diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 16d94f77..373306c0 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -333,6 +333,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     xcolor_init_request_t colors_reqs[2];
     xcb_get_modifier_mapping_cookie_t xmapping_cookie;
     ssize_t cmdlen = 1;
+    xdgHandle xdg;
     static struct option long_options[] =
     {
         { "help",    0, NULL, 'h' },
@@ -370,8 +371,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     /* Text won't be printed correctly otherwise */
     setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "");
 
+    /* Get XDG basedir data */
+    xdg = xdgAllocHandle();
+
     /* init lua */
-    luaA_init();
+    luaA_init(xdg);
 
     /* check args */
     while((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "vhkc:",
@@ -385,7 +389,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
             exit_help(EXIT_SUCCESS);
             break;
           case 'k':
-            if(!luaA_parserc(confpath, false))
+            if(!luaA_parserc(xdg, confpath, false))
             {
                 fprintf(stderr, "✘ Configuration file syntax error.\n");
                 return EXIT_FAILURE;
@@ -522,7 +526,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 
     /* Parse and run configuration file */
-    luaA_parserc(confpath, true);
+    luaA_parserc(xdg, confpath, true);
+
+    xdgFreeHandle(xdg);
 
     /* scan existing windows */
     scan();
diff --git a/luaa.c b/luaa.c
index 3b9a9746..2e8870cf 100644
--- a/luaa.c
+++ b/luaa.c
@@ -723,9 +723,10 @@ luaA_awesome_newindex(lua_State *L)
 }
 
 /** Initialize the Lua VM
+ * \param xdg An xdg handle to use to get XDG basedir.
  */
 void
-luaA_init(void)
+luaA_init(xdgHandle xdg)
 {
     lua_State *L;
     static const struct luaL_reg awesome_lib[] =
@@ -822,8 +823,6 @@ luaA_init(void)
     globalconf.hooks.dbus = LUA_REFNIL;
 #endif
 
-    xdgHandle xdg = xdgAllocHandle();
-
     /* add Lua lib path (/usr/share/awesome/lib by default) */
     luaA_dostring(L, "package.path = package.path .. \";" AWESOME_LUA_LIB_PATH  "/?.lua\"");
     luaA_dostring(L, "package.path = package.path .. \";" AWESOME_LUA_LIB_PATH  "/?/init.lua\"");
@@ -838,8 +837,6 @@ luaA_init(void)
         luaA_dostring(L, buf);
         p_delete(&buf);
     }
-
-    xdgFreeHandle(xdg);
 }
 
 static bool
@@ -868,16 +865,16 @@ luaA_loadrc(const char *confpath, bool run)
 }
 
 /** Load a configuration file.
+ * \param xdg An xdg handle to use to get XDG basedir.
  * \param confpatharg The configuration file to load.
  * \param run Run the configuration file.
  */
 bool
-luaA_parserc(const char *confpatharg, bool run)
+luaA_parserc(xdgHandle xdg, const char *confpatharg, bool run)
 {
     int screen;
     char *confpath = NULL;
     bool ret = false;
-    xdgHandle xdg = NULL;
 
     /* try to load, return if it's ok */
     if(confpatharg)
@@ -891,8 +888,6 @@ luaA_parserc(const char *confpatharg, bool run)
             goto bailout;
     }
 
-    xdg = xdgAllocHandle();
-
     confpath = xdgConfigFind("awesome/rc.lua", xdg);
 
     char *tmp = confpath;
@@ -914,9 +909,6 @@ bailout:
 
     p_delete(&confpath);
 
-    if(xdg)
-        xdgFreeHandle(xdg);
-
     /* Assure there's at least one tag */
     for(screen = 0; screen < globalconf.nscreen; screen++)
         if(!globalconf.screens[screen].tags.len)
diff --git a/luaa.h b/luaa.h
index e4ddd125..1b3dfd60 100644
--- a/luaa.h
+++ b/luaa.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #include <lua.h>
 #include <lauxlib.h>
 
+#include <basedir.h>
+
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "draw.h"
@@ -381,8 +383,8 @@ luaA_pushpadding(lua_State *L, padding_t *padding)
     return 1;
 }
 
-void luaA_init(void);
-bool luaA_parserc(const char *, bool);
+void luaA_init(xdgHandle);
+bool luaA_parserc(xdgHandle, const char *, bool);
 void luaA_cs_init(void);
 void luaA_cs_cleanup(void);
 void luaA_on_timer(EV_P_ ev_timer *, int);