--- x.c
+++ x.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <X11/keysym.h>
 #include <X11/Xft/Xft.h>
 #include <X11/XKBlib.h>
+#include <X11/Xresource.h>
 
 char *argv0;
 #include "arg.h"
@@ -1978,6 +1979,130 @@ run(void)
 	}
 }
 
+#define XRESOURCE_LOAD_META(NAME)					\
+	if(!XrmGetResource(xrdb, "st." NAME, "st." NAME, &type, &ret))	\
+		XrmGetResource(xrdb, "*." NAME, "*." NAME, &type, &ret); \
+	if (ret.addr != NULL && !strncmp("String", type, 64))
+
+#define XRESOURCE_LOAD_STRING(NAME, DST)	\
+	XRESOURCE_LOAD_META(NAME)		\
+		DST = ret.addr;
+
+#define XRESOURCE_LOAD_CHAR(NAME, DST)		\
+	XRESOURCE_LOAD_META(NAME)		\
+		DST = ret.addr[0];
+
+#define XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER(NAME, DST)		\
+	XRESOURCE_LOAD_META(NAME)			\
+		DST = strtoul(ret.addr, NULL, 10);
+
+#define XRESOURCE_LOAD_FLOAT(NAME, DST)		\
+	XRESOURCE_LOAD_META(NAME)		\
+		DST = strtof(ret.addr, NULL);
+
+void
+xrdb_load(void)
+{
+	/* XXX */
+	char *xrm;
+	char *type;
+	XrmDatabase xrdb;
+	XrmValue ret;
+	Display *dpy;
+
+	if(!(dpy = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
+		die("Can't open display\n");
+
+	XrmInitialize();
+	xrm = XResourceManagerString(dpy);
+
+	if (xrm != NULL) {
+		xrdb = XrmGetStringDatabase(xrm);
+
+		/* handling colors here without macros to do via loop. */
+		int i = 0;
+		char loadValue[12] = "";
+		for (i = 0; i < 256; i++)
+		{
+			sprintf(loadValue, "%s%d", "st.color", i);
+
+			if(!XrmGetResource(xrdb, loadValue, loadValue, &type, &ret))
+			{
+				sprintf(loadValue, "%s%d", "*.color", i);
+				if (!XrmGetResource(xrdb, loadValue, loadValue, &type, &ret))
+					/* reset if not found (unless in range for defaults). */
+					if (i > 15)
+						colorname[i] = NULL;
+			}
+
+			if (ret.addr != NULL && !strncmp("String", type, 64))
+				colorname[i] = ret.addr;
+		}
+
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_STRING("foreground", colorname[defaultfg]);
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_STRING("background", colorname[defaultbg]);
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_STRING("cursorfg", colorname[defaultcs])
+		else {
+		  // this looks confusing because we are chaining off of the if
+		  // in the macro. probably we should be wrapping everything blocks
+		  // so this isn't possible...
+		  defaultcs = defaultfg;
+		}
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_STRING("reverse-cursor", colorname[defaultrcs])
+		else {
+		  // see above.
+		  defaultrcs = defaultbg;
+		}
+
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_STRING("font", font);
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_STRING("termname", termname);
+
+		/* XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("xfps", xfps); */
+		/* XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("actionfps", actionfps); */
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("blinktimeout", blinktimeout);
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("bellvolume", bellvolume);
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("borderpx", borderpx);
+		/* XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("borderless", borderless); */
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("cursorshape", cursorshape);
+
+		/* cursorblinkstate = 1; // in case if cursor shape was changed from a blinking one to a non-blinking */
+		/* XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("cursorthickness", cursorthickness); */
+		/* XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("cursorblinkstyle", cursorblinkstyle); */
+		/* XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("cursorblinkontype", cursorblinkontype); */
+
+		/* todo: https://github.com/gnotclub/xst/commit/1e82647b0e04077e975679a4b4cf1eb02b04e6bc */
+		/* XRESOURCE_LOAD_INTEGER("mouseScrollLines", mousescrolllines); */
+
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_FLOAT("cwscale", cwscale);
+		XRESOURCE_LOAD_FLOAT("chscale", chscale);
+
+		/* XRESOURCE_LOAD_CHAR("prompt_char", prompt_char); */
+
+	}
+	XFlush(dpy);
+}
+
+void
+reload(int sig)
+{
+	xrdb_load();
+
+	/* colors, fonts */
+	xloadcols();
+	xunloadfonts();
+	xloadfonts(font, 0);
+
+	/* pretend the window just got resized */
+	cresize(win.w, win.h);
+
+	redraw();
+
+	/* triggers re-render if we're visible. */
+	ttywrite("\033[O", 3, 1);
+
+	signal(SIGUSR1, reload);
+}
+
 void
 usage(void)
 {
@@ -2051,6 +2176,8 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "");
 	XSetLocaleModifiers("");
+	xrdb_load();
+	signal(SIGUSR1, reload);
 	cols = MAX(cols, 1);
 	rows = MAX(rows, 1);
 	tnew(cols, rows);