diff --git a/objects/selection_acquire.c b/objects/selection_acquire.c
index 11395813e..46868b113 100644
--- a/objects/selection_acquire.c
+++ b/objects/selection_acquire.c
@@ -139,7 +139,10 @@ luaA_selection_acquire_new(lua_State *L)
     xcb_atom_t name_atom;
     selection_acquire_t *selection;
 
-    name = luaL_checklstring(L, 2, &name_length);
+    luaA_checktable(L, 2);
+    lua_pushliteral(L, "selection");
+    lua_gettable(L, 2);
+    name = luaL_checklstring(L, -1, &name_length);
 
     /* Get the atom identifying the selection */
     reply = xcb_intern_atom_reply(globalconf.connection,
diff --git a/tests/test-selection-transfer.lua b/tests/test-selection-transfer.lua
index 8a8777205..018caa8d6 100644
--- a/tests/test-selection-transfer.lua
+++ b/tests/test-selection-transfer.lua
@@ -66,20 +66,20 @@ end
 runner.run_steps{
     function()
         -- Get the selection
-        local s = assert(selection_acquire("CLIPBOARD"),
+        local s = assert(selection_acquire{ selection = "CLIPBOARD" },
             "Failed to acquire the clipboard selection")
 
         -- Steal selection ownership from ourselves and test that it works
         local s_released
         s:connect_signal("release", function() s_released = true end)
 
-        selection = assert(selection_acquire("CLIPBOARD"),
+        selection = assert(selection_acquire{ selection = "CLIPBOARD" },
             "Failed to acquire the clipboard selection")
 
         assert(s_released)
 
         -- Now test selection transfers
-        selection = assert(selection_acquire("CLIPBOARD"),
+        selection = assert(selection_acquire{ selection = "CLIPBOARD" },
             "Failed to acquire the clipboard selection")
         selection:connect_signal("request", function(_, target, transfer)
             if target == "TARGETS" then
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ runner.run_steps{
         continue = false
 
         -- Now test piece-wise selection transfers
-        selection = assert(selection_acquire("CLIPBOARD"),
+        selection = assert(selection_acquire{ selection = "CLIPBOARD" },
             "Failed to acquire the clipboard selection")
         selection:connect_signal("request", function(_, target, transfer)
             if target == "TARGETS" then
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ runner.run_steps{
         continue = false
 
         -- Now test a huge transfer
-        selection = assert(selection_acquire("CLIPBOARD"),
+        selection = assert(selection_acquire{ selection = "CLIPBOARD" },
             "Failed to acquire the clipboard selection")
         selection:connect_signal("request", function(_, target, transfer)
             if target == "TARGETS" then
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ runner.run_steps{
         continue = false
 
         -- Test for "release" signal when we lose selection
-        selection = assert(selection_acquire("CLIPBOARD"),
+        selection = assert(selection_acquire{ selection = "CLIPBOARD" },
             "Failed to acquire the clipboard selection")
         selection:connect_signal("release", function() selection_released = true end)
         awesome.sync()