diff --git a/common/draw.c b/common/draw.c
index 68d32ff90..7243acc72 100644
--- a/common/draw.c
+++ b/common/draw.c
@@ -158,81 +158,71 @@ draw_rectangle(DrawCtx *ctx, Area geometry, Bool filled, XColor color)
 
 /* draw_graph functions */
 void
-draw_graph_init(DrawCtx *ctx, cairo_surface_t **pp_surface, cairo_t **pp_cr)
+draw_graph_setup(DrawCtx *ctx)
 {
-    *pp_surface = cairo_xlib_surface_create(ctx->display, ctx->drawable, ctx->visual, ctx->width, ctx->height);
-    *pp_cr = cairo_create (*pp_surface);
-
-    cairo_set_antialias(*pp_cr, CAIRO_ANTIALIAS_NONE);
-    cairo_set_line_width(*pp_cr, 1.0);
+    cairo_set_antialias(ctx->cr, CAIRO_ANTIALIAS_NONE);
+    cairo_set_line_width(ctx->cr, 1.0);
     /* without it, it can draw over the path on sharp angles (...too long lines) */
-    cairo_set_line_join (*pp_cr, CAIRO_LINE_JOIN_ROUND);
-}
-
-void
-draw_graph_end(cairo_surface_t *surface, cairo_t *cr)
-{
-    cairo_destroy(cr);
-    cairo_surface_destroy(surface);
+    cairo_set_line_join (ctx->cr, CAIRO_LINE_JOIN_ROUND);
 }
 
 /* draws a graph; it takes the line-lengths from *from and *to.  It cycles
  * backwards through those arrays (what have the length of w), beginning at
  * position cur_index, until cur_index is reached again (wrapped around). */
 void
-draw_graph(cairo_t *cr, int x, int y, int w, int *from, int *to, int cur_index, XColor color)
+draw_graph(DrawCtx *ctx, int x, int y, int w, int *from, int *to, int cur_index, XColor color)
 {
     int i;
 
-    cairo_set_source_rgb(cr, color.red / 65535.0, color.green / 65535.0, color.blue / 65535.0);
+    cairo_set_source_rgb(ctx->cr, color.red / 65535.0, color.green / 65535.0, color.blue / 65535.0);
 
     i = -1;
     while(++i < w)
     {
-        cairo_move_to(cr, x, y - from[cur_index]);
-        cairo_line_to(cr, x, y - to[cur_index]);
+        cairo_move_to(ctx->cr, x, y - from[cur_index]);
+        cairo_line_to(ctx->cr, x, y - to[cur_index]);
         x++;
 
         if (--cur_index < 0)
             cur_index = w - 1;
     }
 
-    cairo_stroke(cr);
+    cairo_stroke(ctx->cr);
 }
 void
-draw_graph_line(cairo_t *cr, int x, int y, int w, int *to, int cur_index, XColor color)
+draw_graph_line(DrawCtx *ctx, int x, int y, int w, int *to, int cur_index, XColor color)
 {
     int i;
     int flag = 0; /* used to prevent drawing a line from 0 to 0 values */
-    cairo_set_source_rgb(cr, color.red / 65535.0, color.green / 65535.0, color.blue / 65535.0);
+    cairo_set_source_rgb(ctx->cr, color.red / 65535.0, color.green / 65535.0, color.blue / 65535.0);
 
     /* x-1 (on the border), paints *from* the last point (... not included itself) */
     /* makes sense when you assume there is already some line drawn to it. */
-    cairo_move_to(cr, x - 1, y - to[cur_index]);
+    cairo_move_to(ctx->cr, x - 1, y - to[cur_index]);
 
     for (i = 0; i < w; i++)
     {
         if (to[cur_index] > 0)
         {
-            cairo_line_to(cr, x, y - to[cur_index]);
+            cairo_line_to(ctx->cr, x, y - to[cur_index]);
             flag = 1;
         }
         else
         {
             if(flag) /* only draw from values > 0 to 0-values */
             {
-                cairo_line_to(cr, x, y);
+                cairo_line_to(ctx->cr, x, y);
                 flag = 0;
             }
             else
-                cairo_move_to(cr, x, y);
+                cairo_move_to(ctx->cr, x, y);
         }
 
         if (--cur_index < 0) /* cycles around the index */
             cur_index = w - 1;
         x++;
     }
-    cairo_stroke(cr);
+    cairo_stroke(ctx->cr);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/common/draw.h b/common/draw.h
index 4e939a51e..f69735e2c 100644
--- a/common/draw.h
+++ b/common/draw.h
@@ -96,10 +96,9 @@ void draw_context_delete(DrawCtx *);
 void draw_text(DrawCtx *, Area, Alignment, int, XftFont *, const char *, XColor fg, XColor bg);
 void draw_rectangle(DrawCtx *, Area, Bool, XColor);
 
