diff --git a/tag.c b/tag.c
index 117abbc5c..35461bd74 100644
--- a/tag.c
+++ b/tag.c
@@ -77,8 +77,6 @@ tag_new(const char *name, layout_t *layout, double mwfact, int nmaster, int ncol
     if((tag->ncol = ncol) < 1)
         tag->ncol = 1;
 
-    tag_ref(&tag);
-
     return tag;
 }
 
@@ -268,7 +266,7 @@ static int
 luaA_tag_get(lua_State *L)
 {
     int screen = luaL_checknumber(L, 1) - 1;
-    tag_t *tag, **tobj;
+    tag_t *tag;
     int i = 1;
 
     luaA_checkscreen(screen);
@@ -277,10 +275,7 @@ luaA_tag_get(lua_State *L)
 
     for(tag = globalconf.screens[screen].tags; tag; tag = tag->next)
     {
-        tobj = lua_newuserdata(L, sizeof(tag_t *));
-        *tobj = tag;
-        tag_ref(&tag);
-        luaA_settype(L, "tag");
+        luaA_tag_userdata_new(tag);
         lua_rawseti(L, -2, i++);
     }
 
@@ -294,7 +289,7 @@ luaA_tag_get(lua_State *L)
 static int
 luaA_tag_new(lua_State *L)
 {
-    tag_t **tag;
+    tag_t *tag;
     int ncol, nmaster;
     const char *name, *lay;
     double mwfact;
@@ -310,13 +305,11 @@ luaA_tag_new(lua_State *L)
 
     layout = name_func_lookup(lay, LayoutList);
 
-    tag = lua_newuserdata(L, sizeof(tag_t *));
+    tag = tag_new(name,
+                  layout,
+                  mwfact, nmaster, ncol);
 
-    *tag = tag_new(name,
-                   layout,
-                   mwfact, nmaster, ncol);
-
-    return luaA_settype(L, "tag");
+    return luaA_tag_userdata_new(tag);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -462,6 +455,15 @@ luaA_tag_layout_set(lua_State *L)
 
 }
 
+int
+luaA_tag_userdata_new(tag_t *t)
+{
+    tag_t **lt = lua_newuserdata(globalconf.L, sizeof(tag_t *));
+    *lt = t;
+    tag_ref(lt);
+    return luaA_settype(globalconf.L, "tag");
+}
+
 const struct luaL_reg awesome_tag_methods[] =
 {
     { "new", luaA_tag_new },
diff --git a/tag.h b/tag.h
index 346be6363..3e549072a 100644
--- a/tag.h
+++ b/tag.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ bool is_client_tagged(client_t *, tag_t *);
 void tag_client_with_current_selected(client_t *);
 void tag_view_only_byindex(int, int);
 void tag_append_to_screen(tag_t *, int);
+int luaA_tag_userdata_new(tag_t *);
 
 DO_RCNT(tag_t, tag, tag_delete)
 DO_SLIST(tag_t, tag, tag_delete)
diff --git a/widgets/taglist.c b/widgets/taglist.c
index 0563b76a8..72c6f5f9d 100644
--- a/widgets/taglist.c
+++ b/widgets/taglist.c
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ taglist_button_press(widget_node_t *w, statusbar_t *statusbar,
     taglist_data_t *data = w->widget->data;
     taglist_drawn_area_t *tda;
     area_t *area;
-    tag_t *tag, **ltag;
+    tag_t *tag;
 
     /* Find the good drawn area list */
     for(tda = data->drawn_area; tda && tda->statusbar != statusbar; tda = tda->next);
@@ -211,10 +211,7 @@ taglist_button_press(widget_node_t *w, statusbar_t *statusbar,
                     if(ev->event_x >= AREA_LEFT(*area)
                        && ev->event_x < AREA_RIGHT(*area))
                     {
-                        ltag = lua_newuserdata(globalconf.L, sizeof(tag_t *));
-                        luaA_settype(globalconf.L, "tag");
-                        *ltag = tag;
-                        tag_ref(ltag);
+                        luaA_tag_userdata_new(tag);
                         luaA_dofunction(globalconf.L, b->fct, 1);
                     }
                 break;
@@ -223,10 +220,7 @@ taglist_button_press(widget_node_t *w, statusbar_t *statusbar,
                     if(ev->event_y >= AREA_LEFT(*area)
                        && ev->event_y < AREA_RIGHT(*area))
                     {
-                        ltag = lua_newuserdata(globalconf.L, sizeof(tag_t *));
-                        luaA_settype(globalconf.L, "tag");
-                        *ltag = tag;
-                        tag_ref(ltag);
+                        luaA_tag_userdata_new(tag);
                         luaA_dofunction(globalconf.L, b->fct, 1);
                     }
                 break;
@@ -235,10 +229,7 @@ taglist_button_press(widget_node_t *w, statusbar_t *statusbar,
                     if(statusbar->width - ev->event_y >= AREA_LEFT(*area)
                        && statusbar->width - ev->event_y < AREA_RIGHT(*area))
                     {
-                        ltag = lua_newuserdata(globalconf.L, sizeof(tag_t *));
-                        luaA_settype(globalconf.L, "tag");
-                        *ltag = tag;
-                        tag_ref(ltag);
+                        luaA_tag_userdata_new(tag);
                         luaA_dofunction(globalconf.L, b->fct, 1);
                     }
                 break;