diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+# 0.17.3
+
+* `X.A.Eval`: Use `$XMONAD_XMESSAGE` instead of hard-coded `/usr/bin/xmessage`.
+* `X.P.Eval`: Reexport `defaultEvalConfig`.
+
 # 0.17.2
 
 * Fixed an incompatibility with MPD.hs an xmonad-contrib version 0.18+.
diff --git a/XMonad/Actions/Eval.hs b/XMonad/Actions/Eval.hs
--- a/XMonad/Actions/Eval.hs
+++ b/XMonad/Actions/Eval.hs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import XMonad.Util.Run
 import Language.Haskell.Interpreter
 import Data.List
+import System.Environment
 
 -- $usage
 -- This module provides functions to evaluate haskell expressions at runtime
@@ -75,8 +76,9 @@
 
 -- | Default way to handle(in this case: display) an error during interpretation of an expression.
 handleErrorDefault :: InterpreterError -> X String
-handleErrorDefault err = io (safeSpawn "/usr/bin/xmessage" [replace (show err) "\\n" "\n"]) >>
-                         return "Error"
+handleErrorDefault err = do
+  xmsg <- fmap (maybe "xmessage" id) (io $ lookupEnv "XMONAD_XMESSAGE")
+  io (safeSpawn xmsg [replace (show err) "\\n" "\n"]) >> return "Error"
 
 -- | Returns an Interpreter action that loads the desired modules and interprets the expression.
 interpret' :: EvalConfig -> String -> Interpreter (X String)
diff --git a/XMonad/Prompt/Eval.hs b/XMonad/Prompt/Eval.hs
--- a/XMonad/Prompt/Eval.hs
+++ b/XMonad/Prompt/Eval.hs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
                            evalPrompt
                           ,evalPromptWithOutput
                           ,showWithDzen
+                          ,defaultEvalConfig
                           ) where
 
 import XMonad
diff --git a/xmonad-extras.cabal b/xmonad-extras.cabal
--- a/xmonad-extras.cabal
+++ b/xmonad-extras.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:               xmonad-extras
-version:            0.17.2
+version:            0.17.3
 homepage:           https://github.com/xmonad/xmonad-extras
 synopsis:           Third party extensions for xmonad with wacky dependencies
 description:        Various modules for xmonad that cannot be added to xmonad-contrib
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
 --                         XMonad.Hooks.EvalServer
 
     if flag(with_mpd)
-        build-depends: libmpd >= 0.9, bytestring >= 0.9 && < 0.12
+        build-depends: libmpd >= 0.9, bytestring >= 0.9 && < 0.13
         exposed-modules: XMonad.Prompt.MPD
 
     if flag(with_regex_posix)
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
         exposed-modules: XMonad.Util.WindowPropertiesRE
 
     if flag(with_brightness)
-        build-depends: bytestring >= 0.9 && < 0.12
+        build-depends: bytestring >= 0.9 && < 0.13
         exposed-modules: XMonad.Util.Brightness
 
     if flag(with_template_haskell) && flag(with_hlist)
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
         other-modules:   XMonad.Config.Alt.Types
 
     if flag(with_dbus)
-        build-depends: dbus >= 1.2 && < 1.4
+        build-depends: dbus >= 1.2 && < 1.5
         exposed-modules: XMonad.Actions.Invert
 
     exposed-modules: XMonad.Hooks.PerWindowKbdLayout