Switching to nv driver solves the problem. Switching to xinerama solves the problem. Removing the second screen resolves the problem. Sigh. I'll file a bug with nvidia about it :( FWIW, I've attached my xorg.conf (which is pretty messy) and the output of lspci -vv is: 00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8377 [KT400/KT600 AGP] Host Bridge Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. A7V8X motherboard Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- Reset- FastB2B- Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2 Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-) Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME- 00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI]) Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. A7V8X-X motherboard Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV+ VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR-