diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 53227a8e..89640c33 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -294,17 +294,16 @@ create_widgets(cfg_t* cfg_statusbar, Statusbar *statusbar)
     qsort(widgets, numwidgets, sizeof(cfg_t), cmp_widget_cfg);
 
     for (i = 0; i < numwidgets; i++){
-        widget_new = name_func_lookup(cfg_name(widgets + i), WidgetList);
+        wptr = widgets + i;
+        widget_new = name_func_lookup(cfg_name(wptr), WidgetList);
         if (widget_new)
             if(!widget){
-                widget = widget_new(statusbar,
-                                    cfg_title(widgets + i));
+                widget = widget_new(statusbar, wptr);
                 statusbar->widgets = widget;
             }
             else
             {
-                widget->next = widget_new(statusbar,
-                                          cfg_title(widgets + i));
+                widget->next = widget_new(statusbar, wptr);
                 widget = widget->next;
             }
         else
@@ -509,9 +508,6 @@ config_parse(const char *confpatharg)
     for(screen = 0; screen < get_screen_count(globalconf.display); screen++)
     {
         virtscreen = &globalconf.screens[screen]; 
-        a_strcpy(virtscreen->statustext,
-                 sizeof(virtscreen->statustext),
-                 "awesome-" VERSION " (" RELEASE ")");
         snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%d", screen);
         cfg_screen = cfg_gettsec(cfg, "screen", buf);
         if(!cfg_screen)
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 83d5be11..a1628e7f 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -189,8 +189,6 @@ typedef struct
 
 typedef struct
 {
-    /** Text displayed in bar */
-    char statustext[256];
     /** Number of pixels to snap windows */
     int snap;
     /** Border size */
@@ -225,8 +223,10 @@ struct Widget
 {
     char *name;
     int (*draw)(Widget *, DrawCtx *, int, int);
+    void (*tell)(Widget *, char *);
     Statusbar *statusbar;
     int alignment;
+    void *data;
     Widget *next;
 };
 
diff --git a/draw.c b/draw.c
index 839c3dd5..73b71745 100644
--- a/draw.c
+++ b/draw.c
@@ -205,6 +205,8 @@ textwidth_primitive(Display *display, XftFont *font, char *text)
 unsigned short
 textwidth(DrawCtx *ctx, XftFont *font, char *text)
 {
+    if (!text)
+        return 0;
     return textwidth_primitive(ctx->display, font, text);
 }
 
diff --git a/statusbar.c b/statusbar.c
index fa9ffbf1..04c8c607 100644
--- a/statusbar.c
+++ b/statusbar.c
@@ -205,15 +205,4 @@ uicb_statusbar_set_position(int screen, char *arg)
     statusbar_update_position(globalconf.display, globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar, &globalconf.screens[screen].padding);
 }
 
-void
-uicb_statusbar_set_text(int screen, char *arg)
-{
-    if(!arg)
-        return;
-    a_strncpy(globalconf.screens[screen].statustext,
-              sizeof(globalconf.screens[screen].statustext), arg, a_strlen(arg));
-
-    statusbar_draw(screen);
-}
-
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:encoding=utf-8:textwidth=99
diff --git a/statusbar.h b/statusbar.h
index d6cd8234..79eb92ab 100644
--- a/statusbar.h
+++ b/statusbar.h
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ void statusbar_update_position(Display *, Statusbar, Padding *);
 
 UICB_PROTO(uicb_statusbar_toggle);
 UICB_PROTO(uicb_statusbar_set_position);
-UICB_PROTO(uicb_statusbar_set_text);
 
 #endif
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:encoding=utf-8:textwidth=99
diff --git a/uicb.c b/uicb.c
index ced4c383..6a36d5b1 100644
--- a/uicb.c
+++ b/uicb.c
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ const NameFuncLink UicbList[] =
     /* statusbar.c */
     {"statusbar_toggle", uicb_statusbar_toggle},
     {"statusbar_set_position", uicb_statusbar_set_position},
-    {"statusbar_set_text", uicb_statusbar_set_text},
     /* mouse.c */
     {"client_movemouse", uicb_client_movemouse},
     {"client_resizemouse", uicb_client_resizemouse},
diff --git a/widget.c b/widget.c
index 043cfbc2..25486ddf 100644
--- a/widget.c
+++ b/widget.c
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
+#include  <confuse.h>
 #include "util.h"
 #include "widget.h"
+#include "statusbar.h"
 
 extern awesome_config globalconf;
 
@@ -54,22 +56,43 @@ find_widget(char *name, int screen)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-void
-common_new(Widget *widget, Statusbar *statusbar, const char *name)
+
+static void
+common_tell(Widget *widget, char *command __attribute__ ((unused)))
 {
+    warn("%s widget does not accept commands.\n", widget->name);
+}
+
+
+void
+common_new(Widget *widget, Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t* config)
+{
+    const char *name;
     widget->statusbar = statusbar;
+
+    name = cfg_title(config);
     widget->name = p_new(char, strlen(name)+1);
+    widget->tell = common_tell;
     strncpy(widget->name, name, strlen(name));
 }
 
+
 void
 uicb_widget_tell(int screen, char *arg)
 {
     Widget *widget;
-    char *p;
+    char *p, *command;
+    int len;
+
+    if (!arg){
+        warn("Must specify a widget.\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    len = strlen(arg);
     p = strtok(arg, " ");
     if (!p){
-        warn("Ignoring malformed widget command.");
+        warn("Ignoring malformed widget command.\n");
         return;
     }
     widget = find_widget(p, screen);
@@ -78,8 +101,18 @@ uicb_widget_tell(int screen, char *arg)
         return;
     }
 
