diff --git a/lib/awful/widget/button.lua.in b/lib/awful/widget/button.lua.in
index c1210b2f..93b6db08 100644
--- a/lib/awful/widget/button.lua.in
+++ b/lib/awful/widget/button.lua.in
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ local setmetatable = setmetatable
 local type = type
 local button = require("awful.button")
 local imagebox = require("wibox.widget.imagebox")
+local widget = require("wibox.widget.base")
 local surface = require("gears.surface")
 local cairo = require("lgi").cairo
 local capi = { mouse = mouse }
@@ -20,7 +21,9 @@ local button = { mt = {} }
 -- @param args Widget arguments. "image" is the image to display.
 -- @return A textbox widget configured as a button.
 function button.new(args)
-    if not args or not args.image then return end
+    if not args or not args.image then
+        return widget.empty_widget()
+    end
     local img_release = surface.load(args.image)
     local img_press = cairo.ImageSurface(cairo.Format.ARGB32, img_release.width, img_release.height)
     local cr = cairo.Context(img_press)
diff --git a/lib/beautiful.lua.in b/lib/beautiful.lua.in
index e8a800f5..cf91bfdf 100644
--- a/lib/beautiful.lua.in
+++ b/lib/beautiful.lua.in
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ local capi =
 local beautiful = { mt = {} }
 
 -- Local data
-local theme
+local theme = {}
 local descs = setmetatable({}, { __mode = 'k' })
 local fonts = setmetatable({}, { __mode = 'v' })
 local active_font
diff --git a/lib/wibox/widget/base.lua.in b/lib/wibox/widget/base.lua.in
index eea10a75..5c2dd47d 100644
--- a/lib/wibox/widget/base.lua.in
+++ b/lib/wibox/widget/base.lua.in
@@ -97,6 +97,14 @@ function base.make_widget(proxy)
     return ret
 end
 
+--- Generate an empty widget which takes no space and displays nothing
+function base.empty_widget()
+    local widget = base.make_widget()
+    widget.draw = function() end
+    widget.fit = function() return 0, 0 end
+    return widget
+end
+
 --- Do some sanity checking on widget. This function raises a lua error if
 -- widget is not a valid widget.
 function base.check_widget(widget)
diff --git a/lib/wibox/widget/systray.lua.in b/lib/wibox/widget/systray.lua.in
index 16a9fb91..f6cb6378 100644
--- a/lib/wibox/widget/systray.lua.in
+++ b/lib/wibox/widget/systray.lua.in
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ local base_size = nil
 function systray:draw(wibox, cr, width, height)
     local x, y, width, height = lbase.rect_to_device_geometry(cr, 0, 0, width, height)
     local num_entries = capi.awesome.systray()
-    local bg = beautiful.bg_systray or beautiful.bg_normal
+    local bg = beautiful.bg_systray or beautiful.bg_normal or "#000000"
 
     local in_dir, ortho, base
     if horizontal then