diff --git a/src/conky.cc b/src/conky.cc
index c7a0a177..3362577e 100644
--- a/src/conky.cc
+++ b/src/conky.cc
@@ -2575,7 +2575,6 @@ static void set_default_configurations(void)
 	window.type = TYPE_NORMAL;
 	window.hints = 0;
 #ifdef BUILD_ARGB
-	use_argb_visual = 0;
 	own_window_argb_value = 255;
 #endif
 #endif
@@ -3298,9 +3297,6 @@ char load_config_file(const char *f)
 			}
 		}
 #ifdef BUILD_ARGB
-		CONF("own_window_argb_visual") {
-			use_argb_visual = string_to_bool(value);
-		}
 		CONF("own_window_argb_value") {
 			own_window_argb_value = strtol(value, 0, 0);
 			if (own_window_argb_value > 255 || own_window_argb_value < 0) {
diff --git a/src/x11.cc b/src/x11.cc
index a6ae772b..763d735a 100644
--- a/src/x11.cc
+++ b/src/x11.cc
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ int use_xdbe;
 #endif
 
 #ifdef BUILD_ARGB
-int use_argb_visual;
-int have_argb_visual;
+bool have_argb_visual;
 #endif /* BUILD_ARGB */
 int own_window_argb_value;
 
@@ -283,8 +282,8 @@ void init_window(int w, int h, int set_trans, int back_colour,
 		}
 		
 #ifdef BUILD_ARGB
-		if (use_argb_visual && get_argb_visual(&visual, &depth)) {
-			have_argb_visual = 1;
+		if (use_argb_visual.get(*state) && get_argb_visual(&visual, &depth)) {
+			have_argb_visual = true;
 			window.visual = visual;
 			window.colourmap = XCreateColormap(display,
 				DefaultRootWindow(display), window.visual, AllocNone);
@@ -948,4 +947,9 @@ namespace {
 }
 conky::config_setting<std::string> own_window_title("own_window_title",
 		conky::simple_accessors<std::string>(PACKAGE_NAME " (" + gethostnamecxx()+")", false));
+
+#ifdef BUILD_ARGB
+conky::config_setting<bool> use_argb_visual("own_window_argb_visual",
+									conky::simple_accessors<bool>(false, false));
 #endif
+#endif /*OWN_WINDOW*/
diff --git a/src/x11.h b/src/x11.h
index 40a3c40e..9568f694 100644
--- a/src/x11.h
+++ b/src/x11.h
@@ -99,10 +99,8 @@ extern int use_xft;
 #endif
 
 #if defined(BUILD_ARGB) && defined(OWN_WINDOW)
-/* 1 if config var set to 1, otherwise 0 */
-extern int use_argb_visual;
-/* 1 if use_argb_visual=1 and argb visual was found, otherwise 0 */
-extern int have_argb_visual;
+/* true if use_argb_visual=true and argb visual was found*/
+extern bool have_argb_visual;
 #endif
 /* range of 0-255 for alpha */
 extern int own_window_argb_value;
@@ -158,7 +156,10 @@ extern conky::config_setting<bool>      out_to_x;
 extern conky::config_setting<bool>      own_window;
 extern conky::config_setting<std::string> own_window_class;
 extern conky::config_setting<std::string> own_window_title;
+#ifdef BUILD_ARGB
+extern conky::config_setting<bool>        use_argb_visual;
 #endif
+#endif /*OWN_WINDOW*/
 
 #endif /*X11_H_*/
 #endif /* BUILD_X11 */