diff --git a/lib/awful/screen.lua b/lib/awful/screen.lua
index 89a88bff..3627df9b 100644
--- a/lib/awful/screen.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/screen.lua
@@ -122,6 +122,28 @@ function screen.focus(_screen)
     end
 end
 
+--- Get the next screen in a specific direction.
+--
+-- This gets the next screen relative to this one in
+-- the specified direction.
+--
+-- @function screen:get_next_in_direction
+-- @param self Screen.
+-- @param dir The direction, can be either "up", "down", "left" or "right".
+function screen.object.get_next_in_direction(self, dir)
+    local sel = get_screen(self)
+    if not sel then
+        return
+    end
+
+    local geomtbl = {}
+    for s in capi.screen do
+        geomtbl[s] = s.geometry
+    end
+
+    return grect.get_in_direction(dir, geomtbl, sel.geometry)
+end
+
 --- Move the focus to a screen in a specific direction.
 --
 -- This moves the mouse pointer to the last known position on the new screen,
@@ -131,15 +153,10 @@ end
 -- @param _screen Screen.
 function screen.focus_bydirection(dir, _screen)
     local sel = get_screen(_screen or screen.focused())
-    if sel then
-        local geomtbl = {}
-        for s in capi.screen do
-            geomtbl[s] = s.geometry
-        end
-        local target = grect.get_in_direction(dir, geomtbl, sel.geometry)
-        if target then
-            return screen.focus(target)
-        end
+    local target = sel:get_next_in_direction(dir)
+
+    if target then
+        return target:focus()
     end
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/gears/geometry.lua b/lib/gears/geometry.lua
index 2b1f2048..a5144356 100644
--- a/lib/gears/geometry.lua
+++ b/lib/gears/geometry.lua
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ local function calculate_distance(dir, _gA, _gB)
         gAx = _gA.x + _gA.width
     end
 
-    return math.sqrt(math.pow(gBx - gAx, 2) + math.pow(gBy - gAy, 2))
+    return math.sqrt((gBx - gAx) ^ 2 + (gBy - gAy) ^ 2)
 end
 
 --- Get the nearest rectangle in the given direction. Every rectangle is specified as a table
diff --git a/spec/awful/screen_spec.lua b/spec/awful/screen_spec.lua
index 7a9a31ee..cc5a4994 100644
--- a/spec/awful/screen_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/awful/screen_spec.lua
@@ -76,6 +76,40 @@ describe("awful.screen", function()
         end)
     end)
 
+    describe("get_next_in_direction", function()
+        before_each(function()
+            fake_screens = {
+                { geometry = { x = 0, y = 0, width = 1, height = 1 }, index = 1 },
+                { geometry = { x = 1, y = 0, width = 1, height = 1 }, index = 2 },
+                { geometry = { x = 0, y = 1, width = 1, height = 1 }, index = 3 },
+                { geometry = { x = 1, y = 1, width = 1, height = 1 }, index = 4 },
+            }
+        end)
+
+        it("gets screens to the left", function()
+            assert.is.equal(fake_screens[1], ascreen.object.get_next_in_direction(fake_screens[2], "left"))
+        end)
+
+        it("gets screens to the right", function()
+            assert.is.equal(fake_screens[2], ascreen.object.get_next_in_direction(fake_screens[1], "right"))
+        end)
+
+        it("gets screens to the top", function()
+            assert.is.equal(fake_screens[2], ascreen.object.get_next_in_direction(fake_screens[4], "up"))
+        end)
+
+        it("gets screens to the bottom", function()
+            assert.is.equal(fake_screens[4], ascreen.object.get_next_in_direction(fake_screens[2], "down"))
+        end)
+
+        it("gets no screens if none exist in the direction", function()
+            assert.is_nil(ascreen.object.get_next_in_direction(fake_screens[2], "up"))
+            assert.is_nil(ascreen.object.get_next_in_direction(fake_screens[4], "down"))
+            assert.is_nil(ascreen.object.get_next_in_direction(fake_screens[2], "right"))
+            assert.is_nil(ascreen.object.get_next_in_direction(fake_screens[1], "left"))
+        end)
+    end)
+
     describe("no screens", function()
         before_each(function()
             fake_screens = {}