diff --git a/examples/compositor/main.c b/examples/compositor/main.c
index 2db4199c..243b1837 100644
--- a/examples/compositor/main.c
+++ b/examples/compositor/main.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 struct sample_state {
 	struct wlr_renderer *renderer;
 	struct wl_compositor_state compositor;
-	struct wlr_wl_shell wl_shell;
+	struct wlr_wl_shell *wl_shell;
 	struct wlr_xdg_shell_v6 *xdg_shell;
 };
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ void handle_output_frame(struct output_state *output, struct timespec *ts) {
 	wlr_renderer_begin(sample->renderer, wlr_output);
 
 	struct wlr_wl_shell_surface *wl_shell_surface;
-	wl_list_for_each(wl_shell_surface, &sample->wl_shell.surfaces, link) {
+	wl_list_for_each(wl_shell_surface, &sample->wl_shell->surfaces, link) {
 		output_frame_handle_surface(sample, wlr_output, ts, wl_shell_surface->surface);
 	}
 	struct wlr_xdg_surface_v6 *xdg_surface;
@@ -85,8 +85,11 @@ int main() {
 	state.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_init(compositor.backend);
 	wl_display_init_shm(compositor.display);
 	wl_compositor_init(compositor.display, &state.compositor, state.renderer);
-	wlr_wl_shell_init(&state.wl_shell, compositor.display);
-	state.xdg_shell = wlr_xdg_shell_v6_init(compositor.display);
+	state.wl_shell = wlr_wl_shell_create(compositor.display);
+	state.xdg_shell = wlr_xdg_shell_v6_create(compositor.display);
 
 	compositor_run(&compositor);
+
+	wlr_wl_shell_destroy(state.wl_shell);
+	wlr_xdg_shell_v6_destroy(state.xdg_shell);
 }
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h
index 80583ae9..a085711b 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_wl_shell.h
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ struct wlr_wl_shell_surface {
 };
 
 
-void wlr_wl_shell_init(struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell,
-		struct wl_display *display);
+struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell_create(struct wl_display *display);
 void wlr_wl_shell_destroy(struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.h
index 07380a96..41cf483a 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ struct wlr_xdg_surface_v6 {
 	void *data;
 };
 
-struct wlr_xdg_shell_v6 *wlr_xdg_shell_v6_init(struct wl_display *display);
+struct wlr_xdg_shell_v6 *wlr_xdg_shell_v6_create(struct wl_display *display);
 void wlr_xdg_shell_v6_destroy(struct wlr_xdg_shell_v6 *xdg_shell);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/types/wlr_wl_shell.c b/types/wlr_wl_shell.c
index 154e54f9..c95845e8 100644
--- a/types/wlr_wl_shell.c
+++ b/types/wlr_wl_shell.c
@@ -117,17 +117,22 @@ static void wl_shell_bind(struct wl_client *wl_client, void *_wl_shell,
 	wl_list_insert(&wl_shell->wl_resources, wl_resource_get_link(wl_resource));
 }
 
-void wlr_wl_shell_init(struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell,
-		struct wl_display *display) {
+struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell_create(struct wl_display *display) {
+	struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell =
+		calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_wl_shell));
+	if (!wlr_wl_shell) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	struct wl_global *wl_global = wl_global_create(display,
 		&wl_shell_interface, 1, wlr_wl_shell, wl_shell_bind);
 	if (!wl_global) {
-		// TODO: return failure somehow
-		return;
+		free(wlr_wl_shell);
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	wlr_wl_shell->wl_global = wl_global;
 	wl_list_init(&wlr_wl_shell->wl_resources);
 	wl_list_init(&wlr_wl_shell->surfaces);
+	return wlr_wl_shell;
 }
 
 void wlr_wl_shell_destroy(struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell) {
@@ -141,4 +146,5 @@ void wlr_wl_shell_destroy(struct wlr_wl_shell *wlr_wl_shell) {
 	}
 	// TODO: destroy surfaces
 	wl_global_destroy(wlr_wl_shell->wl_global);
+	free(wlr_wl_shell);
 }
diff --git a/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.c b/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.c
index 465e55d7..da3c05df 100644
--- a/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.c
+++ b/types/wlr_xdg_shell_v6.c
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ static void xdg_shell_bind(struct wl_client *wl_client, void *_xdg_shell,
 	wl_list_insert(&xdg_shell->wl_resources, wl_resource_get_link(wl_resource));
 }
 
-struct wlr_xdg_shell_v6 *wlr_xdg_shell_v6_init(struct wl_display *display) {
+struct wlr_xdg_shell_v6 *wlr_xdg_shell_v6_create(struct wl_display *display) {
 	struct wlr_xdg_shell_v6 *xdg_shell =
 		calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_xdg_shell_v6));
 	if (!xdg_shell) {
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ struct wlr_xdg_shell_v6 *wlr_xdg_shell_v6_init(struct wl_display *display) {
 	struct wl_global *wl_global = wl_global_create(display,
 		&zxdg_shell_v6_interface, 1, xdg_shell, xdg_shell_bind);
 	if (!wl_global) {
-		wlr_xdg_shell_v6_destroy(xdg_shell);
+		free(xdg_shell);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	xdg_shell->wl_global = wl_global;