diff --git a/docs/config.ld b/docs/config.ld
index 3a264f90c..120ba85c4 100644
--- a/docs/config.ld
+++ b/docs/config.ld
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ file = {
         -- documentation
         '../lib/awful/autofocus.lua',
         '../lib/awful/dbus.lua',
+        '../lib/awful/_compat.lua',
         '../lib/awful/init.lua',
         '../lib/awful/remote.lua',
         '../lib/awful/screen/dpi.lua',
diff --git a/lib/awful/_compat.lua b/lib/awful/_compat.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..07016b14b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/awful/_compat.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+-- This file contains all global backward compatibility workarounds for the
+-- Core API changes.
+local gtimer = require("gears.timer")
+local util   = require("awful.util" )
+local spawn  = require("awful.spawn")
+local gdebug = require("gears.debug")
+
+function timer(...) -- luacheck: ignore
+    gdebug.deprecate("gears.timer", {deprecated_in=4})
+    return gtimer(...)
+end
+
+util.spawn = function(...)
+   gdebug.deprecate("awful.spawn", {deprecated_in=4})
+   return spawn.spawn(...)
+end
+
+util.spawn_with_shell = function(...)
+   gdebug.deprecate("awful.spawn.with_shell", {deprecated_in=4})
+   return spawn.with_shell(...)
+end
+
+util.pread = function()
+    gdebug.deprecate("Use io.popen() directly or look at awful.spawn.easy_async() "
+            .. "for an asynchronous alternative", {deprecated_in=4})
+    return ""
+end
diff --git a/lib/awful/init.lua b/lib/awful/init.lua
index da63275c4..cf5764273 100644
--- a/lib/awful/init.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/init.lua
@@ -6,34 +6,7 @@
 -- @module awful
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
--- TODO: This is a hack for backwards-compatibility with 3.5, remove!
-local util = require("awful.util")
-local gtimer = require("gears.timer")
-local gdebug = require("gears.debug")
-function timer(...) -- luacheck: ignore
-    gdebug.deprecate("gears.timer", {deprecated_in=4})
-    return gtimer(...)
-end
-
---TODO: This is a hack for backwards-compatibility with 3.5, remove!
--- Set awful.util.spawn* and awful.util.pread.
-local spawn = require("awful.spawn")
-
-util.spawn = function(...)
-   gdebug.deprecate("awful.spawn", {deprecated_in=4})
-   return spawn.spawn(...)
-end
-
-util.spawn_with_shell = function(...)
-   gdebug.deprecate("awful.spawn.with_shell", {deprecated_in=4})
-   return spawn.with_shell(...)
-end
-
-util.pread = function()
-    gdebug.deprecate("Use awful.spawn.easy_async() "
-            .. "for an asynchronous alternative", {deprecated_in=4})
-    return ""
-end
+require("awful._compat")
 
 return
 {
@@ -60,7 +33,7 @@ return
     titlebar = require("awful.titlebar");
     rules = require("awful.rules");
     popup = require("awful.popup");
-    spawn = spawn;
+    spawn = require("awful.spawn");
 }
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80