diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a57cacb..bba31e4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -19,10 +19,14 @@ RUST_SRC = \
 	rust-polytreewm/src/*.rs \
 	rust-polytreewm/src/**/*.rs
 
-RUST_APIS = src/constraints.h src/geom.h src/helpers.h src/settings.h
+RUST_APIS = \
+	src/atoms.h \
+	src/constraints.h \
+	src/geom.h \
+	src/helpers.h \
+	src/settings.h
 
 MODULES_SRC = \
-	src/atoms.c \
 	src/drw.c \
 	src/dwm.c \
 	src/geom.c \
diff --git a/rust-polytreewm/src/api/atoms.rs b/rust-polytreewm/src/api/atoms.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea55613
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust-polytreewm/src/api/atoms.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+use crate::*;
+
+use std::alloc::{alloc, dealloc, Layout};
+
+use x11::xlib::Display;
+
+#[no_mangle]
+unsafe extern "C" fn atoms_create(dpy: *mut Display) -> *mut Atoms {
+    let layout = Layout::new::<Atoms>();
+    let ptr = alloc(layout);
+    *(ptr as *mut Atoms) = Atoms::create(dpy);
+    ptr as *mut Atoms
+}
+
+#[no_mangle]
+unsafe extern "C" fn atoms_delete(atoms: *mut Atoms) {
+    let layout = Layout::new::<Atoms>();
+    dealloc(atoms as *mut u8, layout);
+}
diff --git a/rust-polytreewm/src/api/mod.rs b/rust-polytreewm/src/api/mod.rs
index 2bef5a4..204bb83 100644
--- a/rust-polytreewm/src/api/mod.rs
+++ b/rust-polytreewm/src/api/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+mod atoms;
 mod constraints;
 mod geom;
 mod settings;
diff --git a/rust-polytreewm/src/atoms.rs b/rust-polytreewm/src/atoms.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..411ed62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust-polytreewm/src/atoms.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+use x11::xlib::{self, Atom, Display, False};
+
+#[repr(C)]
+pub struct Atoms {
+    wmatom: [Atom; 4],
+    netatom: [Atom; 9],
+    utf8string: Atom,
+}
+
+fn atom(dpy: *mut Display, name: &str) -> Atom {
+    unsafe { xlib::XInternAtom(dpy, name.as_ptr() as *const i8, False) }
+}
+
+impl Atoms {
+    pub fn create(dpy: *mut Display) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            wmatom: [
+                atom(dpy, "WM_PROTOCOLS"),
+                atom(dpy, "WM_DELETE_WINDOW"),
+                atom(dpy, "WM_STATE"),
+                atom(dpy, "WM_TAKE_FOCUS"),
+            ],
+            netatom: [
+                atom(dpy, "_NET_SUPPORTED"),
+                atom(dpy, "_NET_WM_NAME"),
+                atom(dpy, "_NET_WM_STATE"),
+                atom(dpy, "_NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK"),
+                atom(dpy, "_NET_WM_STATE_FULLSCREEN"),
+                atom(dpy, "_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW"),
+                atom(dpy, "_NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE"),
+                atom(dpy, "_NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE_DIALOG"),
+                atom(dpy, " _NET_CLIENT_LIST"),
+            ],
+            utf8string: atom(dpy, "UTF8_STRING"),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rust-polytreewm/src/lib.rs b/rust-polytreewm/src/lib.rs
index 62f0b75..39948a3 100644
--- a/rust-polytreewm/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust-polytreewm/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 mod api;
+mod atoms;
 mod constraints;
 
 pub mod geom;
 pub mod settings;
 pub mod unit;
 
+pub use atoms::Atoms;
 pub use settings::Settings;
diff --git a/src/atoms.c b/src/atoms.c
deleted file mode 100644
index f4c3f1b..0000000
--- a/src/atoms.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,47 +0,0 @@
-#include "atoms.h"
-
-#include <stdlib.h>
-
-static const char *const default_atoms[WMLast] = {
-	[WMProtocols] = "WM_PROTOCOLS",
-	[WMDelete]    = "WM_DELETE_WINDOW",
-	[WMState]     = "WM_STATE",
-	[WMTakeFocus] = "WM_TAKE_FOCUS",
-};
-
-static const char *const ewmh_atoms[NetLast] = {
-	[NetActiveWindow]       = "_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW",
-	[NetSupported]          = "_NET_SUPPORTED",
-	[NetWMName]             = "_NET_WM_NAME",
-	[NetWMState]            = "_NET_WM_STATE",
-	[NetWMCheck]            = "_NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK",
-	[NetWMFullscreen]       = "_NET_WM_STATE_FULLSCREEN",
-	[NetWMWindowType]       = "_NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE",
-	[NetWMWindowTypeDialog] = "_NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE_DIALOG",
-	[NetClientList]         = "_NET_CLIENT_LIST",
-};
-
-Atoms atoms_create(Display *const dpy)
-{
-	Atoms atoms = malloc(sizeof(struct Atoms));
-
-	for (int index = 0; index < WMLast; ++index) {
-		atoms->wmatom[index] = XInternAtom(dpy, default_atoms[index], False);
-	}
-
-	for (int index = 0; index < NetLast; ++index) {
-		atoms->netatom[index] = XInternAtom(dpy, ewmh_atoms[index], False);
-	}
-
-	atoms->utf8string = XInternAtom(dpy, "UTF8_STRING", False);
-
-	return atoms;
-}
-
-void atoms_delete(Atoms atoms)
-{
-	// TODO: maybe we should assert
-	if (atoms == NULL) return;
-
-	free(atoms);
-}
diff --git a/src/atoms.h b/src/atoms.h
index 316b60d..513277b 100644
--- a/src/atoms.h
+++ b/src/atoms.h
@@ -10,14 +10,23 @@
 }
 
 /* EWMH atoms */
-enum {
-	NetSupported, NetWMName, NetWMState, NetWMCheck,
-	NetWMFullscreen, NetActiveWindow, NetWMWindowType, NetWMWindowTypeDialog,
-	NetClientList, NetLast,
-};
+#define NetSupported          0
+#define NetWMName             1
+#define NetWMState            2
+#define NetWMCheck            3
+#define NetWMFullscreen       4
+#define NetActiveWindow       5
+#define NetWMWindowType       6
+#define NetWMWindowTypeDialog 7
+#define NetClientList         8
+#define NetLast               9
 
 /* default atoms */
-enum { WMProtocols, WMDelete, WMState, WMTakeFocus, WMLast };
+#define WMProtocols 0
+#define WMDelete    1
+#define WMState     2
+#define WMTakeFocus 3
+#define WMLast      4
 
 typedef struct Atoms {
 	Atom wmatom[WMLast], netatom[NetLast], utf8string;