(EFormat) const;
 	virtual CString		get(EFormat) const;
 
+	bool				synchronize();
 private:
 	void				clearConverters();
-	static CFStringRef
-						getOwnershipFlavor();
 
 private:
 	typedef std::vector<IOSXClipboardConverter*> ConverterList;
 
 	mutable Time		m_time;
 	ConverterList		m_converters;
-	mutable PasteboardRef	m_pboard;
+	PasteboardRef		m_pboard;
 };
 
 //! Clipboard format converter interface
diff --git a/lib/platform/COSXScreen.cpp b/lib/platform/COSXScreen.cpp
index a8e53cf6..b33c8c81 100644
--- a/lib/platform/COSXScreen.cpp
+++ b/lib/platform/COSXScreen.cpp
@@ -185,8 +185,7 @@ COSXScreen::getEventTarget() const
 bool
 COSXScreen::getClipboard(ClipboardID, IClipboard* dst) const
 {
-	COSXClipboard src;
-	CClipboard::copy(dst, &src);
+	CClipboard::copy(dst, &m_pasteboard);
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -643,41 +642,22 @@ COSXScreen::leave()
 bool
 COSXScreen::setClipboard(ClipboardID, const IClipboard* src)
 {
-	COSXClipboard dst;
-	if (src != NULL) {
-		// save clipboard data
-		if (!CClipboard::copy(&dst, src)) {
-			return false;
-		}
-	}
-	else {
-		// assert clipboard ownership
-		if (!dst.open(0)) {
-			return false;
-		}
-		dst.empty();
-		dst.close();
-	}
-	checkClipboards();
-	return true;
+    if(src != NULL) {
+        LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "setting clipboard"));
+        CClipboard::copy(&m_pasteboard, src);    
+    }    
+    return true;
 }
 
 void
 COSXScreen::checkClipboards()
 {
-	// check if clipboard ownership changed
-	if (!COSXClipboard::isOwnedBySynergy()) {
-		if (m_ownClipboard) {
-			LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "clipboard changed: lost ownership"));
-			m_ownClipboard = false;
-			sendClipboardEvent(getClipboardGrabbedEvent(), kClipboardClipboard);
-			sendClipboardEvent(getClipboardGrabbedEvent(), kClipboardSelection);
-		}
-	}
-	else if (!m_ownClipboard) {
-		LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "clipboard changed: synergy owned"));
-		m_ownClipboard = true;
-	}
+    LOG((CLOG_DEBUG1 "checking clipboard"));
+    if (m_pasteboard.synchronize()) {
+        LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "clipboard changed"));
+        sendClipboardEvent(getClipboardGrabbedEvent(), kClipboardClipboard);
+        sendClipboardEvent(getClipboardGrabbedEvent(), kClipboardSelection);
+    }
 }
 
 void
@@ -1629,4 +1609,4 @@ COSXScreen::handleCGInputEvent(CGEventTapProxy proxy,
 	} else {
 		return NULL;
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/lib/platform/COSXScreen.h b/lib/platform/COSXScreen.h
index d2bc3685..00a04472 100644
--- a/lib/platform/COSXScreen.h
+++ b/lib/platform/COSXScreen.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #define COSXSCREEN_H
 
 #include <Carbon/Carbon.h>
+#include "COSXClipboard.h"
 #include "CPlatformScreen.h"
 #include "stdmap.h"
 #include "stdvector.h"
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@ private:
 	COSXKeyState*		m_keyState;
 
 	// clipboards
+	COSXClipboard       m_pasteboard;
 	UInt32				m_sequenceNumber;
 
 	// screen saver stuff