diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 24c6426a..d26b02c6 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ setup(awesome_config *awesomeconf)
     compileregs(awesomeconf->rules, awesomeconf->nrules);
 
     /* bar */
-    initstatusbar(awesomeconf->display, awesomeconf->screen, &awesomeconf->statusbar, awesomeconf->cursor[CurNormal], awesomeconf->font);
+    initstatusbar(awesomeconf->display, awesomeconf->screen, &awesomeconf->statusbar, awesomeconf->cursor[CurNormal], awesomeconf->font, awesomeconf->layouts, awesomeconf->nlayouts);
 }
 
 /** Startup Error handler to check if another window manager
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index a85f86f8..d795c5a8 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
  *
  */
 
-
 /**
  * \defgroup ui_callback
  */
@@ -237,7 +236,7 @@ parse_config(Display * disp, int scr,const char *confpatharg, awesome_config *aw
     const char *tmp, *homedir;
     char *confpath;
     KeySym tmp_key;
-    ssize_t confpath_len, txtlen;
+    ssize_t confpath_len;
 
     if(confpatharg)
         confpath = a_strdup(confpatharg);
@@ -320,9 +319,6 @@ parse_config(Display * disp, int scr,const char *confpatharg, awesome_config *aw
             continue;
         }
         awesomeconf->layouts[i].symbol = a_strdup(cfg_getstr(cfgsectmp, "symbol"));
-        txtlen = awesomeconf->font->height + textwidth(disp, awesomeconf->font, awesomeconf->layouts[i].symbol, a_strlen(awesomeconf->layouts[i].symbol));
-        if(txtlen > awesomeconf->statusbar.txtlayoutwidth)
-            awesomeconf->statusbar.txtlayoutwidth = txtlen;
     }
 
     awesomeconf->mwfact = cfg_getfloat(cfg_layouts, "mwfact");
diff --git a/statusbar.c b/statusbar.c
index c6f53c26..a5c8349a 100644
--- a/statusbar.c
+++ b/statusbar.c
@@ -177,21 +177,18 @@ drawstatusbar(Display *disp, awesome_config * awesomeconf)
 }
 
 void
-initstatusbar(Display *disp, int screen, Statusbar *statusbar, Cursor cursor, XftFont *font)
+initstatusbar(Display *disp, int screen, Statusbar *statusbar, Cursor cursor, XftFont *font, Layout *layouts, int nlayouts)
 {
     XSetWindowAttributes wa;
-    int phys_screen;
-    ScreenInfo *si;
+    int i, phys_screen = get_phys_screen(disp, screen);
+    ScreenInfo *si = get_screen_info(disp, screen, NULL);
 
-    phys_screen = get_phys_screen(disp, screen);
-
-    statusbar->screen = screen;
-
-    si = get_screen_info(disp, screen, NULL);
     statusbar->width = si[screen].width;
     statusbar->height = font->height + 2; 
     p_delete(&si);
 
+    statusbar->screen = screen;
+
     wa.event_mask = SubstructureRedirectMask | SubstructureNotifyMask
         | EnterWindowMask | LeaveWindowMask | StructureNotifyMask;
     wa.cursor = cursor;
@@ -202,7 +199,8 @@ initstatusbar(Display *disp, int screen, Statusbar *statusbar, Cursor cursor, Xf
                                       statusbar->width,
                                       statusbar->height,
                                       0, DefaultDepth(disp, phys_screen), CopyFromParent,
-                                      DefaultVisual(disp, phys_screen), CWOverrideRedirect | CWBackPixmap | CWEventMask, &wa);
+                                      DefaultVisual(disp, phys_screen),
+                                      CWOverrideRedirect | CWBackPixmap | CWEventMask, &wa);
     XDefineCursor(disp, statusbar->window, cursor);
     updatebarpos(disp, *statusbar);
     XMapRaised(disp, statusbar->window);
@@ -211,6 +209,10 @@ initstatusbar(Display *disp, int screen, Statusbar *statusbar, Cursor cursor, Xf
                                         statusbar->width,
                                         statusbar->height,
                                         DefaultDepth(disp, phys_screen));
+
+    for(i = 0; i < nlayouts; i++)
+        statusbar->txtlayoutwidth = MAX(statusbar->txtlayoutwidth,
+                                        (font->height + textwidth(disp, font, layouts[i].symbol, a_strlen(layouts[i].symbol))));
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/statusbar.h b/statusbar.h
index 69b35186..c2935bd9 100644
--- a/statusbar.h
+++ b/statusbar.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "common.h"
 
-void initstatusbar(Display *, int, Statusbar *, Cursor, XftFont *);
+void initstatusbar(Display *, int, Statusbar *, Cursor, XftFont *, Layout *, int);
 void drawstatusbar(Display *, awesome_config *);
 void updatebarpos(Display *, Statusbar);