diff --git a/dom0/restore/xenfreepages.c b/dom0/restore/xenfreepages.c
index ced36dbb..90d2a514 100644
--- a/dom0/restore/xenfreepages.c
+++ b/dom0/restore/xenfreepages.c
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@
 struct xen_sysctl_physinfo xphysinfo;
 main()
 {
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+	xc_interface *handle = xc_interface_open(NULL, NULL, 0);
+	if (!handle) {
+#else
 	int handle = xc_interface_open();
 	if (handle == -1) {
+#endif
 		perror("xc_interface_open");
 		exit(1);
 	}
diff --git a/qrexec/txrx-vchan.c b/qrexec/txrx-vchan.c
index 2a95180f..01e54c5a 100644
--- a/qrexec/txrx-vchan.c
+++ b/qrexec/txrx-vchan.c
@@ -83,7 +83,11 @@ int buffer_space_vchan_ext()
 // if the remote domain is destroyed, we get no notification
 // thus, we check for the status periodically
 
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+static xc_interface *xc_handle = NULL;
+#else
 static int xc_handle = -1;
+#endif
 void slow_check_for_libvchan_is_eof(struct libvchan *ctrl)
 {
 	struct evtchn_status evst;
@@ -198,8 +202,13 @@ char *peer_client_init(int dom, int port)
 	// now client init should succeed; "while" is redundant
 	while (!(ctrl = libvchan_client_init(dom, port)));
 
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+	xc_handle = xc_interface_open(NULL, 0, 0);
+	if (!xc_handle) {
+#else
 	xc_handle = xc_interface_open();
 	if (xc_handle < 0) {
+#endif
 		perror("xc_interface_open");
 		exit(1);
 	}
diff --git a/vchan/init.c b/vchan/init.c
index 4a3da4f2..30cc2001 100644
--- a/vchan/init.c
+++ b/vchan/init.c
@@ -65,15 +65,25 @@ static int server_interface_init(struct libvchan *ctrl, int devno)
 	struct xs_handle *xs;
 	char buf[64];
 	char ref[16];
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+    xc_evtchn *evfd;
+#else
 	int evfd;
+#endif
 	evtchn_port_or_error_t port;
 	xs = xs_domain_open();
 	if (!xs) {
 		return ret;
 	}
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+	evfd = xc_evtchn_open(NULL, 0);
+	if (!evfd)
+		goto fail;
+#else
 	evfd = xc_evtchn_open();
 	if (evfd < 0)
 		goto fail;
+#endif
 	ctrl->evfd = evfd;
 	// the following hardcoded 0 is the peer domain id
 	port = xc_evtchn_bind_unbound_port(evfd, 0);	
@@ -98,7 +108,11 @@ static int server_interface_init(struct libvchan *ctrl, int devno)
 	ret = 0;
       fail2:
 	if (ret)
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+        xc_evtchn_close(evfd);
+#else
 		close(evfd);
+#endif
       fail:
 	xs_daemon_close(xs);
 	return ret;
@@ -152,10 +166,18 @@ static int client_interface_init(struct libvchan *ctrl, int domain, int devno)
 	int ret = -1;
 	unsigned int len;
 	struct xs_handle *xs;
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+    xc_interface *xcfd;
+#else
 	int xcfd;
+#endif
 	char buf[64];
 	char *ref;
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+    xc_evtchn *evfd;
+#else
 	int evfd;
+#endif
 	int remote_port;
 	xs = xs_daemon_open();
 	if (!xs) {
@@ -181,23 +203,43 @@ static int client_interface_init(struct libvchan *ctrl, int domain, int devno)
 	if (!remote_port)
 		goto fail;
 	free(ref);
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+	xcfd = xc_interface_open(NULL, NULL, 0);
+	if (!xcfd)
+		goto fail;
+#else
 	xcfd = xc_interface_open();
 	if (xcfd < 0)
 		goto fail;
+#endif
 	ctrl->ring = (struct vchan_interface *)
 	    xc_map_foreign_range(xcfd, domain, 4096,
 				 PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, ctrl->ring_ref);
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+    xc_interface_close(xcfd);
+#else
 	close(xcfd);
+#endif
 	if (ctrl->ring == 0 || ctrl->ring == MAP_FAILED)
 		goto fail;
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+	evfd = xc_evtchn_open(NULL, 0);
+	if (!evfd)
+		goto fail;
+#else
 	evfd = xc_evtchn_open();
 	if (evfd < 0)
 		goto fail;
+#endif
 	ctrl->evfd = evfd;
 	ctrl->evport =
 	    xc_evtchn_bind_interdomain(evfd, domain, remote_port);
 	if (ctrl->evport < 0 || xc_evtchn_notify(evfd, ctrl->evport))
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+        xc_evtchn_close(evfd);
+#else
 		close(evfd);
+#endif
 	else
 		ret = 0;
       fail:
diff --git a/vchan/io.c b/vchan/io.c
index 7b524279..6b16f406 100644
--- a/vchan/io.c
+++ b/vchan/io.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ int libvchan_close(struct libvchan *ctrl)
 /// The fd to use for select() set
 int libvchan_fd_for_select(struct libvchan *ctrl)
 {
-	return ctrl->evfd;
+	return xc_evtchn_fd(ctrl->evfd);
 }
 
 /// Unmasks event channel; must be called before calling select(), and only then
diff --git a/vchan/libvchan.h b/vchan/libvchan.h
index 652284ba..6a6025fb 100644
--- a/vchan/libvchan.h
+++ b/vchan/libvchan.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <xenctrl.h>
 typedef uint32_t VCHAN_RING_IDX;
 
 /// struct vchan_interface is placed in memory shared between domains
@@ -37,7 +38,11 @@ struct libvchan {
 	struct vchan_interface *ring;
 	uint32_t ring_ref;
 	/// descriptor to event channel interface
+#ifdef XENCTRL_HAS_XC_INTERFACE
+    xc_evtchn *evfd;
+#else
 	int evfd;
+#endif
 	int evport;
 	VCHAN_RING_IDX *wr_cons, *wr_prod, *rd_cons, *rd_prod;
 	char *rd_ring, *wr_ring;