diff --git a/common/configopts.c b/common/configopts.c
index 7eaf71479..25e93b4a9 100644
--- a/common/configopts.c
+++ b/common/configopts.c
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@
     CFG_PTR_CB(name, value, flags, \
                cfg_position_parse, cfg_value_free)
 
+#define CFG_ALIGNMENT(name, value, flags) \
+    CFG_PTR_CB(name, value, flags, \
+               cfg_alignment_parse, cfg_value_free)
+
 /** This is a better writing of cfg_include coming from libconfuse.
  * With this one, we do not treat errors as fatal.
  */
@@ -90,6 +94,25 @@ cfg_position_parse(cfg_t *cfg, cfg_opt_t *opt,
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+cfg_alignment_parse(cfg_t *cfg, cfg_opt_t *opt,
+                    const char *value, void *result)
+{
+    Alignment *p = p_new(Alignment, 1);
+    
+    if((*p = draw_align_get_from_str(value)) == Auto
+       && a_strcmp(value, "auto"))
+    {
+        cfg_error(cfg,
+                  "alignment option '%s' must be left, center, right, flex or auto in section '%s'",
+                  opt->name, cfg->name);
+        p_delete(&p);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    *(void **) result = p;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static void
 cfg_value_free(void *value)
 {
@@ -99,7 +122,7 @@ cfg_value_free(void *value)
 cfg_opt_t titlebar_opts[] =
 {
     CFG_POSITION((char *) "position", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
-    CFG_STR((char *) "text_align", (char *) "center", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_ALIGNMENT((char *) "text_align", (char *) "center", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_STR((char *) "icon", (char *) "left", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_AWESOME_END()
 };
@@ -154,7 +177,7 @@ cfg_opt_t widget_opts[] =
 {
     CFG_INT((char *) "x", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_INT((char *) "y", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
-    CFG_STR((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_ALIGNMENT((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "mouse", mouse_generic_opts, CFGF_MULTI),
     CFG_AWESOME_END()
 };
@@ -162,7 +185,7 @@ cfg_opt_t widget_taglist_opts[] =
 {
     CFG_INT((char *) "x", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_INT((char *) "y", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
-    CFG_STR((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_ALIGNMENT((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "mouse", mouse_taglist_opts, CFGF_MULTI),
     CFG_AWESOME_END()
 };
@@ -170,7 +193,7 @@ cfg_opt_t widget_iconbox_opts[] =
 {
     CFG_INT((char *) "x", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_INT((char *) "y", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
-    CFG_STR((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_ALIGNMENT((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "mouse", mouse_generic_opts, CFGF_MULTI),
     CFG_STR((char *) "image", (char *) NULL, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_BOOL((char *) "resize", cfg_true, CFGF_NONE),
@@ -180,11 +203,11 @@ cfg_opt_t widget_textbox_opts[] =
 {
     CFG_INT((char *) "x", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_INT((char *) "y", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
-    CFG_STR((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_ALIGNMENT((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "mouse", mouse_generic_opts, CFGF_MULTI),
     CFG_INT((char *) "width", 0, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_STR((char *) "text", (char *) NULL, CFGF_NONE),
-    CFG_STR((char *) "text_align", (char *) "center", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_ALIGNMENT((char *) "text_align", (char *) "center", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "style", style_opts, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_AWESOME_END()
 };
@@ -194,7 +217,7 @@ cfg_opt_t widget_tasklist_opts[] =
     CFG_INT((char *) "y", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "mouse", mouse_generic_opts, CFGF_MULTI),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "styles", styles_opts, CFGF_NONE),
-    CFG_STR((char *) "text_align", (char *) "left", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_ALIGNMENT((char *) "text_align", (char *) "left", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_STR((char *) "show", (char *) "tags", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_BOOL((char *) "show_icons", cfg_true, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_AWESOME_END()
@@ -214,7 +237,7 @@ cfg_opt_t widget_graph_opts[] =
 {
     CFG_INT((char *) "x", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_INT((char *) "y", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
-    CFG_STR((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_ALIGNMENT((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "mouse", mouse_generic_opts, CFGF_MULTI),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "data", widget_graph_data_opts, CFGF_TITLE | CFGF_MULTI | CFGF_NO_TITLE_DUPES),
     CFG_INT((char *) "width", 100, CFGF_NONE),
@@ -239,7 +262,7 @@ cfg_opt_t widget_progressbar_opts[] =
 {
     CFG_INT((char *) "x", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_INT((char *) "y", 0xffffffff, CFGF_NONE),
-    CFG_STR((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_ALIGNMENT((char *) "align", (char *) "auto", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "mouse", mouse_generic_opts, CFGF_MULTI),
     CFG_SEC((char *) "data", widget_progressbar_data_opts, CFGF_TITLE | CFGF_MULTI | CFGF_NO_TITLE_DUPES),
     CFG_INT((char *) "width", 100, CFGF_NONE),
@@ -434,22 +457,6 @@ config_validate_zero_one_float(cfg_t *cfg, cfg_opt_t *opt)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-config_validate_alignment(cfg_t *cfg, cfg_opt_t *opt)
-{
-    char *value = cfg_opt_getnstr(opt, cfg_opt_size(opt) - 1);
-
-    if(draw_get_align(value) == Auto
-       && a_strcmp(value, "auto"))
-    {
-        cfg_error(cfg,
-                  "alignment option '%s' must be left, center, right, flex or auto in section '%s'",
-                  opt->name, cfg->name);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return 0;
-}
-
 cfg_t *
 cfg_new(void)
 {
@@ -472,10 +479,6 @@ cfg_new(void)
     cfg_set_validate_func(cfg, "screen|general|mwfact_upper_limit", config_validate_zero_one_float);
     cfg_set_validate_func(cfg, "screen|tags|tag|mwfact", config_validate_zero_one_float);
 
