diff --git a/awesomerc.lua.in b/awesomerc.lua.in
index 15e46516..f86f14bb 100644
--- a/awesomerc.lua.in
+++ b/awesomerc.lua.in
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ require("wibox")
 local beautiful = require("beautiful")
 -- Notification library
 local naughty = require("naughty")
-require("menubar")
+local menubar = require("menubar")
 
 -- {{{ Error handling
 -- Check if awesome encountered an error during startup and fell back to
diff --git a/lib/menubar/init.lua.in b/lib/menubar/init.lua.in
index 8eaaef77..5ae4fb2f 100644
--- a/lib/menubar/init.lua.in
+++ b/lib/menubar/init.lua.in
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ local capi = {
 local awful = require("awful")
 local common = require("awful.widget.common")
 local theme = require("beautiful")
-local menu_gen = require("menubar.menu_gen")
-local menu_utils = require("menubar.utils")
 local wibox = require("wibox")
 
 -- Standard lua
@@ -26,7 +24,10 @@ local string = string
 local math = math
 local setmetatable = setmetatable
 
-module("menubar")
+-- menubar
+local menubar = { mt = {} }
+menubar.menu_gen = require("menubar.menu_gen")
+menubar.utils = require("menubar.utils")
 
 --- List of menubar keybindings:
 -- <p><ul>
@@ -49,19 +50,19 @@ module("menubar")
 -- When true the .desktop files will be reparsed only when the
 -- extension is initialized. Use this if menubar takes much time to
 -- open.
-cache_entries = true
+local cache_entries = true
 
 -- When true the categories will be shown alongside application
 -- entries.
-show_categories = true
+local show_categories = true
 
 -- Specifies the geometry of the menubar. This is a table with the keys
 -- x, y, width and height. Missing values are replaced via the screen's
 -- geometry. However, missing height is replaced by the font size.
-geometry = { width = nil,
-             height = nil,
-             x = nil,
-             y = nil }
+local geometry = { width = nil,
+                   height = nil,
+                   x = nil,
+                   y = nil }
 
 -- Private section
 local current_item = 1
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ local function initialize()
 end
 
 --- Refresh menubar's cache by reloading .desktop files.
-function refresh()
+function menubar.refresh()
     menu_entries = menu_gen.generate()
 end
 
@@ -241,7 +242,7 @@ local function prompt_keypressed_callback(mod, key, comm)
             current_item = #shownitems
             if mod.Mod1 then
                 -- add a terminal to the cmdline
-                shownitems[current_item].cmdline = menu_utils.terminal
+                shownitems[current_item].cmdline = menubar.utils.terminal
                         .. " -e " .. shownitems[current_item].cmdline
             end
         end
@@ -252,13 +253,13 @@ end
 
 --- Show the menubar on the given screen.
 -- @param scr Screen number.
-function show(scr)
+function menubar.show(scr)
     if not instance.wibox then
         initialize()
     elseif instance.wibox.visible then -- Menu already shown, exit
         return
     elseif not cache_entries then
-        refresh()
+        menubar.refresh()
     end
 
     -- Set position and size
@@ -276,23 +277,23 @@ function show(scr)
                 function(s) end,            -- exe_callback function set to do nothing
                 awful.completion.shell,     -- completion_callback
                 awful.util.getdir("cache") .. "/history_menu",
-                nil, hide, menulist_update, prompt_keypressed_callback
+                nil, menubar.hide, menulist_update, prompt_keypressed_callback
                 )
     instance.wibox.visible = true
 end
 
 --- Hide the menubar.
-function hide()
+function menubar.hide()
     instance.wibox.visible = false
 end
 
 --- Get a menubar wibox.
 -- @return menubar wibox.
-function get()
+function menubar.get()
     if app_folders then
         menu_gen.all_menu_dirs = app_folders
     end
-    refresh()
+    menubar.refresh()
     -- Add to each category the name of its key in all_categories
     for k, v in pairs(menu_gen.all_categories) do
         v.key = k
@@ -300,6 +301,10 @@ function get()
     return common_args.w
 end
 
-setmetatable(_M, { __call = function(_, ...) return get(...) end })
+function menubar.mt:__call(...)
+    return menubar.get(...)
+end
+
+return setmetatable(menubar, menubar.mt)
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/menubar/menu_gen.lua.in b/lib/menubar/menu_gen.lua.in
index 52bdba0c..1571c2af 100644
--- a/lib/menubar/menu_gen.lua.in
+++ b/lib/menubar/menu_gen.lua.in
@@ -12,18 +12,19 @@ local string = string
 local table = table
 
