diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 777ac173..d2732d92 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -986,6 +986,49 @@ luaA_client_swap(lua_State *L)
     return 0;
 }
 
+/** Access or set the client tags.
+ * \param L The Lua VM state.
+ * \return The number of elements pushed on stack.
+ * \lparam A table with tags to set, or none to get the current tags table.
+ * \return The clients tag.
+ */
+static int
+luaA_client_tags(lua_State *L)
+{
+    tag_array_t *tags;
+    tag_t **tag;
+    client_t **c = luaA_checkudata(L, 1, "client");
+
+    if(lua_gettop(L) == 2)
+    {
+        luaA_checktable(L, 2);
+        tags = &globalconf.screens[(*c)->screen].tags;
+        for(int i = 0; i < tags->len; i++)
+            untag_client(*c, tags->tab[i]);
+        lua_pushnil(L);
+        while(lua_next(L, 2))
+        {
+            tag = luaA_checkudata(L, -1, "tag");
+            tag_client(*c, *tag);
+            lua_pop(L, 1);
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        tags = &globalconf.screens[(*c)->screen].tags;
+        luaA_otable_new(L);
+        for(int i = 0; i < tags->len; i++)
+            if(is_client_tagged(*c, tags->tab[i]))
+            {
+                luaA_tag_userdata_new(L, tags->tab[i]);
+                luaA_tag_userdata_new(L, tags->tab[i]);
+                lua_rawset(L, -3);
+            }
+    }
+
+    return 1;
+}
+
 /** Focus a client (DEPRECATED).
  * \param L The Lua VM state.
  *
@@ -1071,8 +1114,6 @@ luaA_client_newindex(lua_State *L)
     double d;
     int i;
     titlebar_t **t = NULL;
-    tag_array_t *tags;
-    tag_t **tag;
 
     if((*c)->invalid)
         luaL_error(L, "client is invalid\n");
@@ -1175,19 +1216,6 @@ luaA_client_newindex(lua_State *L)
             titlebar_init(*c);
         }
         break;
-      case A_TK_TAGS:
-        luaA_checktable(L, 3);
-        tags = &globalconf.screens[(*c)->screen].tags;
-        for(i = 0; i < tags->len; i++)
-            untag_client(*c, tags->tab[i]);
-        lua_pushnil(L);
-        while(lua_next(L, 3))
-        {
-            tag = luaA_checkudata(L, -1, "tag");
-            tag_client(*c, *tag);
-            lua_pop(L, 1);
-        }
-        break;
       default:
         return 0;
     }
@@ -1216,7 +1244,6 @@ luaA_client_newindex(lua_State *L)
  * \lfield coords The client coordinates.
  * \lfield titlebar The client titlebar.
  * \lfield urgent The client urgent state.
- * \lfield tags The clients tags.
  * \lfield focus The focused client.
  */
 static int
@@ -1231,8 +1258,6 @@ luaA_client_index(lua_State *L)
     xutil_class_hint_t hint;
     xcb_get_property_cookie_t prop_c;
     xcb_get_property_reply_t *prop_r = NULL;
-    tag_array_t *tags;
-    int i;
 
     if((*c)->invalid)
         luaL_error(L, "client is invalid\n");
@@ -1326,17 +1351,6 @@ luaA_client_index(lua_State *L)
       case A_TK_URGENT:
         lua_pushboolean(L, (*c)->isurgent);
         break;
-      case A_TK_TAGS:
-        tags = &globalconf.screens[(*c)->screen].tags;
-        luaA_otable_new(L);
-        for(i = 0; i < tags->len; i++)
-            if(is_client_tagged(*c, tags->tab[i]))
-            {
-                luaA_tag_userdata_new(L, tags->tab[i]);
-                luaA_tag_userdata_new(L, tags->tab[i]);
-                lua_rawset(L, -3);
-            }
-        break;
       default:
         return 0;
     }
@@ -1404,6 +1418,7 @@ const struct luaL_reg awesome_client_methods[] =
 };
 const struct luaL_reg awesome_client_meta[] =
 {
+    { "tags", luaA_client_tags },
     { "kill", luaA_client_kill },
     { "swap", luaA_client_swap },
     { "focus_set", luaA_client_focus_set },
diff --git a/lib/awful.lua.in b/lib/awful.lua.in
index 0851ff7f..63f9bb1f 100644
--- a/lib/awful.lua.in
+++ b/lib/awful.lua.in
@@ -505,8 +505,7 @@ function client.movetotag(target, c)
     if sel then
         -- Check that tag and client screen are identical
         if sel.screen ~= target.screen then return end
-        local tags = { target }
-        sel.tags = tags
+        sel:tags({ target })
     end
 end
 
@@ -517,13 +516,13 @@ function client.toggletag(target, c)
     local sel = c or capi.client.focus
     -- Check that tag and client screen are identical
     if sel and sel.screen == target.screen then
-        local tags = sel.tags
+        local tags = sel:tags()
         if tags[target] then
             tags[target] = nil
         else
             tags[target] = target
         end
-        sel.tags = tags
+        sel:tags(tags)
     end
 end
 
@@ -1151,7 +1150,7 @@ function widget.taglist.label.all(t, args)
         bg_color = bg_focus
         fg_color = fg_focus
     end
-    if sel and sel.tags[t] then
+    if sel and sel:tags()[t] then
         background = "resize=\"true\" image=\"@AWESOME_ICON_PATH@/taglist/squarefw.png\""
     elseif bg_urgent and fg_urgent then
         for k, c in pairs(t.clients) do
@@ -1290,7 +1289,7 @@ function widget.tasklist.label.currenttags(c, screen, args)
     -- Only print client on the same screen as this widget
     if c.screen ~= screen then return end
     for k, t in ipairs(capi.screen[screen].tags) do
-        if t.selected and c.tags[t] then
+        if t.selected and c:tags()[t] then
             return widget_tasklist_label_common(c, args)
         end
     end