diff --git a/awesomerc.lua b/awesomerc.lua
index 448a4dab..d9c7d079 100755
--- a/awesomerc.lua
+++ b/awesomerc.lua
@@ -273,12 +273,12 @@ globalkeys = awful.util.table.join(
               end),
 
     -- Prompt
-    awful.key({ modkey },            "r",     function () mypromptbox[mouse.screen]:run() end),
+    awful.key({ modkey },            "r",     function () mypromptbox[awful.screen.focused()]:run() end),
 
     awful.key({ modkey }, "x",
               function ()
                   awful.prompt.run({ prompt = "Run Lua code: " },
-                  mypromptbox[mouse.screen].widget,
+                  mypromptbox[awful.screen.focused()].widget,
                   awful.util.eval, nil,
                   awful.util.getdir("cache") .. "/history_eval")
               end),
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ for i = 1, 9 do
         -- View tag only.
         awful.key({ modkey }, "#" .. i + 9,
                   function ()
-                        local screen = mouse.screen
+                        local screen = awful.screen.focused()
                         local tag = awful.tag.gettags(screen)[i]
                         if tag then
                            awful.tag.viewonly(tag)
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ for i = 1, 9 do
         -- Toggle tag.
         awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "#" .. i + 9,
                   function ()
-                      local screen = mouse.screen
+                      local screen = awful.screen.focused()
                       local tag = awful.tag.gettags(screen)[i]
                       if tag then
                          awful.tag.viewtoggle(tag)
diff --git a/lib/awful/client.lua b/lib/awful/client.lua
index d4bfa356..3f9df847 100644
--- a/lib/awful/client.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/client.lua
@@ -54,10 +54,11 @@ client.shape = require("awful.client.shape")
 -- @client c the client to jump to
 -- @tparam bool merge If true then merge tags when clients are not visible.
 function client.jumpto(c, merge)
-    local s = capi.client.focus and capi.client.focus.screen or capi.mouse.screen
+    screen = screen or require("awful.screen")
+    local s = screen.focused()
     -- focus the screen
     if s ~= c.screen then
-        capi.mouse.screen = c.screen
+        screen.focus(c.screen)
     end
 
     -- Try to make client visible, this also covers e.g. sticky
@@ -204,12 +205,7 @@ end
 --- Focus the previous client in history.
 function client.focus.history.previous()
     local sel = capi.client.focus
-    local s
-    if sel then
-        s = sel.screen
-    else
-        s = capi.mouse.screen
-    end
+    local s = sel and sel.screen or awful.screen.focused()
     local c = client.focus.history.get(s, 1)
     if c then
         c:emit_signal("request::activate", "client.focus.history.previous",
@@ -317,7 +313,7 @@ end
 function client.focus.global_bydirection(dir, c)
     screen = screen or require("awful.screen")
     local sel = c or capi.client.focus
-    local scr = capi.mouse.screen
+    local scr = awful.screen.focused()
     if sel then
         scr = sel.screen
     end
@@ -328,8 +324,8 @@ function client.focus.global_bydirection(dir, c)
     -- if focus not changed, we must change screen
     if sel == capi.client.focus then
         screen.focus_bydirection(dir, scr)
-        if scr ~= capi.mouse.screen then
-            local cltbl = client.visible(capi.mouse.screen)
+        if scr ~= awful.screen.focused() then
+            local cltbl = client.visible(awful.screen.focused())
             local geomtbl = {}
             for i,cl in ipairs(cltbl) do
                 geomtbl[i] = cl:geometry()
@@ -383,7 +379,7 @@ end
 function client.swap.global_bydirection(dir, c)
     screen = screen or require("awful.screen")
     local sel = c or capi.client.focus
-    local scr = capi.mouse.screen
+    local scr = awful.screen.focused()
     if sel then
         scr = sel.screen
     end
@@ -399,7 +395,7 @@ function client.swap.global_bydirection(dir, c)
 
         -- swapping to an empty screen
         elseif sel.screen ~= c.screen and sel == c then
-            client.movetoscreen(sel, capi.mouse.screen)
+            client.movetoscreen(sel, awful.screen.focused())
 
