diff --git a/doc/bspwm.1 b/doc/bspwm.1
index e5694a5..6860c44 100644
--- a/doc/bspwm.1
+++ b/doc/bspwm.1
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 .\"     Title: bspwm
 .\"    Author: [see the "Author" section]
 .\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets v1.78.1 <http://docbook.sf.net/>
-.\"      Date: 11/22/2015
+.\"      Date: 11/23/2015
 .\"    Manual: Bspwm Manual
 .\"    Source: Bspwm 0.9
 .\"  Language: English
 .\"
-.TH "BSPWM" "1" "11/22/2015" "Bspwm 0\&.9" "Bspwm Manual"
+.TH "BSPWM" "1" "11/23/2015" "Bspwm 0\&.9" "Bspwm Manual"
 .\" -----------------------------------------------------------------
 .\" * Define some portability stuff
 .\" -----------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ Select a window\&.
 .\}
 .nf
 WINDOW_SEL := <window_id>
-            | (DIR|CYCLE_DIR|biggest|last|focused|older|newer)[\&.[!]automatic][\&.[!](tiled|pseudo_tiled|floating|fullscreen)][\&.below|\&.normal|\&.above][\&.[!]local][\&.[!]same_class][\&.[!]focused][\&.[!](urgent|sticky|private|locked)]
+            | (DIR|CYCLE_DIR|biggest|last|focused|older|newer)[\&.[!]automatic][\&.[!](tiled|pseudo_tiled|floating|fullscreen)][\&.[!](below|normal|above)][\&.[!]local][\&.[!]same_class][\&.[!]focused][\&.[!](urgent|sticky|private|locked)]
 .fi
 .if n \{\
 .RE
@@ -183,9 +183,9 @@ Only consider windows in or not in the current desktop\&.
 Only consider windows that have or don\(cqt have the given flag set\&.
 .RE
 .PP
-below|normal|above
+[!](below|normal|above)
 .RS 4
-Only consider windows of the given layer\&.
+Only consider windows in or not in the given layer\&.
 .RE
 .RE
 .SS "Desktop"
diff --git a/doc/bspwm.1.asciidoc b/doc/bspwm.1.asciidoc
index 417cdb1..485c486 100644
--- a/doc/bspwm.1.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/bspwm.1.asciidoc
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Select a window.
 
 ----
 WINDOW_SEL := <window_id> 
-            | (DIR|CYCLE_DIR|biggest|last|focused|older|newer)[.[!]automatic][.[!](tiled|pseudo_tiled|floating|fullscreen)][.below|.normal|.above][.[!]local][.[!]same_class][.[!]focused][.[!](urgent|sticky|private|locked)]
+            | (DIR|CYCLE_DIR|biggest|last|focused|older|newer)[.[!]automatic][.[!](tiled|pseudo_tiled|floating|fullscreen)][.[!](below|normal|above)][.[!]local][.[!]same_class][.[!]focused][.[!](urgent|sticky|private|locked)]
 ----
 
 Primary Selectors
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ Modifiers
 [!](private|urgent|sticky|locked)::
 	Only consider windows that have or don't have the given flag set.
 
-below|normal|above::
-	Only consider windows of the given layer.
+[!](below|normal|above)::
+	Only consider windows in or not in the given layer.
 
