diff --git a/tests/examples/shims/button.lua b/tests/examples/shims/button.lua
index 5f41d1e7..b58c051f 100644
--- a/tests/examples/shims/button.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/shims/button.lua
@@ -1,7 +1,35 @@
-return function() return {
-    data = {},
-    _is_capi_button = true,
-    connect_signal = function() end
-} end
+local gears_obj = require("gears.object")
+
+local button, meta = awesome._shim_fake_class()
+
+local function new_button(_, args)
+    local ret = gears_obj()
+    ret._private = args or {}
+
+    -- The miss handler wont work for this.
+    for k, v in pairs(ret._private) do
+        rawset(ret, k, v)
+    end
+
+    if not rawget(ret, "modifiers") then
+        rawset(ret, "modifiers", {})
+    end
+
+    --TODO v5: remove this.
+    ret.data = ret._private
+
+    rawset(ret, "_is_capi_button", true)
+
+    local md = setmetatable(ret, {
+                        __index     = function(...) return meta.__index(...) end,
+                        __newindex = function(...) return meta.__newindex(...) end
+                    })
+
+    assert((not args) or args.button == md.button)
+
+    return md
+end
+
+return setmetatable(button, { __call = new_button, })
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/tests/examples/shims/key.lua b/tests/examples/shims/key.lua
index ff2866aa..48e8abdb 100644
--- a/tests/examples/shims/key.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/shims/key.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,31 @@
-local gobject = require("gears.object")
-local gtable  = require("gears.table")
+local gears_obj = require("gears.object")
 
-return setmetatable({_is_capi_key = true}, {__call = function(_, args)
-    return gtable.crush(gobject(), args)
-end})
+local key, meta = awesome._shim_fake_class()
+
+local function new_key(_, args)
+    local ret = gears_obj()
+    ret._private = args or {}
+
+    -- The miss handler wont work for this.
+    for k, v in pairs(ret._private) do
+        rawset(ret, k, v)
+    end
+
+    --TODO v5: remove this.
+    ret.data = ret._private
+
+    rawset(ret, "_is_capi_key", true)
+
+    local md = setmetatable(ret, {
+                        __index     = function(...) return meta.__index(...) end,
+                        __newindex = function(...) return meta.__newindex(...) end
+                    })
+
+    assert((not args) or args.key == md.key)
+
+    return md
+end
+
+return setmetatable(key, { __call = new_key, })
+
+-- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/tests/examples/shims/root.lua b/tests/examples/shims/root.lua
index 47ee71b3..b22c878b 100644
--- a/tests/examples/shims/root.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/shims/root.lua
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ local root = {_tags={}}
 
 local gtable = require("gears.table")
 
-local hotkeys = nil
-
 function root:tags()
     return root._tags
 end
@@ -86,15 +84,9 @@ local function match_modifiers(mods1, mods2)
 end
 
 local function execute_keybinding(key, event)
-    -- It *could* be extracted from gears.object private API, but it's equally
-    -- ugly as using the list used by the hotkey widget.
-    if not hotkeys then
-        hotkeys = require("awful.key").hotkeys
-    end
-
-    for _, v in ipairs(hotkeys) do
-        if key == v.key and match_modifiers(v.mod, get_mods()) and v[event] then
-            v[event]()
+    for _, v in ipairs(keys) do
+        if key == v.key and match_modifiers(v.modifiers, get_mods()) then
+            v:emit_signal(event)
             return
         end
     end