diff -Naur b/config/Init.in a/config/Init.in
--- b/config/Init.in	2010-06-03 01:06:25.000000000 +0000
+++ a/config/Init.in	2012-12-08 10:57:07.000000000 +0000
@@ -22,18 +22,28 @@
   echo "$OUTPUT"
 }
 
-sysresources=/etc/X11/Xresources
+archsysresources="/etc/X11/xinit/.Xresources"
+sysresources="/etc/X11/Xresources"
 
 # merge in defaults
+if [ -f "$archsysresources" ]; then
+    xrdb -merge "$archsysresources"
+fi
+
 if [ -f "$sysresources" ]; then
     xrdb -merge "$sysresources"
 fi
 
-sysmodmap=/etc/X11/Xmodmap
+archsysmodmap="/etc/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap"
+sysmodmap="/etc/X11/Xmodmap"
 
 XMODMAP=`gdmwhich xmodmap`
 if [ "x$XMODMAP" != "x" ] ; then
   if [ "x$GDM_PARENT_DISPLAY" = "x" ]; then
+    if [ -f "$archsysmodmap" ]; then
+      $XMODMAP "$archsysmodmap"
+    fi
+
     if [ -f $sysmodmap ]; then
       $XMODMAP $sysmodmap
     fi
diff -Naur b/config/Xsession.in a/config/Xsession.in
--- b/config/Xsession.in	2010-06-03 01:06:25.000000000 +0000
+++ a/config/Xsession.in	2012-12-08 10:52:18.000000000 +0000
@@ -85,16 +85,16 @@
 usermodmap="$HOME/.Xmodmap"
 userxkbmap="$HOME/.Xkbmap"
 
-sysresources=/etc/X11/Xresources 
-sysmodmap=/etc/X11/Xmodmap 
-sysxkbmap=/etc/X11/Xkbmap
+sysresources="/etc/X11/Xresources"
+sysmodmap="/etc/X11/Xmodmap"
+sysxkbmap="/etc/X11/Xkbmap"
 
-rh6sysresources=/etc/X11/xinit/Xresources 
-rh6sysmodmap=/etc/X11/xinit/Xmodmap 
+archsysresources="/etc/X11/xinit/.Xresources"
+archsysmodmap="/etc/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap"
 
 # merge in defaults
-if [ -f "$rh6sysresources" ]; then
-    xrdb -merge "$rh6sysresources"
+if [ -f "$archsysresources" ]; then
+    xrdb -merge "$archsysresources"
 fi
 
 if [ -f "$sysresources" ]; then
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@
 
 # xkb and xmodmap don't play nice together
 if [ -z "$XKB_IN_USE" ]; then
-    if [ -f "$rh6sysmodmap" ]; then
-       xmodmap "$rh6sysmodmap"
+    if [ -f "$archsysmodmap" ]; then
+       xmodmap "$archsysmodmap"
     fi
 
     if [ -f "$sysmodmap" ]; then