diff --git a/include/list.h b/include/list.h
index 757a71f6c..b66ff72fc 100644
--- a/include/list.h
+++ b/include/list.h
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ typedef void (*freefn_t)(void *arg);
 void list_free_with(list_t *list, freefn_t callback);
 
 /*
- * Frees a list, calling a function on each element after it's
- * dereferenced before doing do.
+ * Frees a list, calling a function on each dereferenced element.
  * For example, if you have a list of char * allocated with malloc,
- * it would be safe to use free with this function.
+ * callback would receive a char * instead of a char **, meaning it's
+ * safe to use free as the callback.
  * If list is null, no action is taken.
  * list must be a list of pointers.
  */
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ void list_swap(list_t *list, size_t i1, size_t i2);
 void *list_get(list_t *list, size_t index);
 
 /*
- * Gets an element of a list and dereferences it.
+ * Gets an dereferenced element of a list.
  * For example, if you have a list of char *, this function
  * will return a char * instead of a char **, unlike list_get.
  * index must be less than the length of the list.
@@ -127,10 +127,9 @@ ssize_t list_lsearch(const list_t *list, int compare(const void *key, const void
 void list_foreach(list_t *list, void callback(void *item));
 
 /*
- * Calls a function on every item in the list, after dereferencing
- * the element.
- * For example, if you have a list of char *, you will receive a char *
- * in callback, instead of a char **, unlike list_foreach.
+ * Calls a function on every dereferenced item in the list.
+ * For example, if you have a list of char *, callback will
+ * receive a char * instead of a char **, unlike list_foreach.
  * list must be a list of pointers.
  */
 void list_foreachp(list_t *list, void callback(void *item));
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 89ab80738..a579dddb4 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -214,63 +214,19 @@ void free_config(struct sway_config *config) {
 	if (!config) {
 		return;
 	}
-	size_t i;
-	for (i = 0; config->symbols && i < config->symbols->length; ++i) {
-		free_variable(list_getp(config->symbols, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->symbols);
 
-	for (i = 0; config->modes && i < config->modes->length; ++i) {
-		free_mode(list_getp(config->modes, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->modes);
-
-	for (i = 0; config->bars && i < config->bars->length; ++i) {
-		free_bar(list_getp(config->bars, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->bars);
-
-	free_flat_list(config->cmd_queue);
-
-	for (i = 0; config->workspace_outputs && i < config->workspace_outputs->length; ++i) {
-		free_workspace_output(list_getp(config->workspace_outputs, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->workspace_outputs);
-
-	for (i = 0; config->pid_workspaces && i < config->pid_workspaces->length; ++i) {
-		free_pid_workspace(list_getp(config->pid_workspaces, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->pid_workspaces);
-
-	for (i = 0; config->criteria && i < config->criteria->length; ++i) {
-		free_criteria(list_getp(config->criteria, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->criteria);
-
-	for (i = 0; config->no_focus && i < config->no_focus->length; ++i) {
-		free_criteria(list_getp(config->no_focus, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->no_focus);
-
-	for (i = 0; config->input_configs && i < config->input_configs->length; ++i) {
-		free_input_config(list_getp(config->input_configs, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->input_configs);
-
-	for (i = 0; config->output_configs && i < config->output_configs->length; ++i) {
-		free_output_config(list_getp(config->output_configs, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->output_configs);
-
-	for (i = 0; config->command_policies && i < config->command_policies->length; ++i) {
-		free_command_policy(list_getp(config->command_policies, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->command_policies);
-
-	for (i = 0; config->feature_policies && i < config->feature_policies->length; ++i) {
-		free_feature_policy(list_getp(config->feature_policies, i));
-	}
-	list_free(config->feature_policies);
+	list_free_withp(config->symbols, (freefn_t)free_variable);
+	list_free_withp(config->modes, (freefn_t)free_mode);
+	list_free_withp(config->bars, (freefn_t)free_bar);
+	list_free_withp(config->cmd_queue, free);
+	list_free_withp(config->workspace_outputs, (freefn_t)free_workspace_output);
+	list_free_withp(config->pid_workspaces, (freefn_t)free_pid_workspace);
+	list_free_withp(config->criteria, (freefn_t)free_criteria);
+	list_free_withp(config->no_focus, (freefn_t)free_criteria);
+	list_free_withp(config->input_configs, (freefn_t)free_input_config);
+	list_free_withp(config->output_configs, (freefn_t)free_output_config);
+	list_free_withp(config->command_policies, (freefn_t)free_command_policy);
+	list_free_withp(config->feature_policies, (freefn_t)free_feature_policy);
 
 	list_free(config->active_bar_modifiers);
 	free_flat_list(config->config_chain);