diff --git a/xfce4-session.changes b/xfce4-session.changes
index 1c2120f..2702ce2 100644
--- a/xfce4-session.changes
+++ b/xfce4-session.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Wed May 17 14:19:47 UTC 2017 - fvogt@suse.com
+
+- Use update-alternatives to create default.desktop xsession (boo#1030873)
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Mon Sep 19 17:55:53 UTC 2016 - robert@linux-source.org
 
diff --git a/xfce4-session.spec b/xfce4-session.spec
index d90a4e6..e71c764 100644
--- a/xfce4-session.spec
+++ b/xfce4-session.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #
 # spec file for package xfce4-session
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2016 SUSE LINUX GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
+# Copyright (c) 2017 SUSE LINUX GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
 #
 # All modifications and additions to the file contributed by third parties
 # remain the property of their copyright owners, unless otherwise agreed
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ Requires:       xfce4-settings
 Requires:       xfconf
 # bnc#845264
 Requires:       iceauth
+Requires(post): update-alternatives
+Requires(postun): update-alternatives
 Recommends:     %{name}-doc = %{version}
 Recommends:     %{name}-lang = %{version}
 # minimal packages for an Xfce session
@@ -139,6 +141,10 @@ find %{buildroot} -type f -name "*.la" -delete -print
 rm %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/polkit-1/actions/org.xfce.session.policy \
     %{buildroot}%{_libdir}/xfce4/session/xfsm-shutdown-helper
 
+mkdir -p %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/alternatives
+touch %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/alternatives/default-xsession.desktop
+ln -s %{_sysconfdir}/alternatives/default-xsession.desktop %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/xsessions/default.desktop
+
 %post -n %{libname} -p /sbin/ldconfig
 
 %postun -n %{libname} -p /sbin/ldconfig
@@ -146,10 +152,14 @@ rm %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/polkit-1/actions/org.xfce.session.policy \
 %post
 %desktop_database_post
 %icon_theme_cache_post
+%{_sbindir}/update-alternatives --install %{_datadir}/xsessions/default.desktop \
+  default-xsession.desktop %{_datadir}/xsessions/xfce.desktop 20
 
 %postun
 %desktop_database_postun
 %icon_theme_cache_postun
+[ -f %{_datadir}/xsessions/xfce.desktop ] || %{_sbindir}/update-alternatives \
+  --remove default-xsession.desktop %{_datadir}/xsessions/xfce.desktop
 
 %files
 %defattr(-,root,root)
@@ -166,6 +176,8 @@ rm %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/polkit-1/actions/org.xfce.session.policy \
 %{_libdir}/xfce4
 %{_datadir}/xfce
 %{_datadir}/xsessions/xfce.desktop
+%ghost %{_datadir}/xsessions/default.desktop
+%ghost %{_sysconfdir}/alternatives/default-xsession.desktop
 %{_datadir}/themes/*
 %{_datadir}/applications/*.desktop
 %{_datadir}/icons/*/*/*