diff --git a/lib/gears/color.lua.in b/lib/gears/color.lua.in
index b1922622..f2d21bb7 100644
--- a/lib/gears/color.lua.in
+++ b/lib/gears/color.lua.in
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ local type = type
 local cairo = require("lgi").cairo
 local surface = require("gears.surface")
 
-module("gears.color")
+local color = { mt = {} }
 
 --- Parse a HTML-color.
 -- This function can parse colors like #rrggbb and #rrggbbaa.
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ module("gears.color")
 -- Thanks to #lua for this. :)
 -- @param col The color to parse
 -- @return 4 values which each are in the range [0, 1].
-function parse_color(col)
+function color.parse_color(col)
     local rgb = {}
     for pair in string.gmatch(col, "[^#].") do
         local i = tonumber(pair, 16)
@@ -51,20 +51,20 @@ end
 --- Create a solid pattern
 -- @param col The color for the pattern
 -- @return A cairo pattern object
-function create_solid_pattern(col)
+function color.create_solid_pattern(col)
     local col = col
     if col == nil then
         col = "#000000"
     elseif type(col) == "table" then
         col = col.color
     end
-    return cairo.Pattern.create_rgba(parse_color(col))
+    return cairo.Pattern.create_rgba(color.parse_color(col))
 end
 
 --- Create an image pattern from a png file
 -- @param file The filename of the file
 -- @return a cairo pattern object
-function create_png_pattern(file)
+function color.create_png_pattern(file)
     local file = file
     if type(file) == "table" then
         file = file.file
@@ -80,15 +80,15 @@ end
 local function add_iterator_stops(p, iterator)
     for k in iterator do
         local sub = string.gmatch(k, "[^,]+")
-        local point, color = sub(), sub()
-        p:add_color_stop_rgba(point, parse_color(color))
+        local point, clr = sub(), sub()
+        p:add_color_stop_rgba(point, color.parse_color(clr))
     end
 end
 
 -- Add a list of stops to a given pattern
 local function add_stops_table(pat, arg)
     for _, stop in ipairs(arg) do
-        pat:add_color_stop_rgba(stop[1], parse_color(stop[2]))
+        pat:add_color_stop_rgba(stop[1], color.parse_color(stop[2]))
     end
 end
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ end
 -- For the explanation of "<stops>", see create_pattern().
 -- @param arg The argument describing the pattern
 -- @return a cairo pattern object
-function create_linear_pattern(arg)
+function color.create_linear_pattern(arg)
     local pat
 
     if type(arg) == "string" then
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ end
 -- For the explanation of "<stops>", see create_pattern().
 -- @param arg The argument describing the pattern
 -- @return a cairo pattern object
-function create_radial_pattern(arg)
+function color.create_radial_pattern(arg)
     local pat
 
     if type(arg) == "string" then
@@ -160,11 +160,11 @@ function create_radial_pattern(arg)
 end
 
 --- Mapping of all supported color types. New entries can be added.
-types = {
-    solid = create_solid_pattern,
-    png = create_png_pattern,
-    linear = create_linear_pattern,
-    radial = create_radial_pattern
+local types = {
+    solid = color.create_solid_pattern,
+    png = color.create_png_pattern,
+    linear = color.create_linear_pattern,
+    radial = color.create_radial_pattern
 }
 
 --- Create a pattern from a given string.
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ types = {
 --      create_radial_pattern
 -- @param col The string describing the pattern.
 -- @return a cairo pattern object
-function create_pattern(col)
+function color.create_pattern(col)
     if type(col) == "string" then
         local t = string.match(col, "[^:]+")
         if types[t] then
@@ -195,9 +195,13 @@ function create_pattern(col)
             return types[t](col)
         end
     end
-    return create_solid_pattern(col)
+    return color.create_solid_pattern(col)
 end
 
-setmetatable(_M, { __call = function (_, ...) return create_pattern(...) end })
+function color.mt:__call(...)
+    return color.create_pattern(...)
+end
+
+return setmetatable(color, color.mt)
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/gears/debug.lua.in b/lib/gears/debug.lua.in
index 2817c7f1..8e864597 100644
--- a/lib/gears/debug.lua.in
+++ b/lib/gears/debug.lua.in
@@ -11,12 +11,13 @@ local print = print
 local type = type
 local pairs = pairs
 
-module("gears.debug")
+-- gears.debug
+local debug = {}
 
 --- Check that the given condition holds true, else throw an error
 -- @param cond If this is false, throw a lua error with a backtrace.
 -- @param message Message to print in the error (optional).
-function assert(cond, message)
+function debug.assert(cond, message)
     local message = message or cond
     if not cond then
         error(traceback("Assertion failed: '" .. tostring(message) .. "'"))
@@ -54,15 +55,17 @@ end
 -- @param data Value to inspect.
 -- @param tag The name of the value.
 -- @return a string that contains the expanded value of data.
-function dump_return(data, tag)
+function debug.dump_return(data, tag)
     return dump_raw(data, nil, tag)
 end
 
 --- Print the table (or any other value) to the console.
 -- @param data Table to print.
 -- @param tag The name of the table.
-function dump(data, tag)
+function debug.dump(data, tag)
     print(dump_return(data, tag))
 end
 