         -- swapping to a nonempty screen
         elseif sel.screen ~= c.screen and sel ~= c then
@@ -429,7 +425,7 @@ end
 -- @param clockwise True to cycle clients clockwise.
 -- @param[opt] screen The screen where to cycle clients.
 function client.cycle(clockwise, screen)
-    local screen = screen or capi.mouse.screen
+    local screen = screen or awful.screen.focused()
     local cls = client.visible(screen)
     -- We can't rotate without at least 2 clients, buddy.
     if #cls >= 2 then
@@ -451,7 +447,7 @@ end
 -- @param[opt] screen The screen number, otherwise screen mouse is used.
 -- @return The master window.
 function client.getmaster(screen)
-    local s = screen or capi.mouse.screen
+    local s = screen or awful.screen.focused()
     return client.visible(s)[1]
 end
 
@@ -714,7 +710,7 @@ end
 -- @param s The screen to use.
 -- @return The restored client if some client was restored, otherwise nil.
 function client.restore(s)
-    local s = s or (capi.client.focus and capi.client.focus.screen) or capi.mouse.screen
+    local s = s or (capi.client.focus and capi.client.focus.screen) or awful.screen.focused()
     local cls = capi.client.get(s)
     local tags = tag.selectedlist(s)
     local mcls = {}
diff --git a/lib/awful/menu.lua b/lib/awful/menu.lua
index 9a81bacf..e92ab01e 100644
--- a/lib/awful/menu.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/menu.lua
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ local capi = {
     screen = screen,
     mouse = mouse,
     client = client }
+local screen = require("awful.screen")
 
 
 local menu = { mt = {} }
@@ -315,7 +316,7 @@ end
 function menu:show(args)
     args = args or {}
     local coords = args.coords or nil
-    local screen_index = capi.mouse.screen
+    local screen_index = screen.focused()
 
     if not set_size(self) then return end
     set_coords(self, screen_index, coords)
diff --git a/lib/awful/screen.lua b/lib/awful/screen.lua
index 58f1cc4e..e799a4ac 100644
--- a/lib/awful/screen.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/screen.lua
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ end
 
 --- Give the focus to a screen, and move pointer.
 -- Keeps relative position of the pointer on the screen.
--- @param _screen Screen number.
+-- @param _screen Screen number (defaults / falls back to mouse.screen).
 function screen.focus(_screen)
     client = client or require("awful.client")
-    if _screen > capi.screen.count() then _screen = capi.mouse.screen end
+    if _screen > capi.screen.count() then _screen = screen.focused() end
 
     -- screen and pos for current screen
     local s = capi.mouse.screen
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ end
 -- @param dir The direction, can be either "up", "down", "left" or "right".
 -- @param _screen Screen number.
 function screen.focus_bydirection(dir, _screen)
-    local sel = _screen or capi.mouse.screen
+    local sel = _screen or screen.focused()
     if sel then
         local geomtbl = {}
         for s = 1, capi.screen.count() do
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ end
 -- @param i Value to add to the current focused screen index. 1 will focus next
 -- screen, -1 would focus the previous one.
 function screen.focus_relative(i)
-    return screen.focus(util.cycle(capi.screen.count(), capi.mouse.screen + i))
+    return screen.focus(util.cycle(capi.screen.count(), screen.focused() + i))
 end
 
 --- Get or set the screen padding.
@@ -108,6 +108,13 @@ function screen.padding(_screen, padding)
     return data.padding[_screen]
 end
 
+--- Get the focused screen.
+-- This can be replaced in a user's config.
+-- @treturn integer
+function screen.focused()
+    return capi.mouse.screen
+end
+
 capi.screen.add_signal("padding")
 
 return screen
diff --git a/lib/awful/tag.lua b/lib/awful/tag.lua
index 93ad2ae2..7bd34750 100644
--- a/lib/awful/tag.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/tag.lua
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 -- Grab environment we need
 local util = require("awful.util")
+local ascreen = require("awful.screen")
 local timer = require("gears.timer")
 local beautiful = require("beautiful")
 local tostring = tostring
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ function tag.add(name, props)
     -- connected to property::activated to be called without a valid tag.
     -- set properies cannot be used as this has to be set before the first signal
     -- is sent
-    properties.screen = properties.screen or capi.mouse.screen
+    properties.screen = properties.screen or ascreen.focused()
 
