diff --git a/tools/ei-demo-client.c b/tools/ei-demo-client.c
index c93bc54..196e59c 100644
--- a/tools/ei-demo-client.c
+++ b/tools/ei-demo-client.c
@@ -104,7 +104,14 @@ setup_xkb_keymap(struct ei_keymap *keymap)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	_unref_(xkb_keymap) *xkbmap = xkb_keymap_new_from_string(ctx, memmap_get_data(memmap),
+	/* workaround for libxkbcommon#307 (fixed in libxkbcommon 1.6.0) - strip the trailing null byte */
+	size_t sz = memmap_get_size(memmap);
+	char *data = memmap_get_data(memmap);
+	while (sz > 0 && data[sz - 1] == '\0')
+		--sz;
+
+	_unref_(xkb_keymap) *xkbmap = xkb_keymap_new_from_buffer(ctx, memmap_get_data(memmap),
+								 memmap_get_size(memmap),
 								 XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V1,
 								 XKB_KEYMAP_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS);
 	if (!xkbmap)