+return debug
+
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/gears/init.lua.in b/lib/gears/init.lua.in
index f8864a1f..a4101569 100644
--- a/lib/gears/init.lua.in
+++ b/lib/gears/init.lua.in
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@
 -- @release @AWESOME_VERSION@
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-require("gears.color")
-require("gears.debug")
-require("gears.object")
-require("gears.sort")
-require("gears.surface")
+-- gears
 
-module("gears")
+return
+{
+    color = require("gears.color");
+    debug = require("gears.debug");
+    object = require("gears.object");
+    sort = require("gears.sort");
+    surface = require("gears.surface");
+}
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/gears/object.lua.in b/lib/gears/object.lua.in
index 9da249b1..4782314c 100644
--- a/lib/gears/object.lua.in
+++ b/lib/gears/object.lua.in
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ local pairs = pairs
 local type = type
 local error = error
 
-module("gears.object")
+-- gears.object
+local object = { mt = {} }
 
 -- Verify that obj is indeed a valid object as returned by new()
 local function check(obj)
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ end
 --- Add a signal to an object. All signals must be added before they can be used.
 -- @param obj The object
 -- @param name The name of the new signal.
-function add_signal(obj, name)
+function object.add_signal(obj, name)
     check(obj)
     if not obj._signals[name] then
         obj._signals[name] = {}
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ end
 -- @param obj The object
 -- @param name The name of the signal
 -- @param func The callback to call when the signal is emitted
-function connect_signal(obj, name, func)
+function object.connect_signal(obj, name, func)
     local sig = find_signal(obj, name, "connect to")
     sig[func] = func
 end
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ end
 -- @param obj The object
 -- @param name The name of the signal
 -- @param func The callback that should be disconnected
-function disconnect_signal(obj, name, func)
+function object.disconnect_signal(obj, name, func)
     local sig = find_signal(obj, name, "disconnect from")
     sig[func] = nil
 end
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ end
 -- @param ... Extra arguments for the callback functions. Each connected
 --            function receives the object as first argument and then any extra
 --            arguments that are given to emit_signal()
-function emit_signal(obj, name, ...)
+function object.emit_signal(obj, name, ...)
     local sig = find_signal(obj, name, "emit")
     for func in pairs(sig) do
         func(obj, ...)
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ local function new()
     local ret = {}
 
     -- Copy all our global functions to our new object
-    for k, v in pairs(_M) do
+    for k, v in pairs(object) do
         if type(v) == "function" then
             ret[k] = v
         end
@@ -89,6 +90,10 @@ local function new()
     return ret
 end
 
-setmetatable(_M, { __call = function (_, ...) return new(...) end })
+function object.mt:__call(...)
+    return new(...)
+end
+
+return setmetatable(object, object.mt)
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/gears/sort.lua.in b/lib/gears/sort.lua.in
index da7f078a..129619f0 100644
--- a/lib/gears/sort.lua.in
+++ b/lib/gears/sort.lua.in
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ local ipairs = ipairs
 local table = table
 local error = error
 
-module("gears.sort")
+-- gears.sort
+local sort = { mt = {} }
 
 local function less_than_comp(a, b)
     return a < b
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ end
 -- The difference to table.sort() is that this sort is stable.
 -- @param list The table to sort (we do an in-place sort!).
 -- @param comp Comparator used for the sorting
-function sort(list, comp)
+function sort.sort(list, comp)
     local comp = comp or less_than_comp
 
     -- A table could contain non-integer keys which we have to ignore.
@@ -53,10 +54,10 @@ function sort(list, comp)
     end
 end
 
-function test()
+function sort.test()
     local function test_one(t)
         local len = #t
-        sort(t)
+        sort.sort(t)
         if len ~= #t then
             error("Table lost entries during sort!")
         end
@@ -78,6 +79,10 @@ function test()
     return true
 end
 
-setmetatable(_M, { __call = function (_, ...) return sort(...) end })
+function sort.mt:__call(...)
+    return sort.sort(...)
+end
+
+return setmetatable(sort, sort.mt)
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/gears/surface.lua.in b/lib/gears/surface.lua.in
index 26d004a3..774f2836 100644
--- a/lib/gears/surface.lua.in
+++ b/lib/gears/surface.lua.in
@@ -13,27 +13,32 @@ if tonumber(require("lgi.version")) <= 0.5 then
     error("lgi too old, need at least version 0.7 (not yet released?) or recent git")
 end
 
-module("gears.surface")
+-- gears.surface
+local surface = { mt = {} }
 
 --- Try to convert the argument into an lgi cairo surface.
 -- This is usually needed for loading images by file name.
-function load(surface)
+function surface.load(_surface)
     -- Nil is not changed
-    if not surface then
+    if not _surface then
         return nil
     end
     -- lgi cairo surfaces don't get changed either
-    if cairo.Surface:is_type_of(surface) then
-        return surface
+    if cairo.Surface:is_type_of(_surface) then
+        return _surface
     end
     -- Strings are assumed to be file names and get loaded
-    if type(surface) == "string" then
-        surface = capi.awesome.load_image(surface)
+    if type(_surface) == "string" then
+        _surface = capi.awesome.load_image(_surface)
     end
     -- Everything else gets forced into a surface
-    return cairo.Surface(surface, true)
+    return cairo.Surface(_surface, true)
 end
 
-setmetatable(_M, { __call = function(_, ...) return load(...) end })
+function surface.mt:__call(...)
+    return surface.load(...)
+end
+
+return setmetatable(surface, surface.mt)
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80