diff --git a/src/kmscon_conf.h b/src/kmscon_conf.h
index 07041ce..6c16f8a 100644
--- a/src/kmscon_conf.h
+++ b/src/kmscon_conf.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #define KMSCON_MAIN_H
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include "conf.h"
 
@@ -132,4 +133,19 @@ extern struct kmscon_conf_t kmscon_conf;
 int kmscon_load_config(int argc, char **argv);
 void kmscon_free_config(void);
 
+#define KMSCON_CONF_OFFSET(_name) \
+	offsetof(struct kmscon_conf_t, _name)
+#define KMSCON_CONF(_name, _type) \
+	(*((_type*)(((char*)&kmscon_conf) + KMSCON_CONF_OFFSET(_name))))
+#define KMSCON_CONF_BOOL(_name) \
+	KMSCON_CONF(_name, bool)
+#define KMSCON_CONF_UINT(_name) \
+	KMSCON_CONF(_name, unsigned int)
+#define KMSCON_CONF_STRING(_name) \
+	KMSCON_CONF(_name, char*)
+#define KMSCON_CONF_GRAB(_name) \
+	KMSCON_CONF(_name, struct conf_grab*)
+#define KMSCON_CONF_STRINGLIST(_name) \
+	KMSCON_CONF(_name, char**)
+
 #endif /* KMSCON_MAIN_H */
diff --git a/src/kmscon_main.c b/src/kmscon_main.c
index 3b55faf..485e2a4 100644
--- a/src/kmscon_main.c
+++ b/src/kmscon_main.c
@@ -113,11 +113,11 @@ static int app_seat_new(struct kmscon_app *app, struct app_seat **out,
 	bool found;
 
 	found = false;
-	if (kmscon_conf.all_seats) {
+	if (KMSCON_CONF_BOOL(all_seats)) {
 		found = true;
 	} else {
-		for (i = 0; kmscon_conf.seats[i]; ++i) {
-			if (!strcmp(kmscon_conf.seats[i], sname)) {
+		for (i = 0; KMSCON_CONF_STRINGLIST(seats)[i]; ++i) {
+			if (!strcmp(KMSCON_CONF_STRINGLIST(seats)[i], sname)) {
 				found = true;
 				break;
 			}
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ static int app_seat_add_video(struct app_seat *seat,
 	unsigned int mode;
 	struct app_video *vid;
 
-	if (kmscon_conf.fbdev) {
+	if (KMSCON_CONF_BOOL(fbdev)) {
 		if (type != UTERM_MONITOR_FBDEV &&
 		    type != UTERM_MONITOR_FBDEV_DRM) {
 			log_info("ignoring video device %s on seat %s as it is not an fbdev device",
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ static int app_seat_add_video(struct app_seat *seat,
 	}
 
 	if (type == UTERM_MONITOR_DRM) {
-		if (kmscon_conf.dumb)
+		if (KMSCON_CONF_BOOL(dumb))
 			mode = UTERM_VIDEO_DUMB;
 		else
 			mode = UTERM_VIDEO_DRM;
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		goto err_out;
 	}
 
-	if (kmscon_conf.exit) {
+	if (KMSCON_CONF_BOOL(exit)) {
 		kmscon_free_config();
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -476,14 +476,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (ret)
 		goto err_unload;
 
-	if (kmscon_conf.switchvt) {
+	if (KMSCON_CONF_BOOL(switchvt)) {
 		log_debug("activating VTs during startup");
 		uterm_vt_master_activate_all(app.vtm);
 	}
 
 	ev_eloop_run(app.eloop, -1);
 
-	if (kmscon_conf.switchvt) {
+	if (KMSCON_CONF_BOOL(switchvt)) {
 		/* The VT subsystem needs to acknowledge the VT-leave so if it
 		 * returns -EINPROGRESS we need to wait for the VT-leave SIGUSR2
 		 * signal to arrive. Therefore, we use a separate eloop object