 -- Menu generation module for menubar
-module("menubar.menu_gen")
+-- menubar.menu_gen
+local menu_gen = {}
 
 -- Options section
 
 -- Specifies all directories where menubar should look for .desktop
 -- files. The search is not recursive.
-all_menu_dirs = { '/usr/share/applications/' }
+menu_gen.all_menu_dirs = { '/usr/share/applications/' }
 
 -- Specify the mapping of .desktop Categories section to the
 -- categories in the menubar. If "use" flag is set to false then any of
 -- the applications that fall only to this category will not be shown.
-all_categories = {
+menu_gen.all_categories = {
     multimedia = { app_type = "AudioVideo", name = "Multimedia",
                      icon_name = "applications-multimedia.png", use = true },
     development = { app_type = "Development", name = "Development",
@@ -47,8 +48,8 @@ all_categories = {
 }
 
 --- Find icons for category entries.
-function lookup_category_icons()
-    for _, v in pairs(all_categories) do
+function menu_gen.lookup_category_icons()
+    for _, v in pairs(menu_gen.all_categories) do
         v.icon = utils.lookup_icon(v.icon_name)
     end
 end
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ end
 -- @param app_type Application category as written in .desktop file.
 -- @return category key name in all_categories, whether the category is used
 local function get_category_name_and_usage_by_type(app_type)
-    for k, v in pairs(all_categories) do
+    for k, v in pairs(menu_gen.all_categories) do
         if app_type == v.app_type then
             return k, v.use
         end
@@ -76,13 +77,13 @@ end
 
 --- Generate an array of all visible menu entries.
 -- @return all menu entries.
-function generate()
+function menu_gen.generate()
     -- Update icons for category entries
     lookup_category_icons()
 
     local result = {}
 
-    for _, dir in ipairs(all_menu_dirs) do
+    for _, dir in ipairs(menu_gen.all_menu_dirs) do
         local entries = utils.parse_dir(dir)
         for _, program in ipairs(entries) do
             -- Check whether to include program in the menu
@@ -116,4 +117,6 @@ function generate()
     return result
 end
 
+return menu_gen
+
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/menubar/utils.lua.in b/lib/menubar/utils.lua.in
index 3e4938a5..98bab607 100644
--- a/lib/menubar/utils.lua.in
+++ b/lib/menubar/utils.lua.in
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ local awful_util = require("awful.util")
 local theme = require("beautiful")
 
 -- Utility module for menubar
-module("menubar.utils")
+-- menubar.utils
+local utils = {}
 
 -- NOTE: This icons/desktop files module was written according to the
 -- following freedesktop.org specifications:
@@ -23,14 +24,14 @@ module("menubar.utils")
 -- Options section
 
 -- Terminal which applications that need terminal would open in.
-terminal = 'xterm'
+utils.terminal = 'xterm'
 
 -- The default icon for applications that don't provide any icon in
 -- their .desktop files.
-default_icon = nil
+local default_icon = nil
 
 -- Name of the WM for the OnlyShownIn entry in the .desktop file.
-wm_name = "awesome"
+local wm_name = "awesome"
 
 -- Private section
 
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ end
 --- Lookup an icon in different folders of the filesystem.
 -- @param icon_file Short or full name of the icon.
 -- @return full name of the icon.
-function lookup_icon(icon_file)
+function utils.lookup_icon(icon_file)
     if not icon_file or icon_file == "" then
         return default_icon
     end
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ end
 --- Parse a .desktop file.
 -- @param file The .desktop file.
 -- @return A table with file entries.
-function parse(file)
+function utils.parse(file)
     local program = { show = true, file = file }
     for line in io.lines(file) do
         for key, value in line:gmatch("(%w+)=(.+)") do
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ function parse(file)
             cmdline = cmdline:gsub('%%i', '')
         end
         if program.Terminal == "true" then
-            cmdline = terminal .. ' -e ' .. cmdline
+            cmdline = utils.terminal .. ' -e ' .. cmdline
         end
         program.cmdline = cmdline
     end
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@ end
 -- @param dir The directory.
 -- @param icons_size, The icons sizes, optional.
 -- @return A table with all .desktop entries.
-function parse_dir(dir)
+function utils.parse_dir(dir)
     local programs = {}
     local files = io.popen('find '.. dir ..' -maxdepth 1 -name "*.desktop"')
     for file in files:lines() do
@@ -187,4 +188,6 @@ function parse_dir(dir)
     return programs
 end
 
+return utils
+
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80