diff --git a/Circle.hs b/Circle.hs
index cf0bcb87..9e30c838 100644
--- a/Circle.hs
+++ b/Circle.hs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import XMonad
 
 circle :: Layout
 circle = Layout { doLayout = circleLayout,
-                  modifyLayout = const Nothing }
+                  modifyLayout = return . const Nothing }
 
 circleLayout :: Rectangle -> [Window] -> X [(Window, Rectangle)]
 circleLayout _ []     = return []
diff --git a/Spiral.hs b/Spiral.hs
index c17f2cd2..6701bb69 100644
--- a/Spiral.hs
+++ b/Spiral.hs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ blend scale ratios = zipWith (+) ratios scaleFactors
 
 spiral :: Rational -> Layout
 spiral scale = Layout { doLayout = fibLayout,
-                        modifyLayout = \m -> fmap resize $ fromMessage m }
+                        modifyLayout = \m -> return $ fmap resize $ fromMessage m }
     where
       fibLayout sc ws = return $ zip ws rects
           where ratios = blend scale . reverse . take (length ws - 1) . mkRatios $ tail fibs
diff --git a/TwoPane.hs b/TwoPane.hs
index d70f49f5..18abdf63 100644
--- a/TwoPane.hs
+++ b/TwoPane.hs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ twoPane delta split = Layout { doLayout = arrange, modifyLayout = message }
     -- there are one or zero windows
     arrange rect ws         = return . map (\w -> (w, rect)) $ ws
 
-    message x = case fromMessage x of
+    message x = return $ case fromMessage x of
                     Just Shrink -> Just (twoPane delta (split - delta))
                     Just Expand -> Just (twoPane delta (split + delta))
                     _           -> Nothing