 Desktop
 ~~~~~~~
diff --git a/query.c b/query.c
index f7e0427..e2a54f0 100644
--- a/query.c
+++ b/query.c
@@ -253,7 +253,9 @@ client_select_t make_client_select(void)
 		.automatic = OPTION_NONE,
 		.local = OPTION_NONE,
 		.focused = OPTION_NONE,
-		.layer = NULL
+		.below = OPTION_NONE,
+		.normal = OPTION_NONE,
+		.above = OPTION_NONE
 	};
 	return sel;
 }
@@ -268,11 +270,6 @@ desktop_select_t make_desktop_select(void)
 	return sel;
 }
 
-void cleanup_client_select(client_select_t *sel)
-{
-	free(sel->layer);
-}
-
 bool node_from_desc(char *desc, coordinates_t *ref, coordinates_t *dst)
 {
 	client_select_t sel = make_client_select();
@@ -280,71 +277,32 @@ bool node_from_desc(char *desc, coordinates_t *ref, coordinates_t *dst)
 	while ((tok = strrchr(desc, CAT_CHR)) != NULL) {
 		tok[0] = '\0';
 		tok++;
+#define GET_MOD(k) \
+	} else if (streq(#k, tok)) { \
+		sel.k = OPTION_TRUE; \
+	} else if (streq("!" #k, tok)) { \
+		sel.k = OPTION_FALSE;
 		if (streq("tiled", tok)) {
 			sel.tiled = OPTION_TRUE;
 		} else if (streq("!tiled", tok)) {
 			sel.tiled = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("pseudo_tiled", tok)) {
-			sel.pseudo_tiled = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!pseudo_tiled", tok)) {
-			sel.pseudo_tiled = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("floating", tok)) {
-			sel.floating = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!floating", tok)) {
-			sel.floating = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("same_class", tok)) {
-			sel.same_class = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!same_class", tok)) {
-			sel.same_class = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("automatic", tok)) {
-			sel.automatic = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!automatic", tok)) {
-			sel.automatic = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("fullscreen", tok)) {
-			sel.fullscreen = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!fullscreen", tok)) {
-			sel.fullscreen = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("urgent", tok)) {
-			sel.urgent = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!urgent", tok)) {
-			sel.urgent = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("local", tok)) {
-			sel.local = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!local", tok)) {
-			sel.local = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("private", tok)) {
-			sel.private = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!private", tok)) {
-			sel.private = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("sticky", tok)) {
-			sel.sticky = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!sticky", tok)) {
-			sel.sticky = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("locked", tok)) {
-			sel.locked = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!locked", tok)) {
-			sel.locked = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("focused", tok)) {
-			sel.focused = OPTION_TRUE;
-		} else if (streq("!focused", tok)) {
-			sel.focused = OPTION_FALSE;
-		} else if (streq("below", tok)) {
-			if (sel.layer == NULL) {
-				sel.layer = malloc(sizeof(stack_layer_t));
-			}
-			*(sel.layer) = LAYER_BELOW;
-		} else if (streq("normal", tok)) {
-			if (sel.layer == NULL) {
-				sel.layer = malloc(sizeof(stack_layer_t));
-			}
-			*(sel.layer) = LAYER_NORMAL;
-		} else if (streq("above", tok)) {
-			if (sel.layer == NULL) {
-				sel.layer = malloc(sizeof(stack_layer_t));
-			}
-			*(sel.layer) = LAYER_ABOVE;
+		GET_MOD(pseudo_tiled)
+		GET_MOD(floating)
+		GET_MOD(fullscreen)
+		GET_MOD(locked)
+		GET_MOD(sticky)
+		GET_MOD(private)
+		GET_MOD(urgent)
+		GET_MOD(same_class)
+		GET_MOD(automatic)
+		GET_MOD(local)
+		GET_MOD(focused)
+		GET_MOD(below)
+		GET_MOD(normal)
+		GET_MOD(above)
 		}
 	}
+#undef GET_MOD
 
 	dst->monitor = ref->monitor;
 	dst->desktop = ref->desktop;
@@ -387,8 +345,6 @@ bool node_from_desc(char *desc, coordinates_t *ref, coordinates_t *dst)
 			locate_window(wid, dst);
 	}
 
-	cleanup_client_select(&sel);
-
 	return (dst->node != NULL);
 }
 
@@ -629,7 +585,24 @@ bool node_matches(coordinates_t *loc, coordinates_t *ref, client_select_t sel)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	if (sel.layer != NULL && loc->node->client->layer != *(sel.layer)) {
+	if (sel.below != OPTION_NONE &&
+	    loc->node->client->layer != LAYER_BELOW
+	    ? sel.below == OPTION_TRUE
+	    : sel.below == OPTION_FALSE) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	if (sel.normal != OPTION_NONE &&
+	    loc->node->client->layer != LAYER_NORMAL
+	    ? sel.normal == OPTION_TRUE
+	    : sel.normal == OPTION_FALSE) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	if (sel.above != OPTION_NONE &&
+	    loc->node->client->layer != LAYER_ABOVE
+	    ? sel.above == OPTION_TRUE
+	    : sel.above == OPTION_FALSE) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/query.h b/query.h
index 59a35be..09cbef5 100644
--- a/query.h
+++ b/query.h
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ void query_windows(coordinates_t loc, FILE *rsp);
 void query_names(domain_t dom, coordinates_t loc, FILE *rsp);
 client_select_t make_client_select(void);
 desktop_select_t make_desktop_select(void);
-void cleanup_client_select(client_select_t *sel);
 bool node_from_desc(char *desc, coordinates_t *ref, coordinates_t *dst);
 bool desktop_from_desc(char *desc, coordinates_t *ref, coordinates_t *dst);
 bool monitor_from_desc(char *desc, coordinates_t *ref, coordinates_t *dst);
diff --git a/types.h b/types.h
index 03e9ac0..e030c0f 100644
--- a/types.h
+++ b/types.h
@@ -139,7 +139,9 @@ typedef struct {
 	option_bool_t automatic;
 	option_bool_t local;
 	option_bool_t focused;
-	stack_layer_t *layer;
+	option_bool_t below;
+	option_bool_t normal;
+	option_bool_t above;
 } client_select_t;
 
 typedef struct {