diff --git a/awesome-menu.c b/awesome-menu.c
index 40b1a89f..668d00c9 100644
--- a/awesome-menu.c
+++ b/awesome-menu.c
@@ -598,7 +598,6 @@ item_list_fill_stdin(void)
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-    Display *disp;
     XEvent ev;
     int opt, ret, x, y, i, screen = 0;
     char *configfile = NULL, *cmd;
@@ -616,11 +615,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         {NULL,      0, NULL, 0}
     };
 
-    if(!(disp = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
-        eprint("unable to open display");
-
-    globalconf.display = disp;
-
     while((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "vhf:b:x:y:n:c:e:",
                              long_options, NULL)) != -1)
         switch(opt)
@@ -642,13 +636,16 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     if(argc - optind >= 1)
         globalconf.prompt = a_strdup(argv[optind]);
 
-    /* Get the numlock mask */
-    globalconf.numlockmask = xgetnumlockmask(disp);
+    if(!(globalconf.display = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
+        eprint("unable to open display");
 
-    si = screensinfo_new(disp);
+    /* Get the numlock mask */
+    globalconf.numlockmask = xgetnumlockmask(globalconf.display);
+
+    si = screensinfo_new(globalconf.display);
     if(si->xinerama_is_active)
     {
-        if(XQueryPointer(disp, RootWindow(disp, DefaultScreen(disp)),
+        if(XQueryPointer(globalconf.display, RootWindow(globalconf.display, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display)),
                          &dummy, &dummy, &x, &y, &i, &i, &ui))
         {
             screen = screen_get_bycoord(si, 0, x, y);
@@ -660,9 +657,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
     else
     {
-        screen = DefaultScreen(disp);
+        screen = DefaultScreen(globalconf.display);
         if(!geometry.width)
-            geometry.width = DisplayWidth(disp, DefaultScreen(disp));
+            geometry.width = DisplayWidth(globalconf.display, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display));
     }
 
     if((ret = config_parse(screen, configfile, globalconf.prompt, &geometry)))
@@ -676,14 +673,14 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     screensinfo_delete(&si);
 
     /* Create the window */
-    globalconf.sw = simplewindow_new(disp, DefaultScreen(disp),
+    globalconf.sw = simplewindow_new(globalconf.display, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display),
                                      geometry.x, geometry.y, geometry.width, geometry.height, 0);
 
-    XStoreName(disp, globalconf.sw->window, PROGNAME);
-    XMapRaised(disp, globalconf.sw->window);
+    XStoreName(globalconf.display, globalconf.sw->window, PROGNAME);
+    XMapRaised(globalconf.display, globalconf.sw->window);
 
     /* Create the drawing context */
-    globalconf.ctx = draw_context_new(disp, DefaultScreen(disp),
+    globalconf.ctx = draw_context_new(globalconf.display, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display),
                                       geometry.width, geometry.height,
                                       globalconf.sw->drawable);
 
@@ -701,7 +698,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     for(opt = 1000; opt; opt--)
     {
-        if(XGrabKeyboard(disp, DefaultRootWindow(disp), True,
+        if(XGrabKeyboard(globalconf.display, DefaultRootWindow(globalconf.display), True,
                          GrabModeAsync, GrabModeAsync, CurrentTime) == GrabSuccess)
             break;
         usleep(1000);
@@ -713,7 +710,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     while(status == RUN)
     {
-        XNextEvent(disp, &ev);
+        XNextEvent(globalconf.display, &ev);
         switch(ev.type)
         {
           case ButtonPress:
@@ -724,7 +721,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
             break;
           case Expose:
             if(!ev.xexpose.count)
-                simplewindow_refresh_drawable(globalconf.sw, DefaultScreen(disp));
+                simplewindow_refresh_drawable(globalconf.sw, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display));
             break;
           default:
             break;
@@ -750,7 +747,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     p_delete(&globalconf.text);
     draw_context_delete(&globalconf.ctx);
     simplewindow_delete(&globalconf.sw);
-    XCloseDisplay(disp);
+    XCloseDisplay(globalconf.display);
 
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/awesome-message.c b/awesome-message.c
index b68bdd30..5cc36fae 100644
--- a/awesome-message.c
+++ b/awesome-message.c
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ exit_on_signal(int sig __attribute__ ((unused)))
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-    Display *disp;
     SimpleWindow *sw;
     DrawCtx *ctx;
     XEvent ev;
@@ -134,11 +133,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         {NULL,      0, NULL, 0}
     };
 
-    if(!(disp = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
-        eprint("unable to open display");
-
-    globalconf.display = disp;
-
     while((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "vhf:b:x:y:n:c:d:",
                              long_options, NULL)) != -1)
         switch(opt)
@@ -167,20 +161,23 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     if(argc - optind < 1)
         exit_help(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
-    si = screensinfo_new(disp);
+    if(!(globalconf.display = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
+        eprint("unable to open display");
+
+    si = screensinfo_new(globalconf.display);
     if(si->xinerama_is_active)
     {
-        if(XQueryPointer(disp, RootWindow(disp, DefaultScreen(disp)),
+        if(XQueryPointer(globalconf.display, RootWindow(globalconf.display, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display)),
                          &dummy, &dummy, &x, &y, &i, &i, &ui))
             screen = screen_get_bycoord(si, 0, x, y);
     }
     else
-        screen = DefaultScreen(disp);
+        screen = DefaultScreen(globalconf.display);
 
     if((ret = config_parse(screen, configfile)))
         return ret;
 
-    geometry.width = draw_textwidth(disp, globalconf.style.font, argv[optind]);
+    geometry.width = draw_textwidth(globalconf.display, globalconf.style.font, argv[optind]);
     geometry.height = globalconf.style.font->height * 1.5;
 
     if(argc - optind >= 2)
@@ -193,12 +190,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
                 * ((double) globalconf.style.font->height / (double) icon_geometry.height);
     }
 
-    sw = simplewindow_new(disp, DefaultScreen(disp),
+    sw = simplewindow_new(globalconf.display, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display),
                           geometry.x, geometry.y, geometry.width, geometry.height, 0);
 
-    XStoreName(disp, sw->window, PROGNAME);
+    XStoreName(globalconf.display, sw->window, PROGNAME);
 
-    ctx = draw_context_new(disp, DefaultScreen(disp),
+    ctx = draw_context_new(globalconf.display, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display),
                            geometry.width, geometry.height, sw->drawable);
 
     geometry.x = geometry.y = 0;
@@ -210,26 +207,26 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     p_delete(&ctx);
 
-    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw, DefaultScreen(disp));
+    simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display));
 
-    XMapRaised(disp, sw->window);
-    XSync(disp, False);
+    XMapRaised(globalconf.display, sw->window);
+    XSync(globalconf.display, False);
 
     signal(SIGALRM, &exit_on_signal);
     alarm(delay);
 
     while(running)
     {
-       if(XPending(disp))
+       if(XPending(globalconf.display))
        {
-           XNextEvent(disp, &ev);
+           XNextEvent(globalconf.display, &ev);
            switch(ev.type)
            {
              case ButtonPress:
              case KeyPress:
                running = False;
              case Expose:
-               simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw, DefaultScreen(disp));
+               simplewindow_refresh_drawable(sw, DefaultScreen(globalconf.display));
                break;
              default:
                break;
@@ -239,7 +236,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 
     simplewindow_delete(&sw);
-    XCloseDisplay(disp);
+    XCloseDisplay(globalconf.display);
 
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }