diff --git a/include/x11/ewmh.hpp b/include/x11/ewmh.hpp
index 6088f18e..3dafa70a 100644
--- a/include/x11/ewmh.hpp
+++ b/include/x11/ewmh.hpp
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
     ewmh_connection();
     ~ewmh_connection();
 
-    xcb_ewmh_connection_t* get();
+    xcb_ewmh_connection_t* operator->();
+    operator xcb_ewmh_connection_t*();
 
    private:
     xcb_ewmh_connection_t c;
diff --git a/src/modules/xworkspaces.cpp b/src/modules/xworkspaces.cpp
index 200eea5a..d69403ff 100644
--- a/src/modules/xworkspaces.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/xworkspaces.cpp
@@ -105,15 +105,15 @@ namespace modules {
    * Handler for XCB_PROPERTY_NOTIFY events
    */
   void xworkspaces_module::handle(const evt::property_notify& evt) {
-    if (evt->atom == m_ewmh.get()->_NET_CLIENT_LIST || evt->atom == m_ewmh.get()->_NET_WM_DESKTOP) {
+    if (evt->atom == m_ewmh->_NET_CLIENT_LIST || evt->atom == m_ewmh->_NET_WM_DESKTOP) {
       rebuild_clientlist();
       rebuild_desktop_states();
-    } else if (evt->atom == m_ewmh.get()->_NET_DESKTOP_NAMES || evt->atom == m_ewmh.get()->_NET_NUMBER_OF_DESKTOPS) {
+    } else if (evt->atom == m_ewmh->_NET_DESKTOP_NAMES || evt->atom == m_ewmh->_NET_NUMBER_OF_DESKTOPS) {
       m_desktop_names = get_desktop_names();
       rebuild_desktops();
       rebuild_clientlist();
       rebuild_desktop_states();
-    } else if (evt->atom == m_ewmh.get()->_NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP) {
+    } else if (evt->atom == m_ewmh->_NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP) {
       update_current_desktop();
       rebuild_desktop_states();
     } else if (evt->atom == WM_HINTS) {
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ namespace modules {
   void xworkspaces_module::rebuild_urgent_hints() {
     m_urgent_desktops.assign(m_desktop_names.size(), false);
     for (auto&& client : ewmh_util::get_client_list()) {
-      auto desk = ewmh_util::get_desktop_from_window(client);
+      uint32_t desk = ewmh_util::get_desktop_from_window(client);
       /*
        * EWMH allows for 0xFFFFFFFF to be returned here, which means the window
        * should appear on all desktops.
diff --git a/src/x11/ewmh.cpp b/src/x11/ewmh.cpp
index 00ddad91..e7b488d9 100644
--- a/src/x11/ewmh.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/ewmh.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,11 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
     xcb_ewmh_connection_wipe(&c);
   }
 
-  xcb_ewmh_connection_t* ewmh_connection::get() {
+  xcb_ewmh_connection_t* ewmh_connection::operator->() {
+    return &c;
+  }
+
+  ewmh_connection::operator xcb_ewmh_connection_t*() {
     return &c;
   }
 
@@ -29,7 +33,7 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
   }
 
   bool supports(xcb_atom_t atom, int screen) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_get_atoms_reply_t reply{};
     if (xcb_ewmh_get_supported_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_supported(conn, screen), &reply, nullptr)) {
       for (size_t n = 0; n < reply.atoms_len; n++) {
@@ -44,7 +48,7 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
   }
 
   string get_wm_name(xcb_window_t win) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_get_utf8_strings_reply_t utf8_reply{};
     if (xcb_ewmh_get_wm_name_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_wm_name(conn, win), &utf8_reply, nullptr)) {
       return get_reply_string(&utf8_reply);
@@ -53,7 +57,7 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
   }
 
   string get_visible_name(xcb_window_t win) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_get_utf8_strings_reply_t utf8_reply{};
     if (xcb_ewmh_get_wm_visible_name_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_wm_visible_name(conn, win), &utf8_reply, nullptr)) {
       return get_reply_string(&utf8_reply);
@@ -62,7 +66,7 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
   }
 