-void draw_graph_init(DrawCtx *, cairo_surface_t **, cairo_t **);
-void draw_graph(cairo_t *, int, int, int, int *, int *, int, XColor);
-void draw_graph_end(cairo_surface_t *, cairo_t *);
-void draw_graph_line(cairo_t *, int, int, int, int *, int, XColor);
+void draw_graph_setup(DrawCtx *);
+void draw_graph(DrawCtx *, int, int, int, int *, int *, int, XColor);
+void draw_graph_line(DrawCtx *, int, int, int, int *, int, XColor);
 
 void draw_circle(DrawCtx *, int, int, int, Bool, XColor);
 void draw_image(DrawCtx *, int, int, int, const char *);
diff --git a/widgets/graph.c b/widgets/graph.c
index 2873fe991..da213a329 100644
--- a/widgets/graph.c
+++ b/widgets/graph.c
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
  *
  */
 
-#include <cairo.h>
 #include "common/draw.h"
 #include "widget.h"
 #include "screen.h"
@@ -74,8 +73,6 @@ graph_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
     int z, y, x, tmp;
     Data *d = widget->data;
     Area rectangle;
-    cairo_surface_t *surface;
-    cairo_t *cr;
 
     if(d->width < 1 || !d->data_items)
         return 0;
@@ -106,7 +103,7 @@ graph_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
     rectangle.height -= 2;
     draw_rectangle(ctx, rectangle, True, d->bg);
 
-    draw_graph_init(ctx, &surface, &cr); /* setup drawing surface etc */
+    draw_graph_setup(ctx); /* setup some drawing options */
 
     /* draw style = top */
     for(z = 0; z < d->filltop_total; z++)
@@ -124,7 +121,7 @@ graph_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
             d->draw_from[y] = d->box_height - tmp;
             d->draw_to[y] = d->box_height - d->filltop[z][y];
         }
-        draw_graph(cr,
+        draw_graph(ctx,
                 left_offset + 2, margin_top + d->box_height + 1,
                 d->size, d->draw_from, d->draw_to, d->index,
                 d->filltop_color[z]);
@@ -146,7 +143,7 @@ graph_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
             d->draw_from[y] = tmp;
         }
 
-        draw_graph(cr,
+        draw_graph(ctx,
                 left_offset + 2, margin_top + d->box_height + 1,
                 d->size, d->draw_from, d->fillbottom[z], d->index,
                 d->fillbottom_color[z]);
@@ -155,14 +152,12 @@ graph_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
     /* draw style = line */
     for(z = 0; z < d->drawline_total; z++)
     {
-        draw_graph_line(cr,
+        draw_graph_line(ctx,
                 left_offset + 2, margin_top + d->box_height + 1,
                 d->size, d->drawline[z], d->index,
                 d->drawline_color[z]);
     }
 
-    draw_graph_end(surface, cr);
-
     widget->area.width = d->width;
     widget->area.height = widget->statusbar->height;
     return widget->area.width;
@@ -314,19 +309,19 @@ graph_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
 
         if ((type = cfg_getstr(cfg, "style")))
         {
-            if(!strncmp(type, "bottom", sizeof("bottom")))
+            if(!a_strncmp(type, "bottom", sizeof("bottom")))
             {
                 d->fillbottom[d->fillbottom_total] = d->lines[i];
                 d->fillbottom_color[d->fillbottom_total] = tmp_color;
                 d->fillbottom_total++;
             }
-            else if (!strncmp(type, "top", sizeof("top")))
+            else if (!a_strncmp(type, "top", sizeof("top")))
             {
                 d->filltop[d->filltop_total] = d->lines[i];
                 d->filltop_color[d->filltop_total] = tmp_color;
                 d->filltop_total++;
             }
-            else if (!strncmp(type, "line", sizeof("line")))
+            else if (!a_strncmp(type, "line", sizeof("line")))
             {
                 d->drawline[d->drawline_total] = d->lines[i];
                 d->drawline_color[d->drawline_total] = tmp_color;