diff --git a/include/components/config.hpp b/include/components/config.hpp
index d3bd3820..3169b17f 100644
--- a/include/components/config.hpp
+++ b/include/components/config.hpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class config {
   using make_type = const config&;
   static make_type make(string path = "", string bar = "");
 
-  explicit config(const logger& logger, unique_ptr<xresource_manager>&& xrm, string&& path = "", string&& bar = "");
+  explicit config(const logger& logger, const xresource_manager& xrm, string&& path = "", string&& bar = "");
 
   string filepath() const;
   string section() const;
@@ -285,10 +285,10 @@ class config {
     size_t pos;
 
     if ((pos = var.find(":")) != string::npos) {
-      return convert<T>(m_xrm->get_string(var.substr(0, pos), var.substr(pos + 1)));
+      return convert<T>(m_xrm.get_string(var.substr(0, pos), var.substr(pos + 1)));
     }
 
-    string str{m_xrm->get_string(var, "")};
+    string str{m_xrm.get_string(var, "")};
     return str.empty() ? fallback : convert<T>(move(str));
   }
 
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ class config {
  private:
   static constexpr const char* KEY_INHERIT{"inherit"};
   const logger& m_log;
-  unique_ptr<xresource_manager> m_xrm;
+  const xresource_manager& m_xrm;
   string m_file;
   string m_barname;
   sectionmap_t m_sections{};
diff --git a/include/x11/xresources.hpp b/include/x11/xresources.hpp
index c2d9409d..7f2f3431 100644
--- a/include/x11/xresources.hpp
+++ b/include/x11/xresources.hpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ POLYBAR_NS
 
 class xresource_manager {
  public:
-  using make_type = unique_ptr<xresource_manager>;
+  using make_type = const xresource_manager&;
   static make_type make();
 
   explicit xresource_manager(Display*);
diff --git a/src/components/config.cpp b/src/components/config.cpp
index 2425285d..ef9cb11d 100644
--- a/src/components/config.cpp
+++ b/src/components/config.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ config::make_type config::make(string path, string bar) {
 /**
  * Construct config object
  */
-config::config(const logger& logger, unique_ptr<xresource_manager>&& xrm, string&& path, string&& bar)
+config::config(const logger& logger, const xresource_manager& xrm, string&& path, string&& bar)
     : m_log(logger)
     , m_xrm(forward<decltype(xrm)>(xrm))
     , m_file(forward<string>(path))
diff --git a/src/x11/tray_manager.cpp b/src/x11/tray_manager.cpp
index b2d35582..1c9ed0e8 100644
--- a/src/x11/tray_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/tray_manager.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ tray_manager::~tray_manager() {
 }
 
 void tray_manager::setup(const bar_settings& bar_opts) {
-  auto& conf = config::make();
+  const config& conf = config::make();
   auto bs = conf.section();
   string position;
 
diff --git a/src/x11/xresources.cpp b/src/x11/xresources.cpp
index 5fc11556..45d04575 100644
--- a/src/x11/xresources.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/xresources.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ POLYBAR_NS
  * Create instance
  */
 xresource_manager::make_type xresource_manager::make() {
-  return factory_util::unique<xresource_manager>(static_cast<Display*>(connection::make()));
+  return *factory_util::singleton<xresource_manager>(static_cast<Display*>(connection::make()));
 }
 
 /**
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ xresource_manager::xresource_manager(Display* dsp) {
  * Deconstruct instance
  */
 xresource_manager::~xresource_manager() {
-  if (m_db != nullptr) {
+  if (m_manager != nullptr) {
     XrmDestroyDatabase(m_db);
   }
 }
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ int xresource_manager::get_int(string name, int fallback) const {
  * Query the database for given key
  */
 string xresource_manager::load_value(const string& key, const string& res_type, size_t n) const {
-  if (m_manager != nullptr && m_db != nullptr) {
+  if (m_manager != nullptr) {
     char* type = nullptr;
     XrmValue ret{};