-    /* Check alignment values */
-    cfg_set_validate_func(cfg, "screen|titlebar|text_align", config_validate_alignment);
-    cfg_set_validate_func(cfg, "rules|rule|titlebar|text_align", config_validate_alignment);
-
     return cfg;
 }
 
diff --git a/common/draw.c b/common/draw.c
index b99fb9461..5c58134ce 100644
--- a/common/draw.c
+++ b/common/draw.c
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ draw_textwidth(Display *disp, font_t *font, char *text)
  * \return Alignment type
  */
 Alignment
-draw_get_align(const char *align)
+draw_align_get_from_str(const char *align)
 {
     if(!a_strncmp(align, "left", 4))
         return AlignLeft;
diff --git a/common/draw.h b/common/draw.h
index 612127b0d..4d2e2afbb 100644
--- a/common/draw.h
+++ b/common/draw.h
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void draw_image_from_argb_data(DrawCtx *, int, int, int, int, int, unsigned char
 area_t draw_get_image_size(const char *filename);
 Drawable draw_rotate(DrawCtx *, int, double, int, int);
 unsigned short draw_textwidth(Display *, font_t *, char *);
-Alignment draw_get_align(const char *);
+Alignment draw_align_get_from_str(const char *);
 Bool draw_color_new(Display *, int, const char *, XColor *);
 void draw_style_init(Display *, int, cfg_t *, style_t *, style_t *);
 
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index fe1f05da9..e606abd6f 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ static void
 config_section_titlebar_init(cfg_t *cfg_titlebar, Titlebar *tb)
 {
     tb->position = tb->dposition = *(Position *) cfg_getptr(cfg_titlebar, "position");
-    tb->text_align = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(cfg_titlebar, "text_align"));
+    tb->text_align = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(cfg_titlebar, "text_align");
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/widgets/focusicon.c b/widgets/focusicon.c
index de1395eba..e3c967ae6 100644
--- a/widgets/focusicon.c
+++ b/widgets/focusicon.c
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ focusicon_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
     w = p_new(Widget, 1);
     widget_common_new(w, statusbar, config);
     w->draw = focusicon_draw;
-    w->alignment = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(config, "align"));
+    w->alignment = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(config, "align");
 
