diff -Naur a/dialogs/appearance-settings/main.c b/dialogs/appearance-settings/main.c
--- a/dialogs/appearance-settings/main.c	2013-09-26 15:39:30.000000000 +0100
+++ b/dialogs/appearance-settings/main.c	2014-01-12 19:44:38.430961090 +0000
@@ -228,9 +228,6 @@
         if (dpi <= 0)
             dpi = compute_xsettings_dpi (GTK_WIDGET (custom_dpi_toggle));
 
-        /* Apply the computed custom DPI value */
-        xfconf_channel_set_int (xsettings_channel, "/Xft/DPI", dpi);
-
         gtk_widget_set_sensitive (GTK_WIDGET (custom_dpi_spin), TRUE);
     }
     else
@@ -258,9 +255,6 @@
         /* Custom DPI is turned on and the spin button has changed, so remember the value */
         xfconf_channel_set_int (xsettings_channel, "/Xfce/LastCustomDPI", dpi);
     }
-
-    /* Tell xfsettingsd to apply the custom DPI value */
-    xfconf_channel_set_int (xsettings_channel, "/Xft/DPI", dpi);
 }
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_SOUND_SETTINGS
diff -Naur a/xfsettingsd/displays.c b/xfsettingsd/displays.c
--- a/xfsettingsd/displays.c	2013-09-26 15:39:30.000000000 +0100
+++ b/xfsettingsd/displays.c	2014-01-12 19:45:48.355715879 +0000
@@ -1052,15 +1052,6 @@
     /* calculate the total screen size */
     helper->width = MAX (helper->width, crtc->x + crtc->width);
     helper->height = MAX (helper->height, crtc->y + crtc->height);
-
-    /* The 'physical size' of an X screen is meaningless if that screen
-     * can consist of many monitors. So just pick a size that make the
-     * dpi 96.
-     *
-     * Firefox and Evince apparently believe what X tells them.
-     */
-    helper->mm_width = (helper->width / 96.0) * 25.4 + 0.5;
-    helper->mm_height = (helper->height / 96.0) * 25.4 + 0.5;
 }
 
 
diff -Naur a/xfsettingsd/xsettings.c b/xfsettingsd/xsettings.c
--- a/xfsettingsd/xsettings.c	2013-09-26 15:39:30.000000000 +0100
+++ b/xfsettingsd/xsettings.c	2014-01-12 19:08:25.152513803 +0000
@@ -947,14 +947,6 @@
     {
         screen = li->data;
 
-        /* set the accurate dpi for this screen */
-        if (notify->dpi_offset > 0)
-        {
-            dpi = xfce_xsettings_helper_screen_dpi (screen);
-            needle = notify->buf + notify->dpi_offset;
-            *(INT32 *)needle = dpi * 1024;
-        }
-
         XChangeProperty (screen->xdisplay, screen->window,
                          helper->xsettings_atom, helper->xsettings_atom,
                          8, PropModeReplace, notify->buf, notify->buf_len);