diff --git a/lib/awful/client.lua b/lib/awful/client.lua
index c4ff1f005..033898517 100644
--- a/lib/awful/client.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/client.lua
@@ -1344,6 +1344,12 @@ function client.object.is_transient_for(self, c2)
     return nil
 end
 
+object.properties._legacy_accessors(client, "buttons", "_buttons", true, function(new_btns)
+    return new_btns[1] and (
+        type(new_btns[1]) == "button" or new_btns[1]._is_capi_button
+    ) or false
+end, true)
+
 --- Set the client shape.
 -- @property shape
 -- @tparam gears.shape A gears.shape compatible function.
diff --git a/lib/awful/wibar.lua b/lib/awful/wibar.lua
index b29d6d846..4b4e9bb62 100644
--- a/lib/awful/wibar.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/wibar.lua
@@ -421,6 +421,8 @@ function awfulwibar.new(args)
 
     w:connect_signal("property::visible", function() reattach(w) end)
 
+    assert(w.buttons)
+
     return w
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/wibox/init.lua b/lib/wibox/init.lua
index f55a899e3..3f68d5cb4 100644
--- a/lib/wibox/init.lua
+++ b/lib/wibox/init.lua
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ local beautiful = require("beautiful")
 local base = require("wibox.widget.base")
 local cairo = require("lgi").cairo
 
+
 --- This provides widget box windows. Every wibox can also be used as if it were
 -- a drawin. All drawin functions and properties are also available on wiboxes!
 -- wibox
@@ -63,6 +64,10 @@ function wibox:find_widgets(x, y)
     return self._drawable:find_widgets(x, y)
 end
 
+function wibox:_buttons(btns)
+    return self.drawin:_buttons(btns)
+end
+
 --- Create a widget that reflects the current state of this wibox.
 -- @treturn widget A new widget.
 -- @method to_widget
@@ -207,12 +212,18 @@ function wibox:get_children_by_id(name)
     return {}
 end
 
-for _, k in pairs{ "buttons", "struts", "geometry", "get_xproperty", "set_xproperty" } do
+for _, k in pairs{ "struts", "geometry", "get_xproperty", "set_xproperty" } do
     wibox[k] = function(self, ...)
         return self.drawin[k](self.drawin, ...)
     end
 end
 
+object.properties._legacy_accessors(wibox.object, "buttons", "_buttons", true, function(new_btns)
+    return new_btns[1] and (
+        type(new_btns[1]) == "button" or new_btns[1]._is_capi_button
+    ) or false
+end, true)
+
 local function setup_signals(_wibox)
     local obj
     local function clone_signal(name)
@@ -264,6 +275,7 @@ local function new(args)
         return ret
     end
 
+    w._private = {}
     ret.drawin = w
     ret._drawable = wibox.drawable(w.drawable, { wibox = ret },
         "wibox drawable (" .. object.modulename(3) .. ")")
@@ -365,6 +377,8 @@ object.properties(capi.drawin, {
     auto_emit    = true,
 })
 
+capi.drawin.object = wibox.object
+
 return setmetatable(wibox, wibox.mt)
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/objects/client.c b/objects/client.c
index 5f5d9de9e..6a881a625 100644
--- a/objects/client.c
+++ b/objects/client.c
@@ -949,9 +949,9 @@
 
 /** Get or set mouse buttons bindings for a client.
  *
- * @param buttons_table An array of mouse button bindings objects, or nothing.
- * @return A table with all buttons.
- * @method buttons
+ * @property buttons
+ * @param table
+ * @see awful.button
  */
 
 /** Get the number of instances.
diff --git a/objects/window.c b/objects/window.c
index 3c0432730..623cdbb6e 100644
--- a/objects/window.c
+++ b/objects/window.c
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ window_class_setup(lua_State *L)
     static const struct luaL_Reg window_meta[] =
     {
         { "struts", luaA_window_struts },
-        { "buttons", luaA_window_buttons },
+        { "_buttons", luaA_window_buttons },
         { "set_xproperty", luaA_window_set_xproperty },
         { "get_xproperty", luaA_window_get_xproperty },
         { NULL, NULL }
diff --git a/tests/examples/shims/drawin.lua b/tests/examples/shims/drawin.lua
index 2147b6232..0a9780ff6 100644
--- a/tests/examples/shims/drawin.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/shims/drawin.lua
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ local function new_drawin(_, args)
     ret.data.drawable.refresh  = function() end
     ret.data._struts           = { top = 0, right = 0, left = 0, bottom = 0 }
 
-    for _, k in pairs{ "buttons", "get_xproperty", "set_xproperty" } do
+    for _, k in pairs{ "_buttons", "get_xproperty", "set_xproperty" } do
         ret[k] = function() end
     end