     -- Index is also required
     properties.index = (#tag.gettags(properties.screen))+1
@@ -132,10 +133,10 @@ function tag.new(names, screen, layout)
 end
 
 --- Find a suitable fallback tag.
--- @param screen The screen number to look for a tag on. [mouse.screen]
+-- @param screen The screen number to look for a tag on. [awful.screen.focused()]
 -- @param invalids A table of tags we consider unacceptable. [selectedlist(scr)]
 function tag.find_fallback(screen, invalids)
-    local scr = screen or capi.mouse.screen
+    local scr = screen or ascreen.focused()
     local t = invalids or tag.selectedlist(scr)
 
     for _, v in pairs(tag.gettags(scr)) do
@@ -255,7 +256,7 @@ end
 -- toggling between last two selected sets of tags. Number (eg 1) will go back
 -- to the given index in history.
 function tag.history.restore(screen, idx)
-    local s = screen or capi.mouse.screen
+    local s = screen or ascreen.focused()
     local i = idx or "previous"
     local sel = tag.selectedlist(s)
     -- do nothing if history empty
@@ -303,7 +304,7 @@ end
 -- @param t tag object
 -- @param s Screen number
 function tag.setscreen(t, s)
-    local s = s or capi.mouse.screen
+    local s = s or ascreen.focused()
     local sel = tag.selected
     local old_screen = tag.getproperty(t, "screen")
     if s == old_screen then return end
@@ -344,7 +345,7 @@ end
 -- @param s Screen number.
 -- @return A table with all selected tags.
 function tag.selectedlist(s)
-    local screen = s or capi.mouse.screen
+    local screen = s or ascreen.focused()
     local tags = tag.gettags(screen)
     local vtags = {}
     for i, t in pairs(tags) do
@@ -476,7 +477,7 @@ end
 --- View no tag.
 -- @tparam[opt] int screen The screen number.
 function tag.viewnone(screen)
-    local tags = tag.gettags(screen or capi.mouse.screen)
+    local tags = tag.gettags(screen or ascreen.focused())
     for i, t in pairs(tags) do
         t.selected = false
     end
@@ -486,7 +487,7 @@ end
 -- @param i The relative index to see.
 -- @param[opt] screen The screen number.
 function tag.viewidx(i, screen)
-    local screen = screen or capi.mouse.screen
+    local screen = screen or ascreen.focused()
     local tags = tag.gettags(screen)
     local showntags = {}
     for k, t in ipairs(tags) do
@@ -551,7 +552,7 @@ end
 -- @param tags A table with tags to view only.
 -- @param[opt] screen The screen number of the tags.
 function tag.viewmore(tags, screen)
-    local screen = screen or capi.mouse.screen
+    local screen = screen or ascreen.focused()
     local screen_tags = tag.gettags(screen)
     for _, _tag in ipairs(screen_tags) do
         if not util.table.hasitem(tags, _tag) then
@@ -655,7 +656,7 @@ capi.client.connect_signal("manage", function(c)
                 c:tags(c.transient_for:tags())
             end
         else
-            c.screen = capi.mouse.screen
+            c.screen = ascreen.focused()
         end
     end
     c:connect_signal("property::screen", tag.withcurrent)
diff --git a/lib/menubar/init.lua b/lib/menubar/init.lua
index 08458cf6..4e13e597 100644
--- a/lib/menubar/init.lua
+++ b/lib/menubar/init.lua
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ function menubar.show(scr)
     end
 
     -- Set position and size
-    scr = scr or capi.mouse.screen or 1
+    scr = scr or awful.screen.focused() or 1
     local scrgeom = capi.screen[scr].workarea
     local geometry = menubar.geometry
     instance.geometry = {x = geometry.x or scrgeom.x,