diff --git a/exwm-background.el b/exwm-background.el
index 6336e2b..e4bebc5 100644
--- a/exwm-background.el
+++ b/exwm-background.el
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 
 (require 'exwm-core)
 
+(defvar exwm-background-mode)
+
 (defcustom exwm-background-color nil
   "Background color for Xorg."
   :type '(choice
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@
   :initialize #'custom-initialize-default
   :set (lambda (symbol value)
          (set-default-toplevel-value symbol value)
-         (when (bound-and-true-p exwm-background-mode) (exwm-background--update))))
+         (when exwm-background-mode (exwm-background--update))))
 
 (defconst exwm-background--properties '("_XROOTPMAP_ID" "_XSETROOT_ID" "ESETROOT_PMAP_ID")
   "The background properties to set.
diff --git a/exwm-systemtray.el b/exwm-systemtray.el
index a42b2b5..1a6507e 100644
--- a/exwm-systemtray.el
+++ b/exwm-systemtray.el
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
 
 (declare-function exwm-workspace--workarea "exwm-workspace.el" (frame))
 
+(defvar exwm-systemtray-mode)
+
 (defclass exwm-systemtray--icon ()
   ((width :initarg :width)
    (height :initarg :height)
@@ -87,7 +89,7 @@ TrueColor-24\" can be used to force Emacs to use 24-bit depth."
 using 32-bit depth.  Using `workspace-background' instead.")
            (setq value 'workspace-background))
          (set-default symbol value)
-         (when (and (bound-and-true-p exwm-systemtray-mode)
+         (when (and exwm-systemtray-mode
                     exwm-systemtray--connection
                     exwm-systemtray--embedder-window)
            ;; Change the background color for embedder.
diff --git a/exwm-xsettings.el b/exwm-xsettings.el
index ddc3d71..e438474 100644
--- a/exwm-xsettings.el
+++ b/exwm-xsettings.el
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 (defvar exwm-xsettings--XSETTINGS_S0-atom nil)
 (defvar exwm-xsettings--selection-owner-window nil)
 (defvar exwm-xsettings--serial 0)
+(defvar exwm-xsettings-mode)
 
 (defun exwm-xsettings--rgba-match (_widget value)
   "Return t if VALUE is a valid RGBA color."
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@
 
 SYMBOL is the setting being updated and VALUE is the new value."
   (set-default-toplevel-value symbol value)
-  (when (bound-and-true-p exwm-xsettings-mode)
+  (when exwm-xsettings-mode
     (exwm-xsettings--update-settings)))
 
 (defgroup exwm-xsettings nil