diff --git a/ewmh.c b/ewmh.c
index 1a72953d..d0ff5e5c 100644
--- a/ewmh.c
+++ b/ewmh.c
@@ -187,18 +187,11 @@ ewmh_update_net_numbers_of_desktop(int phys_screen)
 void
 ewmh_update_net_current_desktop(int phys_screen)
 {
-    tag_array_t *tags = &globalconf.screens.tab[phys_screen].tags;
-    uint32_t count = 0;
-    tag_t **curtags = tags_get_current( &globalconf.screens.tab[phys_screen]);
-
-    while(count < (uint32_t) tags->len && tags->tab[count] != curtags[0])
-        count++;
+    uint32_t idx = tags_get_first_selected_index(&globalconf.screens.tab[phys_screen]);
 
     xcb_change_property(globalconf.connection, XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE,
                         xutil_screen_get(globalconf.connection, phys_screen)->root,
-                        _NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP, CARDINAL, 32, 1, &count);
-
-    p_delete(&curtags);
+                        _NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP, CARDINAL, 32, 1, &idx);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/tag.c b/tag.c
index c36311ba..22e0fb1a 100644
--- a/tag.c
+++ b/tag.c
@@ -206,25 +206,19 @@ is_client_tagged(client_t *c, tag_t *t)
     return false;
 }
 
-/** Get the current tags for the specified screen.
- * Returned pointer must be p_delete'd after.
+/** Get the index of the first selected tag.
  * \param screen Screen.
- * \return A double pointer of tag list finished with a NULL element.
+ * \return Its index.
  */
-tag_t **
-tags_get_current(screen_t *screen)
+int
+tags_get_first_selected_index(screen_t *screen)
 {
-    tag_t **out = p_new(tag_t *, screen->tags.len + 1);
-    int n = 0;
-
     foreach(tag, screen->tags)
         if((*tag)->selected)
-            out[n++] = *tag;
-
-    return out;
+            return tag_array_indexof(&screen->tags, tag);
+    return 0;
 }
 
-
 /** Set a tag to be the only one viewed.
  * \param target the tag to see
  */
diff --git a/tag.h b/tag.h
index b5178255..7154c3f5 100644
--- a/tag.h
+++ b/tag.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct tag
     client_array_t clients;
 };
 
-tag_t **tags_get_current(screen_t *);
+int tags_get_first_selected_index(screen_t *);
 void tag_client(client_t *);
 void untag_client(client_t *, tag_t *);
 bool is_client_tagged(client_t *, tag_t *);