diff --git a/lib/awful/widget/layoutbox.lua b/lib/awful/widget/layoutbox.lua
index cd5e04409..cb302067a 100644
--- a/lib/awful/widget/layoutbox.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/widget/layoutbox.lua
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ function layoutbox.new(screen)
     local w = boxes[screen]
     if not w then
         w = imagebox()
-        w._layoutbox_tooltip = tooltip({ objects = {w}, delay_show = 1 })
+        w._layoutbox_tooltip = tooltip {objects = {w}, delay_show = 1}
 
         update(w, screen)
-        boxes[screen] = setmetatable({}, {__index = w, __newindex = w})
+        boxes[screen] = w
     end
 
     return w
diff --git a/tests/test-leaks.lua b/tests/test-leaks.lua
index 247524fce..725ed169f 100644
--- a/tests/test-leaks.lua
+++ b/tests/test-leaks.lua
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ end
 -- Make the layoutbox in the default config GC'able
 -- luacheck: globals mywibox mylayoutbox
 for s in screen do
+    mywibox[s]:set_widget(wibox.widget.textbox())
     mywibox[s].visible = false
 end
 mywibox = nil