diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 2547a164..5a1b0bad 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     XEvent ev;
     Display * dpy;
     int shape_event, randr_event_base;
-    int screen;
+    int screen, screen_count;
     event_handler **handler;
     struct sockaddr_un *addr;
 
@@ -255,7 +255,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     ewmh_init_atoms();
 
     /* init screens struct */
-    globalconf.screens = p_new(VirtScreen, get_screen_count());
+    screen_count = get_screen_count();
+    globalconf.screens = p_new(VirtScreen, screen_count);
+    globalconf.nscreens = screen_count;
     focus_add_client(NULL);
 
     /* parse config */
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 0452cb10..2b8d8d5c 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ config_parse(const char *confpatharg)
     }
 
     /* get the right screen section */
-    for(screen = 0; screen < get_screen_count(); screen++)
+    for(screen = 0; screen < globalconf.nscreens; screen++)
         config_parse_screen(cfg, screen);
 
     /* get general sections */
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ config_parse(const char *confpatharg)
             rule->isfloating = rules_get_float_from_str(cfg_getstr(cfgsectmp, "float"));
             rule->screen = cfg_getint(cfgsectmp, "screen");
             rule->not_master = cfg_getbool(cfgsectmp, "not_master");
-            if(rule->screen >= get_screen_count())
+            if(rule->screen >= globalconf.nscreens)
                 rule->screen = 0;
 
             if(i < cfg_size(cfg_rules, "rule") - 1)
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 63b2c85c..4a90f3ef 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -285,6 +285,8 @@ struct AwesomeConf
     Display *display;
     /** Logical screens */
     VirtScreen *screens;
+    /** Number of logical screens */
+    int nscreens;
     /** Rules list */
     Rule *rules;
     /** Keys bindings list */
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index 6c091124..526bb985 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ handle_event_buttonpress(XEvent *e)
     Statusbar *statusbar;
     XButtonPressedEvent *ev = &e->xbutton;
 
-    for(screen = 0; screen < get_screen_count(); screen++)
+    for(screen = 0; screen < globalconf.nscreens; screen++)
         for(statusbar = globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar; statusbar; statusbar = statusbar->next)
             if(statusbar->window == ev->window)
                 switch(statusbar->position)
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ handle_event_expose(XEvent *e)
     Statusbar *statusbar;
 
     if(!ev->count)
-        for(screen = 0; screen < get_screen_count(); screen++)
+        for(screen = 0; screen < globalconf.nscreens; screen++)
             for(statusbar = globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar; statusbar; statusbar = statusbar->next)
                 if(statusbar->window == ev->window)
                 {
diff --git a/screen.c b/screen.c
index 9b46fa31..ab42a7c2 100644
--- a/screen.c
+++ b/screen.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ get_screen_bycoord(int x, int y)
     if(!XineramaIsActive(globalconf.display))
         return DefaultScreen(globalconf.display);
 
-    for(i = 0; i < get_screen_count(); i++)
+    for(i = 0; i < globalconf.nscreens; i++)
     {
         area = get_screen_area(i, NULL, NULL);
         if((x < 0 || (x >= area.x && x < area.x + area.width))
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ get_screen_count(void)
     if(XineramaIsActive(globalconf.display))
         XineramaQueryScreens(globalconf.display, &screen_number);
     else
-        return ScreenCount(globalconf.display);
+        screen_number = ScreenCount(globalconf.display);
 
     return screen_number;
 }
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ move_mouse_pointer_to_screen(int screen)
 void
 uicb_screen_focus(int screen, char *arg)
 {
-    int new_screen, numscreens = get_screen_count();
+    int new_screen;
 
     if(arg)
         new_screen = compute_new_value_from_arg(arg, screen);
@@ -309,8 +309,8 @@ uicb_screen_focus(int screen, char *arg)
         new_screen = screen + 1;
 
     if (new_screen < 0)
-        new_screen = numscreens - 1;
-    if (new_screen > (numscreens - 1))
+        new_screen = globalconf.nscreens - 1;
+    if (new_screen > (globalconf.nscreens - 1))
         new_screen = 0;
 
     focus(focus_get_current_client(new_screen), True, new_screen);
@@ -337,10 +337,10 @@ uicb_client_movetoscreen(int screen __attribute__ ((unused)), char *arg)
     else
         new_screen = sel->screen + 1;
 
-    if(new_screen >= get_screen_count())
+    if(new_screen >= globalconf.nscreens)
         new_screen = 0;
     else if(new_screen < 0)
-        new_screen = get_screen_count() - 1;
+        new_screen = globalconf.nscreens - 1;
 
     prev_screen = sel->screen;
     move_client_to_screen(sel, new_screen, True);
diff --git a/statusbar.c b/statusbar.c
index 9aaaa790..dd8b048e 100644
--- a/statusbar.c
+++ b/statusbar.c
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ statusbar_refresh()
     Statusbar *statusbar;
     Widget *widget;
 
-    for(screen = 0; screen < get_screen_count(); screen++)
+    for(screen = 0; screen < globalconf.nscreens; screen++)
         for(statusbar = globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar;
             statusbar;
             statusbar = statusbar->next)
diff --git a/uicb.c b/uicb.c
index 2f717e5a..ef89f179 100644
--- a/uicb.c
+++ b/uicb.c
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ run_uicb(char *cmd)
         return -1;
     }
     screen = atoi(cmd);
-    if(screen >= get_screen_count() || screen < 0)
+    if(screen >= globalconf.nscreens || screen < 0)
     {
         warn("Invalid screen specified: %i\n", screen);
         return -1;