     /* Set cache property */
     w->cache.flags = WIDGET_CACHE_CLIENTS;
diff --git a/widgets/graph.c b/widgets/graph.c
index ccbec9055..a0ec3b9f8 100644
--- a/widgets/graph.c
+++ b/widgets/graph.c
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ graph_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
 
     w->draw = graph_draw;
     w->tell = graph_tell;
-    w->alignment = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(config, "align"));
+    w->alignment = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(config, "align");
     d = w->data = p_new(Data, 1);
 
     d->width = cfg_getint(config, "width");
diff --git a/widgets/iconbox.c b/widgets/iconbox.c
index 201b5c4f3..317cab72a 100644
--- a/widgets/iconbox.c
+++ b/widgets/iconbox.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ iconbox_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
 
     w = p_new(Widget, 1);
     widget_common_new(w, statusbar, config);
-    w->alignment = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(config, "align"));
+    w->alignment = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(config, "align");
     w->draw = iconbox_draw;
     w->tell = iconbox_tell;
     w->data = d = p_new(Data, 1);
diff --git a/widgets/layoutinfo.c b/widgets/layoutinfo.c
index fbc618445..15c72dd98 100644
--- a/widgets/layoutinfo.c
+++ b/widgets/layoutinfo.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ layoutinfo_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t* config)
     w = p_new(Widget, 1);
     widget_common_new(w, statusbar, config);
     w->draw = layoutinfo_draw;
-    w->alignment = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(config, "align"));
+    w->alignment = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(config, "align");
 
     /* Set cache property */
     w->cache.flags = WIDGET_CACHE_LAYOUTS;
diff --git a/widgets/progressbar.c b/widgets/progressbar.c
index 7e5365f1c..a65e49386 100644
--- a/widgets/progressbar.c
+++ b/widgets/progressbar.c
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ progressbar_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
     if(!(d->vertical = cfg_getbool(config, "vertical")))
         d->vertical = False;
 
-    w->alignment = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(config, "align"));
+    w->alignment = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(config, "align");
 
     if(!(d->data_items = cfg_size(config, "data")))
     {
diff --git a/widgets/taglist.c b/widgets/taglist.c
index 8d1917e86..22d1c9bc3 100644
--- a/widgets/taglist.c
+++ b/widgets/taglist.c
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ taglist_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
     widget_common_new(w, statusbar, config);
     w->draw = taglist_draw;
     w->button_press = taglist_button_press;
-    w->alignment = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(config, "align"));
+    w->alignment = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(config, "align");
 
     /* Set cache property */
     w->cache.flags = WIDGET_CACHE_TAGS | WIDGET_CACHE_CLIENTS;
diff --git a/widgets/tasklist.c b/widgets/tasklist.c
index 9c961749f..e3640a581 100644
--- a/widgets/tasklist.c
+++ b/widgets/tasklist.c
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ tasklist_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
                     &d->styles.urgent,
                     &globalconf.screens[statusbar->screen].styles.urgent);
 
-    d->align = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(config, "text_align"));
+    d->align = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(config, "text_align");
     d->show_icons = cfg_getbool(config, "show_icons");
 
     buf = cfg_getstr(config, "show");
diff --git a/widgets/textbox.c b/widgets/textbox.c
index 87652cfbd..a5d74006d 100644
--- a/widgets/textbox.c
+++ b/widgets/textbox.c
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ textbox_tell(Widget *widget, char *property, char *command)
     else if(!a_strcmp(property, "width"))
         d->width = atoi(command);
     else if(!a_strcmp(property, "text_align"))
-        d->align = draw_get_align(command);
+        d->align = draw_align_get_from_str(command);
     else
         return WIDGET_ERROR;
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ textbox_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
     widget_common_new(w, statusbar, config);
     w->draw = textbox_draw;
     w->tell = textbox_tell;
-    w->alignment = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(config, "align"));
+    w->alignment = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(config, "align");
 
     w->data = d = p_new(Data, 1);
 
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ textbox_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
                    &globalconf.screens[statusbar->screen].styles.normal);
 
     d->width = cfg_getint(config, "width");
-    d->align = draw_get_align(cfg_getstr(config, "text_align"));
+    d->align = * (Alignment *) cfg_getptr(config, "text_align");
 
     d->text = a_strdup(cfg_getstr(config, "text"));