diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@
     set(HAVE_WAYLAND_EGL TRUE)
 endif()
 
-find_package(XKB 0.4.1)
+find_package(XKB 0.5.0)
 set_package_properties(XKB PROPERTIES
                        TYPE REQUIRED
                        PURPOSE "Required for building KWin with Wayland support"
diff --git a/keyboard_input.h b/keyboard_input.h
--- a/keyboard_input.h
+++ b/keyboard_input.h
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 struct xkb_context;
 struct xkb_keymap;
 struct xkb_state;
+struct xkb_compose_table;
+struct xkb_compose_state;
 typedef uint32_t xkb_mod_index_t;
 typedef uint32_t xkb_keysym_t;
 
@@ -58,6 +60,9 @@
     void updateModifiers(uint32_t modsDepressed, uint32_t modsLatched, uint32_t modsLocked, uint32_t group);
     void updateKey(uint32_t key, InputRedirection::KeyboardKeyState state);
     xkb_keysym_t toKeysym(uint32_t key);
+    xkb_keysym_t currentKeysym() const {
+        return m_keysym;
+    }
     QString toString(xkb_keysym_t keysym);
     Qt::Key toQtKey(xkb_keysym_t keysym);
     Qt::KeyboardModifiers modifiers() const;
@@ -81,11 +86,17 @@
     xkb_mod_index_t m_altModifier;
     xkb_mod_index_t m_metaModifier;
     Qt::KeyboardModifiers m_modifiers;
+    xkb_keysym_t m_keysym;
     struct {
         uint pressCount = 0;
         Qt::KeyboardModifier modifier = Qt::NoModifier;
     } m_modOnlyShortcut;
     quint32 m_currentLayout = 0;
+
+    struct {
+        xkb_compose_table *table = nullptr;
+        xkb_compose_state *state = nullptr;
+    } m_compose;
 };
 
 class KeyboardInputRedirection : public QObject
diff --git a/keyboard_input.cpp b/keyboard_input.cpp
--- a/keyboard_input.cpp
+++ b/keyboard_input.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <QTemporaryFile>
 // xkbcommon
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
+#include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon-compose.h>
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon-keysyms.h>
 // system
 #include <sys/mman.h>
@@ -90,12 +91,31 @@
     , m_altModifier(0)
     , m_metaModifier(0)
     , m_modifiers(Qt::NoModifier)
+    , m_keysym(XKB_KEY_NoSymbol)
 {
     if (!m_context) {
         qCDebug(KWIN_XKB) << "Could not create xkb context";
     } else {
         xkb_context_set_log_level(m_context, XKB_LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG);
         xkb_context_set_log_fn(m_context, &xkbLogHandler);
+
+        // get locale as described in xkbcommon doc
+        // cannot use QLocale as it drops the modifier part
+        QByteArray locale = qgetenv("LC_ALL");
+        if (locale.isEmpty()) {
+            locale = qgetenv("LC_CTYPE");
+        }
+        if (locale.isEmpty()) {
+            locale = qgetenv("LANG");
+        }
+        if (locale.isEmpty()) {
+            locale = QByteArrayLiteral("C");
+        }
+
+        m_compose.table = xkb_compose_table_new_from_locale(m_context, locale.constData(), XKB_COMPOSE_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS);
+        if (m_compose.table) {
+            m_compose.state = xkb_compose_state_new(m_compose.table, XKB_COMPOSE_STATE_NO_FLAGS);
+        }
     }
 
     auto resetModOnlyShortcut = [this] {
@@ -108,6 +128,8 @@
 
 Xkb::~Xkb()
 {
+    xkb_compose_state_unref(m_compose.state);
+    xkb_compose_table_unref(m_compose.table);
     xkb_state_unref(m_state);
     xkb_keymap_unref(m_keymap);
     xkb_context_unref(m_context);
@@ -254,6 +276,24 @@
     }
     const auto oldMods = m_modifiers;
     xkb_state_update_key(m_state, key + 8, static_cast<xkb_key_direction>(state));
+    if (state == InputRedirection::KeyboardKeyPressed) {
+        const auto sym = toKeysym(key);
+        if (m_compose.state && xkb_compose_state_feed(m_compose.state, sym) == XKB_COMPOSE_FEED_ACCEPTED) {
+            switch (xkb_compose_state_get_status(m_compose.state)) {
+            case XKB_COMPOSE_NOTHING:
+                m_keysym = sym;
+                break;
+            case XKB_COMPOSE_COMPOSED:
+                m_keysym = xkb_compose_state_get_one_sym(m_compose.state);
+                break;
+            default:
+                m_keysym = XKB_KEY_NoSymbol;
+                break;
+            }
+        } else {
+            m_keysym = sym;
+        }
+    }
     updateModifiers();
     if (state == InputRedirection::KeyboardKeyPressed) {
         m_modOnlyShortcut.pressCount++;
@@ -525,13 +565,13 @@
         }
     }
 
-    const xkb_keysym_t keySym = m_xkb->toKeysym(key);
+    const xkb_keysym_t keySym = m_xkb->currentKeysym();
     KeyEvent event(type,
                    m_xkb->toQtKey(keySym),
                    m_xkb->modifiers(),
                    key,
                    keySym,
-                   m_xkb->toString(m_xkb->toKeysym(key)),
+                   m_xkb->toString(keySym),
                    autoRepeat,
                    time,
                    device);