diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 2648a962..050d172a 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -164,30 +164,6 @@ scan()
     p_delete(&root_wins);
 }
 
-/** Equivalent to 'XCreateFontCursor()', error are handled by the
- * default current error handler
- * \param cursor_font type of cursor to use
- * \return allocated cursor font
- */
-static xcb_cursor_t
-create_font_cursor(unsigned int cursor_font)
-{
-    xcb_font_t font;
-    xcb_cursor_t cursor;
-
-    /* Get the font for the cursor*/
-    font = xcb_generate_id(globalconf.connection);
-    xcb_open_font(globalconf.connection, font, strlen("cursor"), "cursor");
-
-    cursor = xcb_generate_id(globalconf.connection);
-    xcb_create_glyph_cursor (globalconf.connection, cursor, font, font,
-                             cursor_font, cursor_font + 1,
-                             0, 0, 0,
-                             65535, 65535, 65535);
-
-    return cursor;
-}
-
 /** Startup Error handler to check if another window manager
  * is already running.
  * \param data Additional optional parameters data
@@ -387,15 +363,15 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         eprint("failed to load/parse configuration file %s", confpath);
 
     /* init cursors */
-    globalconf.cursor[CurNormal] = create_font_cursor(CURSOR_LEFT_PTR);
-    globalconf.cursor[CurResize] = create_font_cursor(CURSOR_SIZING);
-    globalconf.cursor[CurResizeH] = create_font_cursor(CURSOR_DOUBLE_ARROW_HORIZ);
-    globalconf.cursor[CurResizeV] = create_font_cursor(CURSOR_DOUBLE_ARROW_VERT);
-    globalconf.cursor[CurMove] = create_font_cursor(CURSOR_FLEUR);
-    globalconf.cursor[CurTopRight] = create_font_cursor(CURSOR_TOP_RIGHT_CORNER);
-    globalconf.cursor[CurTopLeft] = create_font_cursor(CURSOR_TOP_LEFT_CORNER);
-    globalconf.cursor[CurBotRight] = create_font_cursor(CURSOR_BOTTOM_RIGHT_CORNER);
-    globalconf.cursor[CurBotLeft] = create_font_cursor(CURSOR_BOTTOM_LEFT_CORNER);
+    globalconf.cursor[CurNormal] = xutil_cursor_new(globalconf.connection, CURSOR_LEFT_PTR);
+    globalconf.cursor[CurResize] = xutil_cursor_new(globalconf.connection, CURSOR_SIZING);
+    globalconf.cursor[CurResizeH] = xutil_cursor_new(globalconf.connection, CURSOR_DOUBLE_ARROW_HORIZ);
+    globalconf.cursor[CurResizeV] = xutil_cursor_new(globalconf.connection, CURSOR_DOUBLE_ARROW_VERT);
+    globalconf.cursor[CurMove] = xutil_cursor_new(globalconf.connection, CURSOR_FLEUR);
+    globalconf.cursor[CurTopRight] = xutil_cursor_new(globalconf.connection, CURSOR_TOP_RIGHT_CORNER);
+    globalconf.cursor[CurTopLeft] = xutil_cursor_new(globalconf.connection, CURSOR_TOP_LEFT_CORNER);
+    globalconf.cursor[CurBotRight] = xutil_cursor_new(globalconf.connection, CURSOR_BOTTOM_RIGHT_CORNER);
+    globalconf.cursor[CurBotLeft] = xutil_cursor_new(globalconf.connection, CURSOR_BOTTOM_LEFT_CORNER);
 
     /* select for events */
     const uint32_t change_win_vals[] =
diff --git a/common/xutil.c b/common/xutil.c
index 42aea0d1..8215347b 100644
--- a/common/xutil.c
+++ b/common/xutil.c
@@ -209,12 +209,12 @@ xutil_intern_atom_reply(xcb_connection_t *c, xutil_atom_cache_t **atoms,
     xutil_atom_cache_t *atom_cache, *atom_next;
 
     /* If the atom is present in the cache, just returns the
-     * atom... */ 
+     * atom... */
     if(atom_req.cache_hit)
         return atom_req.cache->atom;
 
     /* Get the reply from InternAtom request */
-    if((atom_rep = xcb_intern_atom_reply(c, atom_req.cookie, NULL)) == NULL)
+    if(!(atom_rep = xcb_intern_atom_reply(c, atom_req.cookie, NULL)))
         return 0;
 
     /* Create a new atom cache entry */
@@ -583,4 +583,28 @@ xutil_button_fromint(int button)
     return 0;
 }
 
+/** Equivalent to 'XCreateFontCursor()', error are handled by the
+ * default current error handler.
+ * \param cursor_font Type of cursor to use.
+ * \return Allocated cursor font.
+ */
+xcb_cursor_t
+xutil_cursor_new(xcb_connection_t *conn, unsigned int cursor_font)
+{
+    xcb_font_t font;
+    xcb_cursor_t cursor;
+
+    /* Get the font for the cursor*/
+    font = xcb_generate_id(conn);
+    xcb_open_font(conn, font, a_strlen("cursor"), "cursor");
+
+    cursor = xcb_generate_id(conn);
+    xcb_create_glyph_cursor(conn, cursor, font, font,
+                            cursor_font, cursor_font + 1,
+                            0, 0, 0,
+                            65535, 65535, 65535);
+
+    return cursor;
+}
+
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:encoding=utf-8:textwidth=80
diff --git a/common/xutil.h b/common/xutil.h
index d1e86306..fd6ca35a 100644
--- a/common/xutil.h
+++ b/common/xutil.h
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ xutil_error_t *xutil_get_error(const xcb_generic_error_t *);
 void xutil_delete_error(xutil_error_t *);
 xcb_keysym_t xutil_keymask_fromstr(const char *);
 unsigned int xutil_button_fromint(int);
+xcb_cursor_t xutil_cursor_new(xcb_connection_t *, unsigned int);
 
 #endif
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:encoding=utf-8:textwidth=80