diff --git a/lib/wibox/widget/template.lua b/lib/wibox/widget/template.lua
index b67b351bd..81d943fdc 100644
--- a/lib/wibox/widget/template.lua
+++ b/lib/wibox/widget/template.lua
@@ -362,34 +362,28 @@ end
 -- @method clone
 -- @treturn wibox.widget.template The copy.
 function template:clone()
-    return template {
-        template = self._private.widget_template
-    }
+    return template(self._private.widget_template)
 end
 
 --- Create a new `wibox.widget.template` instance.
--- @tparam[opt] table args
--- @tparam[opt] table|widget args.template The widget template to use.
--- @tparam[opt] function args.update_callback The callback function to update
+-- @tparam[opt] table tmpl
+-- @tparam[opt] function tmpl.update_callback The callback function to update
 --   the widget.
--- @tparam[opt] boolean args.update_now Update the widget after its
+-- @tparam[opt] boolean tmpl.update_now Update the widget after its
 --   construction. This will call the `:update()` method with no parameter.
 -- @treturn wibox.widget.template The new instance.
 -- @constructorfct wibox.widget.template
-function template.new(args)
-    args = args or {}
+function template.new(tmpl)
+    tmpl = tmpl or {}
 
     local ret = wbase.make_widget(nil, nil, { enable_properties = true })
 
     gtable.crush(ret, template, true)
     ret._private.connections = {}
 
-    ret:set_template(args.template)
-    ret:set_update_callback(args.update_callback)
-    ret:set_update_now(args.update_now)
-
-    -- Apply the received buttons, visible, forced_width and so on
-    gtable.crush(ret, args)
+    ret:set_template(tmpl)
+    ret:set_update_callback(tmpl.update_callback)
+    ret:set_update_now(tmpl.update_now)
 
     rawset(ret, "_is_template", true)
 
@@ -412,9 +406,7 @@ function template.make_from_value(value)
 
     if rawget(value, "_is_template") then return value:clone() end
 
-    return template.new {
-        template = value
-    }
+    return template.new(value)
 end
 
 function template.mt:__call(...)
diff --git a/tests/examples/sequences/widget/tmpl/bind_property.lua b/tests/examples/sequences/widget/tmpl/bind_property.lua
index b8f1289e2..cec436bdc 100644
--- a/tests/examples/sequences/widget/tmpl/bind_property.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/sequences/widget/tmpl/bind_property.lua
@@ -13,29 +13,27 @@ client.focus = client.gen_fake{
     --DOC_HIDE_END
 
     local my_template_widget = wibox.widget.template {
-        template = {
+        {
             {
-                {
-                    set_icon = function(self, icon)
-                        self.image = gears.surface(icon)
-                    end,
-                    id     = "icon_role",
-                    widget = wibox.widget.imagebox
-                },
-                {
-                    id     = "title_role",
-                    widget = wibox.widget.textbox
-                },
-                widget = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
+                set_icon = function(self, icon)
+                    self.image = gears.surface(icon)
+                end,
+                id     = "icon_role",
+                widget = wibox.widget.imagebox
             },
-            widget     = wibox.container.background,
-            id         = "background_role",
-            set_urgent = function(self, status)
-                self.bg = status and "#ff0000" or nil
-            end,
-            forced_width  = 200, --DOC_HIDE
-            forced_height = 24, --DOC_HIDE
-        }
+            {
+                id     = "title_role",
+                widget = wibox.widget.textbox
+            },
+            widget = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
+        },
+        widget     = wibox.container.background,
+        id         = "background_role",
+        set_urgent = function(self, status)
+            self.bg = status and "#ff0000" or nil
+        end,
+        forced_width  = 200, --DOC_HIDE
+        forced_height = 24, --DOC_HIDE
     }
 
