diff --git a/ext/mysql2/client.c b/ext/mysql2/client.c
index 432d9e3..7fe8ba8 100644
--- a/ext/mysql2/client.c
+++ b/ext/mysql2/client.c
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@ static ID intern_merge, intern_error_number_eql, intern_sql_state_eql;
 
 #define GET_CLIENT(self) \
   mysql_client_wrapper *wrapper; \
-  MYSQL *client; \
-  Data_Get_Struct(self, mysql_client_wrapper, wrapper); \
-  client = &wrapper->client;
+  Data_Get_Struct(self, mysql_client_wrapper, wrapper);
 
 /*
  * used to pass all arguments to mysql_real_connect while inside
@@ -85,12 +83,11 @@ static VALUE rb_raise_mysql2_error(MYSQL *client) {
 }
 
 static VALUE nogvl_init(void *ptr) {
-  MYSQL * client = (MYSQL *)ptr;
+  MYSQL **client = (MYSQL **)ptr;
 
   /* may initialize embedded server and read /etc/services off disk */
-  client = mysql_init(NULL);
-
-  return client ? Qtrue : Qfalse;
+  *client = mysql_init(NULL);
+  return *client ? Qtrue : Qfalse;
 }
 
 static VALUE nogvl_connect(void *ptr) {
@@ -108,15 +105,14 @@ static VALUE nogvl_connect(void *ptr) {
 }
 
 static void rb_mysql_client_free(void * ptr) {
-  mysql_client_wrapper * wrapper = (mysql_client_wrapper *)ptr;
-  MYSQL * client = &wrapper->client;
+  GET_CLIENT(ptr)
 
   /*
    * we'll send a QUIT message to the server, but that message is more of a
    * formality than a hard requirement since the socket is getting shutdown
    * anyways, so ensure the socket write does not block our interpreter
    */
-  int fd = client->net.fd;
+  int fd = wrapper->client->net.fd;
 
   if (fd >= 0) {
     /*
@@ -134,7 +130,7 @@ static void rb_mysql_client_free(void * ptr) {
   }
 
   /* It's safe to call mysql_close() on an already closed connection. */
-  mysql_close(client);
+  mysql_close(wrapper->client);
   xfree(ptr);
 }
 
@@ -164,12 +160,12 @@ static VALUE rb_connect(VALUE self, VALUE user, VALUE pass, VALUE host, VALUE po
   args.user = NIL_P(user) ? NULL : StringValuePtr(user);
   args.passwd = NIL_P(pass) ? NULL : StringValuePtr(pass);
   args.db = NIL_P(database) ? NULL : StringValuePtr(database);
-  args.mysql = client;
+  args.mysql = wrapper->client;
   args.client_flag = NUM2INT(flags);
 
   if (rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_connect, &args, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0) == Qfalse) {
     // unable to connect
-    return rb_raise_mysql2_error(client);
+    return rb_raise_mysql2_error(wrapper->client);
   }
 
   return self;
@@ -184,7 +180,7 @@ static VALUE rb_connect(VALUE self, VALUE user, VALUE pass, VALUE host, VALUE po
 static VALUE rb_mysql_client_close(VALUE self) {
   GET_CLIENT(self)
 
-  rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_close, client, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0);
+  rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_close, wrapper->client, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0);
 
   return Qnil;
 }
@@ -227,21 +223,21 @@ static VALUE rb_mysql_client_async_result(VALUE self) {
   MYSQL_RES * result;
   GET_CLIENT(self)
 
-  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(client);
-  if (rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_read_query_result, client, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0) == Qfalse) {
+  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(wrapper->client);
+  if (rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_read_query_result, wrapper->client, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0) == Qfalse) {
     // an error occurred, mark this connection inactive
     MARK_CONN_INACTIVE(self);
-    return rb_raise_mysql2_error(client);
+    return rb_raise_mysql2_error(wrapper->client);
   }
 
-  result = (MYSQL_RES *)rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_store_result, client, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0);
+  result = (MYSQL_RES *)rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_store_result, wrapper->client, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0);
 
   // we have our result, mark this connection inactive
   MARK_CONN_INACTIVE(self);
 
   if (result == NULL) {
-    if (mysql_field_count(client) != 0) {
-      rb_raise_mysql2_error(client);
+    if (mysql_field_count(wrapper->client) != 0) {
+      rb_raise_mysql2_error(wrapper->client);
     }
     return Qnil;
   }
@@ -266,8 +262,8 @@ static VALUE rb_mysql_client_query(int argc, VALUE * argv, VALUE self) {
   VALUE opts, defaults;
   GET_CLIENT(self)
 
-  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(client);
-  args.mysql = client;
+  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(wrapper->client);
+  args.mysql = wrapper->client;
 
   // see if this connection is still waiting on a result from a previous query
   if (wrapper->active == 0) {
@@ -298,13 +294,13 @@ static VALUE rb_mysql_client_query(int argc, VALUE * argv, VALUE self) {
   if (rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_send_query, &args, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0) == Qfalse) {
     // an error occurred, we're not active anymore
     MARK_CONN_INACTIVE(self);
-    return rb_raise_mysql2_error(client);
+    return rb_raise_mysql2_error(wrapper->client);
   }
 
   if (!async) {
     // the below code is largely from do_mysql
     // http://github.com/datamapper/do
-    fd = client->net.fd;
+    fd = wrapper->client->net.fd;
     for(;;) {
       FD_ZERO(&fdset);
       FD_SET(fd, &fdset);
@@ -344,8 +340,8 @@ static VALUE rb_mysql_client_escape(VALUE self, VALUE str) {
   oldLen = RSTRING_LEN(str);
   newStr = rb_str_new(0, oldLen*2+1);
 
