diff -Naurp xfdesktop.bak/configure.ac.in xfdesktop/configure.ac.in
--- xfdesktop.bak/configure.ac.in	2008-09-16 05:22:23.000000000 +0200
+++ xfdesktop/configure.ac.in	2008-09-16 05:55:13.000000000 +0200
@@ -255,6 +255,22 @@ if test "x$enable_xml2po" = "xyes"; then
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_XML2PO], [test "x$enable_xml2po" = "xyes"])
 
+dnl Check whether to support xdg user dirs. glib >= 2.14.0 needed.
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([xdg-user-dirs],
+              [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-xdg-user-dirs],
+                              [Enable support for the xdg user special directories (glib >= 2.14.0 needed) [default=yes]])],
+              [ac_bm_xfdesktop_xdg_user_dirs=$enableval],
+              [ac_bm_xfdesktop_xdg_user_dirs=yes])
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to build support for xdg user dirs])
+
+if test "x$ac_bm_xfdesktop_xdg_user_dirs" = "xyes"; then
+    XDT_CHECK_PACKAGE([GLIB], [glib-2.0], [2.14.0])
+    AC_DEFINE([XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS], [1], [Define if support for xdg user special dirs should be built])
+else
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+fi
+
 dnl check for debugging support
 XDT_FEATURE_DEBUG
 
@@ -290,4 +306,5 @@ echo "  Build desktop menu module:      
 echo "  Build desktop menu panel plugin:              $build_panel_plugin"
 echo "  Build support for desktop icons:              $enable_desktop_icons"
 echo "      Include support for file/launcher icons:  $enable_file_icons"
+echo "  Support for XDG user directories:             $ac_bm_xfdesktop_xdg_user_dirs"
 echo
diff -Naurp xfdesktop.bak/src/xfce-desktop.c xfdesktop/src/xfce-desktop.c
--- xfdesktop.bak/src/xfce-desktop.c	2008-09-16 05:22:16.000000000 +0200
+++ xfdesktop/src/xfce-desktop.c	2008-09-16 05:54:29.000000000 +0200
@@ -214,8 +214,12 @@ xfce_desktop_setup_icon_view(XfceDesktop
         case XFCE_DESKTOP_ICON_STYLE_FILES:
             {
                 ThunarVfsPath *path;
+#ifdef XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS
+                const gchar *desktop_path = g_get_user_special_dir(G_USER_DIRECTORY_DESKTOP);
+#else /* XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS */
                 gchar *desktop_path = xfce_get_homefile("Desktop",
                                                         NULL);
+#endif /* XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS */
 
                 path = thunar_vfs_path_new(desktop_path, NULL);
                 if(path) {
@@ -226,7 +230,9 @@ xfce_desktop_setup_icon_view(XfceDesktop
                     g_critical("Unable to create ThunarVfsPath for '%s'",
                                desktop_path);
                 }
+#ifndef XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS
                 g_free(desktop_path);
+#endif /* XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS */
             }
             break;
 #endif
diff -Naurp xfdesktop.bak/src/xfdesktop-file-icon-manager.c xfdesktop/src/xfdesktop-file-icon-manager.c
--- xfdesktop.bak/src/xfdesktop-file-icon-manager.c	2008-09-16 05:22:16.000000000 +0200
+++ xfdesktop/src/xfdesktop-file-icon-manager.c	2008-09-16 05:54:29.000000000 +0200
@@ -1648,6 +1648,9 @@ xfdesktop_file_icon_manager_populate_con
                                                   GtkMenuShell *menu,
                                                   gpointer user_data)
 {
+#ifdef XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS
+    gboolean was_templates_dir_found = TRUE;
+#endif /* XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS */
     XfdesktopFileIconManager *fmanager = XFDESKTOP_FILE_ICON_MANAGER(user_data);
     XfdesktopFileIcon *file_icon = NULL;
     const ThunarVfsInfo *info = NULL;
@@ -1797,11 +1800,26 @@ xfdesktop_file_icon_manager_populate_con
                     gtk_widget_show(tmpl_menu);
                     gtk_menu_item_set_submenu(GTK_MENU_ITEM(mi), tmpl_menu);
                     
+#ifdef XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS
+                    templates_path_str = g_get_user_special_dir(G_USER_DIRECTORY_TEMPLATES);
+                    if (G_UNLIKELY(templates_path_str == NULL)) {
+                      templates_path_str = g_build_filename(xfce_get_homedir(),
+                                                           "Templates",
+                                                           NULL);
+                      was_templates_dir_found = FALSE;
+                    }
+#else /* XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS */
                     templates_path_str = g_build_filename(xfce_get_homedir(),
                                                           "Templates",
                                                           NULL);
+#endif /* XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS */
                     templates_path = thunar_vfs_path_new(templates_path_str, NULL);
+#ifdef XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS
+                    if (G_UNLIKELY(was_templates_dir_found == FALSE))
+                      g_free(templates_path_str);
+#else /* XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS */
                     g_free(templates_path_str);
+#endif /* XDG_USER_SPECIAL_DIRS */
                     if(templates_path) {
                         have_templates = xfdesktop_file_icon_menu_fill_template_menu(tmpl_menu,
                                                                                      templates_path,