   string get_icon_name(xcb_window_t win) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_get_utf8_strings_reply_t utf8_reply{};
     if (xcb_ewmh_get_wm_icon_name_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_wm_icon_name(conn, win), &utf8_reply, nullptr)) {
       return get_reply_string(&utf8_reply);
@@ -80,21 +84,21 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
   }
 
   unsigned int get_current_desktop(int screen) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     unsigned int desktop = XCB_NONE;
     xcb_ewmh_get_current_desktop_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_current_desktop(conn, screen), &desktop, nullptr);
     return desktop;
   }
 
   unsigned int get_number_of_desktops(int screen) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     unsigned int desktops = XCB_NONE;
     xcb_ewmh_get_number_of_desktops_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_number_of_desktops(conn, screen), &desktops, nullptr);
     return desktops;
   }
 
   vector<position> get_desktop_viewports(int screen) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     vector<position> viewports;
     xcb_ewmh_get_desktop_viewport_reply_t reply{};
     if (xcb_ewmh_get_desktop_viewport_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_desktop_viewport(conn, screen), &reply, nullptr)) {
@@ -107,7 +111,7 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
   }
 
   vector<string> get_desktop_names(int screen) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_get_utf8_strings_reply_t reply{};
     if (xcb_ewmh_get_desktop_names_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_desktop_names(conn, screen), &reply, nullptr)) {
       return string_util::split(string(reply.strings, reply.strings_len), '\0');
@@ -116,39 +120,39 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
   }
 
   xcb_window_t get_active_window(int screen) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     unsigned int win = XCB_NONE;
     xcb_ewmh_get_active_window_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_active_window(conn, screen), &win, nullptr);
     return win;
   }
 
   void change_current_desktop(unsigned int desktop) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_request_change_current_desktop(conn, 0, desktop, XCB_CURRENT_TIME);
     xcb_flush(conn->connection);
   }
 
   unsigned int get_desktop_from_window(xcb_window_t window) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     unsigned int desktop = XCB_NONE;
     xcb_ewmh_get_wm_desktop_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_wm_desktop(conn, window), &desktop, nullptr);
     return desktop;
   }
 
   void set_wm_window_type(xcb_window_t win, vector<xcb_atom_t> types) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_set_wm_window_type(conn, win, types.size(), types.data());
     xcb_flush(conn->connection);
   }
 
   void set_wm_state(xcb_window_t win, vector<xcb_atom_t> states) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_set_wm_state(conn, win, states.size(), states.data());
     xcb_flush(conn->connection);
   }
 
   vector<xcb_atom_t> get_wm_state(xcb_window_t win) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_get_atoms_reply_t reply;
     if (xcb_ewmh_get_wm_state_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_wm_state(conn, win), &reply, nullptr)) {
       return {reply.atoms, reply.atoms + reply.atoms_len};
@@ -157,32 +161,32 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
   }
 
   void set_wm_pid(xcb_window_t win) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_set_wm_pid(conn, win, getpid());
     xcb_flush(conn->connection);
   }
 
   void set_wm_pid(xcb_window_t win, unsigned int pid) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_set_wm_pid(conn, win, pid);
     xcb_flush(conn->connection);
   }
 
   void set_wm_desktop(xcb_window_t win, unsigned int desktop) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_set_wm_desktop(conn, win, desktop);
     xcb_flush(conn->connection);
   }
 
   void set_wm_window_opacity(xcb_window_t win, unsigned long int values) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_change_property(
         conn->connection, XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE, win, _NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY, XCB_ATOM_CARDINAL, 32, 1, &values);
     xcb_flush(conn->connection);
   }
 
   vector<xcb_window_t> get_client_list(int screen) {
-    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    auto& conn = initialize();
     xcb_ewmh_get_windows_reply_t reply;
     if (xcb_ewmh_get_client_list_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_client_list(conn, screen), &reply, nullptr)) {
       return {reply.windows, reply.windows + reply.windows_len};