-    /* To be continued... */
-
+    if (p+strlen(p) < arg+len)
+    {
+        p = p + strlen(p) + 1;
+        command = p_new(char, strlen(p)+1);
+        strncpy(command, p, strlen(p));
+        widget->tell(widget, command);
+        p_delete(&command);
+    }
+    else
+        widget->tell(widget, NULL);
+    statusbar_draw(screen);
+    return;
 }
 
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:encoding=utf-8:textwidth=99
diff --git a/widget.h b/widget.h
index 27519fb4..fb21bf69 100644
--- a/widget.h
+++ b/widget.h
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 #ifndef AWESOME_WIDGET_H
 #define AWESOME_WIDGET_H
 
+#include <confuse.h>
 #include "config.h"
 #include "draw.h"
 #include "common.h"
 
 enum { AlignLeft, AlignRight, AlignFlex };
 
-typedef Widget *(WidgetConstructor)(Statusbar*, const char*);
+typedef Widget *(WidgetConstructor)(Statusbar*, cfg_t*);
 
 int calculate_offset(int, int, int, int);
 void calculate_alignments(Widget *widget);
-void common_new(Widget *, Statusbar *, const char *);
+void common_new(Widget*, Statusbar*, cfg_t*);
 
 WidgetConstructor layoutinfo_new;
 WidgetConstructor taglist_new;
diff --git a/widgets/focustitle.c b/widgets/focustitle.c
index 7e4774e8..7bed7497 100644
--- a/widgets/focustitle.c
+++ b/widgets/focustitle.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <confuse.h>
 #include "util.h"
 #include "widget.h"
 #include "layout.h"
@@ -36,13 +37,13 @@ focustitle_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset, int used)
 }
 
 Widget *
-focustitle_new(Statusbar *statusbar, const char *name)
+focustitle_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
 {
     Widget *w;
     w = p_new(Widget, 1);
+    common_new(w, statusbar, config);
     w->draw = focustitle_draw;
     w->alignment = AlignFlex;
-    common_new(w, statusbar, name);
     return w;
 }
 
diff --git a/widgets/layoutinfo.c b/widgets/layoutinfo.c
index c201f769..14db8475 100644
--- a/widgets/layoutinfo.c
+++ b/widgets/layoutinfo.c
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <confuse.h>
 #include "widget.h"
 #include "util.h"
 #include "layout.h"
@@ -30,12 +31,12 @@ layoutinfo_draw(Widget *widget,
 
 
 Widget *
-layoutinfo_new(Statusbar *statusbar, const char* name)
+layoutinfo_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t* config)
 {
     Widget *w;
     w = p_new(Widget, 1);
+    common_new(w, statusbar, config);
     w->draw = (void*) layoutinfo_draw;
-    common_new(w, statusbar, name);
     return w;
 }
 
diff --git a/widgets/taglist.c b/widgets/taglist.c
index 5a63603b..bea66f60 100644
--- a/widgets/taglist.c
+++ b/widgets/taglist.c
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <confuse.h>
 #include "config.h"
 #include "util.h"
 #include "widget.h"
@@ -68,12 +69,12 @@ taglist_draw(Widget *widget,
 }
 
 Widget *
-taglist_new(Statusbar *statusbar, const char *name)
+taglist_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
 {
     Widget *w;
     w = p_new(Widget, 1);
+    common_new(w, statusbar, config);
     w->draw = taglist_draw;
-    common_new(w, statusbar, name);
     return w;
 }
 
diff --git a/widgets/textbox.c b/widgets/textbox.c
index 9831002a..dac6f308 100644
--- a/widgets/textbox.c
+++ b/widgets/textbox.c
@@ -1,33 +1,68 @@
+#include <confuse.h>
 #include "util.h"
 #include "widget.h"
 
 extern awesome_config globalconf;
 
+
+typedef struct Data Data;
+struct Data
+{
+    char *text;
+};
+
+
+static void
+update(Widget *widget, char *text){
+    Data *d;
+    d = (Data*) widget->data;
+    if (d->text)
+        p_delete(&d->text);
+    d->text = a_strdup(text);
+}
+
+
 static int
-textbox_draw(Widget *widget,
-             DrawCtx *ctx,
-             int offset, 
+textbox_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
              int used __attribute__ ((unused)))
 {
     VirtScreen vscreen = globalconf.screens[widget->statusbar->screen];
-    int width = textwidth(ctx, vscreen.font, vscreen.statustext);
-    int location = calculate_offset(vscreen.statusbar.width,
-                                    width,
-                                    offset,
-                                    widget->alignment);
+    int width, location;
+    Data *d;
+    d = (Data*) widget->data;
+    width = textwidth(ctx, vscreen.font, d->text);
+    location = calculate_offset(vscreen.statusbar.width,
+                                width,
+                                offset,
+                                widget->alignment);
     drawtext(ctx, location, 0, width, vscreen.statusbar.height,
-             vscreen.font, vscreen.statustext, vscreen.colors_normal);
+             vscreen.font, d->text, vscreen.colors_normal);
     return width;
 }
 
-Widget *
-textbox_new(Statusbar *statusbar, const char *name)
+
+static void
+textbox_tell(Widget *widget, char *command)
 {
-    Widget *w;
-    w = p_new(Widget, 1);
-    w->draw = textbox_draw;
-    common_new(w, statusbar, name);
-    return w;
+    update(widget, command);
 }
 
+
+Widget *
+textbox_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
+{
+    Widget *w;
+    Data *d;
+
+    w = p_new(Widget, 1);
+    common_new(w, statusbar, config);
+    w->draw = textbox_draw;
+    w->tell = textbox_tell;
+
+    d = p_new(Data, 1);
+    w->data = (void*) d;
+
+    update(w, cfg_getstr(config, "default"));
+    return w;
+}
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:encoding=utf-8:textwidth=99