 --DOC_NEWLINE
diff --git a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/basic_textbox.lua b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/basic_textbox.lua
index a9c2b574c..0be653662 100644
--- a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/basic_textbox.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/basic_textbox.lua
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ local wibox = require("wibox")
 --DOC_HIDE_END
 
     local my_template_widget = wibox.widget.template {
-        template = wibox.widget.textbox,
+        widget = wibox.widget.textbox,
         update_callback = function(template_widget, args)
             local text = args.text or "???"
             template_widget.widget.text = text
diff --git a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/clone1.lua b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/clone1.lua
index 330c6b606..4a8690031 100644
--- a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/clone1.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/clone1.lua
@@ -23,37 +23,35 @@ client.focus = client.gen_fake{
     --DOC_NEWLINE
 
     local default_template = wibox.widget.template {
-        template = {
+        {
             {
                 {
-                    {
-                        forced_height = 16,
-                        forced_width  = 16,
-                        shape         = gears.shape.circle,
-                        widget        = wibox.widget.separator
-                    },
-                    margins = 3,
-                    widget  = wibox.container.margin
+                    forced_height = 16,
+                    forced_width  = 16,
+                    shape         = gears.shape.circle,
+                    widget        = wibox.widget.separator
                 },
-                {
-                    set_color = function(self, color)
-                        self.text = color
-                    end,
-                    text   = "N/A",
-                    widget = wibox.widget.textbox
-                },
-                spacing = 5,
-                widget  = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
+                margins = 3,
+                widget  = wibox.container.margin
             },
-            set_color = function(self, color)
-                self.border_color = gears.color.to_rgba_string(color):sub(1,7).."44"
-                self.fg           = color
-            end,
-            border_width = 1,
-            shape        = gears.shape.octogon,
-            widget       = wibox.container.background,
-            forced_width = 100, --DOC_HIDE
-        }
+            {
+                set_color = function(self, color)
+                    self.text = color
+                end,
+                text   = "N/A",
+                widget = wibox.widget.textbox
+            },
+            spacing = 5,
+            widget  = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
+        },
+        set_color = function(self, color)
+            self.border_color = gears.color.to_rgba_string(color):sub(1,7).."44"
+            self.fg           = color
+        end,
+        border_width = 1,
+        shape        = gears.shape.octogon,
+        widget       = wibox.container.background,
+        forced_width = 100, --DOC_HIDE
     }
     --DOC_NEWLINE
 
diff --git a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/concrete_implementation_module.lua b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/concrete_implementation_module.lua
index 97deb39ec..8c4f0e6d2 100644
--- a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/concrete_implementation_module.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/concrete_implementation_module.lua
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ local wibox = require("wibox")
 
     -- Build the default widget used as a fallback if user doesn't provide a template
     local default_widget = {
-        template = wibox.widget.textbox,
-        text     = "N/A",
+        widget          = wibox.widget.textbox,
+        text            = "N/A",
         update_callback = function(widget_template, args)
             local text = args and args.text or "???"
             widget_template.widget.text = text
diff --git a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/concrete_implementation_user.lua b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/concrete_implementation_user.lua
index 5fdc682fe..b6b3182dc 100644
--- a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/concrete_implementation_user.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/concrete_implementation_user.lua
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ end
     -- Instanciate the widget with a custom template
     local custom_widget = concrete_widget_template_builder {
         widget_template = {
-            template = wibox.widget.imagebox,
+            widget = wibox.widget.imagebox,
             update_callback = function (template, args)
                 if args and args.text == "default text" then
                     template.widget.image = "/path/to/image.png"
diff --git a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/set_property_existing.lua b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/set_property_existing.lua
index b915310ea..08771623c 100644
--- a/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/set_property_existing.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/wibox/widget/template/set_property_existing.lua
@@ -15,23 +15,21 @@ client.focus = client.gen_fake{
 --DOC_HIDE_END
 
     local my_template_widget = wibox.widget.template {
-        template = {
+        {
             {
-                {
-                    id     = "icon_role",
-                    widget = wibox.widget.imagebox
-                },
-                {
-                    id     = "title_role",
-                    widget = wibox.widget.textbox
-                },
-                widget = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
+                id     = "icon_role",
+                widget = wibox.widget.imagebox
             },
-            id     = "background_role",
-            widget = wibox.container.background,
-            forced_width  = 200, --DOC_HIDE
-            forced_height = 24, --DOC_HIDE
-        }
+            {
+                id     = "title_role",
+                widget = wibox.widget.textbox
+            },
+            widget = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
+        },
+        id     = "background_role",
+        widget = wibox.container.background,
+        forced_width  = 200, --DOC_HIDE
+        forced_height = 24, --DOC_HIDE
     }
 
 --DOC_NEWLINE