diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 1ae0b80d..b3411aff 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     XSync(dpy, False);
 
     globalconf.screens = p_new(VirtScreen, get_screen_count(dpy));
-    focus_add_client(&globalconf.focus, NULL);
+    focus_add_client(NULL);
     /* store display */
     globalconf.display = dpy;
     config_parse(confpath);
diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 0dc24126..63c521a3 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ focus(Client *c, Bool selscreen, int screen)
         return;
 
     /* save old sel in focus history */
-    focus_add_client(&globalconf.focus, c);
+    focus_add_client(c);
 
     statusbar_draw(screen);
 
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ client_unmanage(Client *c, long state)
     client_detach(c);
     if(globalconf.focus->client == c)
         focus(NULL, True, c->screen);
-    focus_delete_client(&globalconf.focus, c);
+    focus_delete_client(c);
     for(tag = globalconf.screens[c->screen].tags; tag; tag = tag->next)
         untag_client(c, tag, c->screen);
     XUngrabButton(c->display, AnyButton, AnyModifier, c->win);
diff --git a/focus.c b/focus.c
index 5e6c2cad..3816ce5a 100644
--- a/focus.c
+++ b/focus.c
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@
 extern awesome_config globalconf;
 
 static FocusList *
-focus_get_node_by_client(FocusList *head, Client *c)
+focus_get_node_by_client(Client *c)
 {
     FocusList *fh;
 
-    for(fh = head; fh; fh = fh->prev)
+    for(fh = globalconf.focus; fh; fh = fh->prev)
         if(fh->client == c)
             return fh;
 
@@ -39,15 +39,15 @@ focus_get_node_by_client(FocusList *head, Client *c)
 }
 
 static FocusList *
-focus_detach_node(FocusList **head, FocusList *fl)
+focus_detach_node(FocusList *fl)
 {
     FocusList *tmp;
 
-    if(*head == fl)
-        *head = fl->prev;
+    if(globalconf.focus == fl)
+        globalconf.focus = fl->prev;
     else
     {
-        for(tmp = *head; tmp && tmp->prev != fl; tmp = tmp->prev);
+        for(tmp = globalconf.focus; tmp && tmp->prev != fl; tmp = tmp->prev);
         tmp->prev = fl->prev;
     }
 
@@ -55,51 +55,51 @@ focus_detach_node(FocusList **head, FocusList *fl)
 }
 
 static FocusList *
-focus_attach_node(FocusList **head, FocusList *fl)
+focus_attach_node(FocusList *fl)
 {
     FocusList *old_head;
 
-    old_head = *head;
-    *head = fl;
+    old_head = globalconf.focus;
+    globalconf.focus = fl;
     fl->prev = old_head;
 
     return fl;
 }
 
 void
-focus_add_client(FocusList **head, Client *c)
+focus_add_client(Client *c)
 {
     FocusList *new_fh;
 
     /* if we don't find this node, create a new one */
-    if(!(new_fh = focus_get_node_by_client(*head, c)))
+    if(!(new_fh = focus_get_node_by_client(c)))
     {
         new_fh = p_new(FocusList, 1);
         new_fh->client = c;
     }
     else /* if we've got a node, detach it */
-        focus_detach_node(head, new_fh);
+        focus_detach_node(new_fh);
 
-    focus_attach_node(head, new_fh);
+    focus_attach_node(new_fh);
 }
 
 void
-focus_delete_client(FocusList **head, Client *c)
+focus_delete_client(Client *c)
 {
-    FocusList *fc = focus_get_node_by_client(*head, c), *target;
+    FocusList *fc = focus_get_node_by_client(c), *target;
     if (fc)
     {
-        target = focus_detach_node(head, fc);
+        target = focus_detach_node(fc);
         p_delete(&target);
     }
 }
 
 Client *
-focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(FocusList *head, int screen, Tag *t)
+focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(int screen, Tag *t)
 {
     FocusList *fl;
 
-    for(fl = head; fl; fl = fl->prev)
+    for(fl = globalconf.focus; fl; fl = fl->prev)
         if(is_client_tagged(fl->client, t, screen))
            return fl->client;
 
diff --git a/focus.h b/focus.h
index d383136c..4181860f 100644
--- a/focus.h
+++ b/focus.h
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-void focus_add_client(FocusList **, Client *);
-void focus_delete_client(FocusList **, Client *);
-Client * focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(FocusList *, int, Tag *);
+void focus_add_client(Client *);
+void focus_delete_client(Client *);
+Client * focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(int, Tag *);
 
 UICB_PROTO(uicb_focus_history);
 
diff --git a/layout.c b/layout.c
index 67390b9e..d6bae16d 100644
--- a/layout.c
+++ b/layout.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ arrange(int screen)
     }
 
     curtag->layout->arrange(screen);
-    focus(focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(globalconf.focus, screen, curtag),
+    focus(focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(screen, curtag),
           True, screen);
     restack(screen);
 }
diff --git a/screen.c b/screen.c
index b4eb38e7..377a7fe4 100644
--- a/screen.c
+++ b/screen.c
@@ -262,9 +262,7 @@ uicb_screen_focus(int screen, char *arg)
     if (new_screen > (numscreens - 1))
         new_screen = 0;
 
-    focus(focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(globalconf.focus,
-                                          new_screen,
-                                          get_current_tag(new_screen)),
+    focus(focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(new_screen, get_current_tag(new_screen)),
           True, new_screen);
 
     move_mouse_pointer_to_screen(globalconf.display, new_screen);
diff --git a/widgets/focustitle.c b/widgets/focustitle.c
index f6241c00..7e4774e8 100644
--- a/widgets/focustitle.c
+++ b/widgets/focustitle.c
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ static int
 focustitle_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset, int used)
 {
     VirtScreen vscreen = globalconf.screens[widget->statusbar->screen];
-    Client *sel = focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(globalconf.focus,
-                                                  widget->statusbar->screen, 
+    Client *sel = focus_get_latest_client_for_tag(widget->statusbar->screen, 
                                                   get_current_tag(widget->statusbar->screen));
     int location = calculate_offset(vscreen.statusbar.width,
                                     0,