-  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(client);
-  newLen = mysql_real_escape_string(client, RSTRING_PTR(newStr), StringValuePtr(str), oldLen);
+  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(wrapper->client);
+  newLen = mysql_real_escape_string(wrapper->client, RSTRING_PTR(newStr), StringValuePtr(str), oldLen);
   if (newLen == oldLen) {
     // no need to return a new ruby string if nothing changed
     return str;
@@ -389,11 +385,11 @@ static VALUE rb_mysql_client_server_info(VALUE self) {
   rb_encoding *conn_enc = rb_to_encoding(wrapper->encoding);
 #endif
 
-  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(client);
+  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(wrapper->client);
 
   version = rb_hash_new();
-  rb_hash_aset(version, sym_id, LONG2FIX(mysql_get_server_version(client)));
-  server_info = rb_str_new2(mysql_get_server_info(client));
+  rb_hash_aset(version, sym_id, LONG2FIX(mysql_get_server_version(wrapper->client)));
+  server_info = rb_str_new2(mysql_get_server_info(wrapper->client));
 #ifdef HAVE_RUBY_ENCODING_H
   rb_enc_associate(server_info, conn_enc);
   if (default_internal_enc) {
@@ -406,20 +402,20 @@ static VALUE rb_mysql_client_server_info(VALUE self) {
 
 static VALUE rb_mysql_client_socket(VALUE self) {
   GET_CLIENT(self)
-  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(client);
-  return INT2NUM(client->net.fd);
+  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(wrapper->client);
+  return INT2NUM(wrapper->client->net.fd);
 }
 
 static VALUE rb_mysql_client_last_id(VALUE self) {
   GET_CLIENT(self)
-  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(client);
-  return ULL2NUM(mysql_insert_id(client));
+  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(wrapper->client);
+  return ULL2NUM(mysql_insert_id(wrapper->client));
 }
 
 static VALUE rb_mysql_client_affected_rows(VALUE self) {
   GET_CLIENT(self)
-  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(client);
-  return ULL2NUM(mysql_affected_rows(client));
+  REQUIRE_OPEN_DB(wrapper->client);
+  return ULL2NUM(mysql_affected_rows(wrapper->client));
 }
 
 static VALUE set_reconnect(VALUE self, VALUE value) {
@@ -430,9 +426,9 @@ static VALUE set_reconnect(VALUE self, VALUE value) {
     reconnect = value == Qfalse ? 0 : 1;
 
     /* set default reconnect behavior */
-    if (mysql_options(client, MYSQL_OPT_RECONNECT, &reconnect)) {
+    if (mysql_options(wrapper->client, MYSQL_OPT_RECONNECT, &reconnect)) {
       /* TODO: warning - unable to set reconnect behavior */
-      rb_warn("%s\n", mysql_error(client));
+      rb_warn("%s\n", mysql_error(wrapper->client));
     }
   }
   return value;
@@ -447,9 +443,9 @@ static VALUE set_connect_timeout(VALUE self, VALUE value) {
     if(0 == connect_timeout) return value;
 
     /* set default connection timeout behavior */
-    if (mysql_options(client, MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, &connect_timeout)) {
+    if (mysql_options(wrapper->client, MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, &connect_timeout)) {
       /* TODO: warning - unable to set connection timeout */
-      rb_warn("%s\n", mysql_error(client));
+      rb_warn("%s\n", mysql_error(wrapper->client));
     }
   }
   return value;
@@ -473,9 +469,9 @@ static VALUE set_charset_name(VALUE self, VALUE value) {
 
   charset_name = StringValuePtr(value);
 
-  if (mysql_options(client, MYSQL_SET_CHARSET_NAME, charset_name)) {
+  if (mysql_options(wrapper->client, MYSQL_SET_CHARSET_NAME, charset_name)) {
     /* TODO: warning - unable to set charset */
-    rb_warn("%s\n", mysql_error(client));
+    rb_warn("%s\n", mysql_error(wrapper->client));
   }
 
   return value;
@@ -485,7 +481,7 @@ static VALUE set_ssl_options(VALUE self, VALUE key, VALUE cert, VALUE ca, VALUE
   GET_CLIENT(self)
 
   if(!NIL_P(ca) || !NIL_P(key)) {
-    mysql_ssl_set(client,
+    mysql_ssl_set(wrapper->client,
         NIL_P(key) ? NULL : StringValuePtr(key),
         NIL_P(cert) ? NULL : StringValuePtr(cert),
         NIL_P(ca) ? NULL : StringValuePtr(ca),
@@ -499,9 +495,9 @@ static VALUE set_ssl_options(VALUE self, VALUE key, VALUE cert, VALUE ca, VALUE
 static VALUE init_connection(VALUE self) {
   GET_CLIENT(self)
 
-  if (rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_init, client, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0) == Qfalse) {
+  if (rb_thread_blocking_region(nogvl_init, ((void *) &wrapper->client), RUBY_UBF_IO, 0) == Qfalse) {
     /* TODO: warning - not enough memory? */
-    return rb_raise_mysql2_error(client);
+    return rb_raise_mysql2_error(wrapper->client);
   }
 
   return self;
diff --git a/ext/mysql2/client.h b/ext/mysql2/client.h
index 6bd9963..781ccda 100644
--- a/ext/mysql2/client.h
+++ b/ext/mysql2/client.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ void init_mysql2_client();
 typedef struct {
   VALUE encoding;
   short int active;
-  MYSQL client;
+  MYSQL *client;
 } mysql_client_wrapper;
 
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file