diff --git a/include/view.h b/include/view.h
index 128a4da0..6076d672 100644
--- a/include/view.h
+++ b/include/view.h
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@ enum ssd_preference {
 	LAB_SSD_PREF_SERVER,
 };
 
+enum view_edge {
+	VIEW_EDGE_INVALID = 0,
+
+	VIEW_EDGE_LEFT,
+	VIEW_EDGE_RIGHT,
+	VIEW_EDGE_UP,
+	VIEW_EDGE_DOWN,
+	VIEW_EDGE_CENTER,
+};
+
 struct view;
 struct view_impl {
 	void (*configure)(struct view *view, struct wlr_box geo);
@@ -196,11 +206,9 @@ void view_move_to_workspace(struct view *view, struct workspace *workspace);
 void view_set_decorations(struct view *view, bool decorations);
 void view_toggle_fullscreen(struct view *view);
 void view_adjust_for_layout_change(struct view *view);
-void view_move_to_edge(struct view *view, const char *direction);
-void view_snap_to_edge(struct view *view, const char *direction,
-	bool store_natural_geometry);
-void view_snap_to_region(struct view *view, struct region *region,
-	bool store_natural_geometry);
+void view_move_to_edge(struct view *view, enum view_edge direction);
+void view_snap_to_edge(struct view *view, enum view_edge direction, bool store_natural_geometry);
+void view_snap_to_region(struct view *view, struct region *region, bool store_natural_geometry);
 
 void view_move_to_front(struct view *view);
 void view_move_to_back(struct view *view);
@@ -216,6 +224,8 @@ void view_evacuate_region(struct view *view);
 void view_on_output_destroy(struct view *view);
 void view_destroy(struct view *view);
 
+enum view_edge view_edge_parse(const char *direction);
+
 /* xdg.c */
 struct wlr_xdg_surface *xdg_surface_from_view(struct view *view);
 
diff --git a/src/action.c b/src/action.c
index f7920b31..900dcffc 100644
--- a/src/action.c
+++ b/src/action.c
@@ -181,7 +181,14 @@ action_arg_from_xml_node(struct action *action, char *nodename, char *content)
 	case ACTION_TYPE_MOVE_TO_EDGE:
 	case ACTION_TYPE_SNAP_TO_EDGE:
 		if (!strcmp(argument, "direction")) {
-			action_arg_add_str(action, argument, content);
+			enum view_edge edge = view_edge_parse(content);
+			if ((edge == VIEW_EDGE_CENTER && action->type != ACTION_TYPE_SNAP_TO_EDGE)
+					|| edge == VIEW_EDGE_INVALID) {
+				wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Invalid argument for action %s: '%s' (%s)",
+					action_names[action->type], argument, content);
+			} else {
+				action_arg_add_int(action, argument, edge);
+			}
 			goto cleanup;
 		}
 		break;
@@ -564,13 +571,16 @@ actions_run(struct view *activator, struct server *server,
 			break;
 		case ACTION_TYPE_MOVE_TO_EDGE:
 			if (view) {
-				view_move_to_edge(view, action_str_from_arg(arg));
+				/* Config parsing makes sure that direction is a valid direction */
+				enum view_edge edge = get_arg_value_int(action, "direction", 0);
+				view_move_to_edge(view, edge);
 			}
 			break;
 		case ACTION_TYPE_SNAP_TO_EDGE:
 			if (view) {
-				view_snap_to_edge(view, action_str_from_arg(arg),
-					/*store_natural_geometry*/ true);
+				/* Config parsing makes sure that direction is a valid direction */
+				enum view_edge edge = get_arg_value_int(action, "direction", 0);
+				view_snap_to_edge(view, edge, /*store_natural_geometry*/ true);
 			}
 			break;
 		case ACTION_TYPE_NEXT_WINDOW:
diff --git a/src/interactive.c b/src/interactive.c
index 728c92e1..9a009d93 100644
--- a/src/interactive.c
+++ b/src/interactive.c
@@ -119,21 +119,21 @@ snap_to_edge(struct view *view)
 	 */
 	struct wlr_box *area = &view->output->usable_area;
 	if (cursor_x <= area->x + snap_range) {
-		view_snap_to_edge(view, "left",
+		view_snap_to_edge(view, VIEW_EDGE_LEFT,
 			/*store_natural_geometry*/ false);
 	} else if (cursor_x >= area->x + area->width - snap_range) {
-		view_snap_to_edge(view, "right",
+		view_snap_to_edge(view, VIEW_EDGE_RIGHT,
 			/*store_natural_geometry*/ false);
 	} else if (cursor_y <= area->y + snap_range) {
 		if (rc.snap_top_maximize) {
 			view_maximize(view, true,
 				/*store_natural_geometry*/ false);
 		} else {
-			view_snap_to_edge(view, "up",
+			view_snap_to_edge(view, VIEW_EDGE_UP,
 				/*store_natural_geometry*/ false);
 		}
 	} else if (cursor_y >= area->y + area->height - snap_range) {
-		view_snap_to_edge(view, "down",
+		view_snap_to_edge(view, VIEW_EDGE_DOWN,
 			/*store_natural_geometry*/ false);
 	} else {
 		/* Not close to any edge */
diff --git a/src/view.c b/src/view.c
index 9f6c34b7..8b1f5743 100644
--- a/src/view.c
+++ b/src/view.c
@@ -25,16 +25,6 @@
  * They may be called repeatably during output layout changes.
  */
 
-enum view_edge {
-	VIEW_EDGE_INVALID = 0,
-
-	VIEW_EDGE_LEFT,
-	VIEW_EDGE_RIGHT,
-	VIEW_EDGE_UP,
-	VIEW_EDGE_DOWN,
-	VIEW_EDGE_CENTER,
-};
-
 static enum view_edge
 view_edge_invert(enum view_edge edge)
 {
@@ -858,7 +848,7 @@ view_on_output_destroy(struct view *view)
 }
 
 void
-view_move_to_edge(struct view *view, const char *direction)
+view_move_to_edge(struct view *view, enum view_edge edge)
 {
 	assert(view);
 	struct output *output = view->output;
@@ -866,10 +856,6 @@ view_move_to_edge(struct view *view, const char *direction)
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "view has no output, not moving to edge");
 		return;
 	}
-	if (!direction) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "invalid edge, not moving view");
-		return;
-	}
 
 	struct border margin = ssd_get_margin(view->ssd);
 	struct wlr_box usable = output_usable_area_in_layout_coords(output);
@@ -883,28 +869,32 @@ view_move_to_edge(struct view *view, const char *direction)
 	}
 
 	int x = 0, y = 0;
-	if (!strcasecmp(direction, "left")) {
+	switch (edge) {
+	case VIEW_EDGE_LEFT:
 		x = usable.x + margin.left + rc.gap;
 		y = view->pending.y;
-	} else if (!strcasecmp(direction, "up")) {
+		break;
+	case VIEW_EDGE_UP:
 		x = view->pending.x;
 		y = usable.y + margin.top + rc.gap;
-	} else if (!strcasecmp(direction, "right")) {
+		break;
+	case VIEW_EDGE_RIGHT:
 		x = usable.x + usable.width - view->pending.width
 			- margin.right - rc.gap;
 		y = view->pending.y;
-	} else if (!strcasecmp(direction, "down")) {
+		break;
+	case VIEW_EDGE_DOWN:
 		x = view->pending.x;
 		y = usable.y + usable.height - view->pending.height
 			- margin.bottom - rc.gap;
-	} else {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "invalid edge, not moving view");
+		break;
+	default:
 		return;
 	}
 	view_move(view, x, y);
 }
 
-static enum view_edge
+enum view_edge
 view_edge_parse(const char *direction)
 {
 	if (!direction) {
@@ -926,8 +916,7 @@ view_edge_parse(const char *direction)
 }
 
 void
-view_snap_to_edge(struct view *view, const char *direction,
-		bool store_natural_geometry)
+view_snap_to_edge(struct view *view, enum view_edge edge, bool store_natural_geometry)
 {
 	assert(view);
 	if (view->fullscreen) {
@@ -938,11 +927,6 @@ view_snap_to_edge(struct view *view, const char *direction,
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "view has no output, not snapping to edge");
 		return;
 	}
-	enum view_edge edge = view_edge_parse(direction);
-	if (edge == VIEW_EDGE_INVALID) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "invalid edge, not snapping view");
-		return;
-	}
 
 	if (view->tiled == edge && !view->maximized) {
 		/* We are already tiled for this edge and thus should switch outputs */