diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index bcf03fb7..6890e879 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -355,8 +355,8 @@ config_parse_screen(cfg_t *cfg, int screen)
         statusbar->width = cfg_getint(cfgsectmp, "width");
         statusbar->name = a_strdup(cfg_title(cfgsectmp));
         statusbar->screen = screen;
-        create_widgets(cfgsectmp, statusbar);
         statusbar_preinit(statusbar);
+        create_widgets(cfgsectmp, statusbar);
         statusbar_list_push(&virtscreen->statusbar, statusbar);
     }
 
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index 9a56aed7..01e7a3f4 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -88,8 +88,9 @@ handle_event_buttonpress(XEvent *e)
                   case Right:
                     for(widget = statusbar->widgets; widget; widget = widget->next)
                         if(ev->y >= widget->area.x && ev->y < widget->area.x + widget->area.width
-                           && statusbar->height - ev->x >= widget->area.y
-                           && statusbar->height - ev->x < widget->area.y + widget->area.height)
+                           && statusbar->sw->geometry.height - ev->x >= widget->area.y
+                           && statusbar->sw->geometry.height - ev->x
+                              < widget->area.y + widget->area.height)
                         {
                             widget->button_press(widget, ev);
                             return;
@@ -97,8 +98,9 @@ handle_event_buttonpress(XEvent *e)
                     break;
                  default:
                     for(widget = statusbar->widgets; widget; widget = widget->next)
-                        if(statusbar->width - ev->y >= widget->area.x
-                           && statusbar->width - ev->y < widget->area.x + widget->area.width
+                        if(statusbar->sw->geometry.width - ev->y >= widget->area.x
+                           && statusbar->sw->geometry.width - ev->y
+                              < widget->area.x + widget->area.width
                            && ev->x >= widget->area.y && ev->x < widget->area.y + widget->area.height)
                         {
                             widget->button_press(widget, ev);
@@ -191,6 +193,7 @@ handle_event_configurenotify(XEvent * e)
     int screen;
     Area area;
 
+    /* XXX this is all crap -- need to rewrite everything */
     for(screen = 0; screen < ScreenCount(e->xany.display); screen++)
         if(ev->window == RootWindow(e->xany.display, screen)
            && (ev->width != DisplayWidth(e->xany.display, screen)
@@ -201,12 +204,7 @@ handle_event_configurenotify(XEvent * e)
 
             /* update statusbar */
             area = get_screen_area(screen, NULL, &globalconf.screens[screen].padding);
-            globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar->width = area.width;
-
-            XResizeWindow(e->xany.display,
-                          globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar->sw->window,
-                          globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar->width,
-                          globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar->height);
+            globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar->sw->geometry.width = area.width;
 
             widget_invalidate_cache(screen, WIDGET_CACHE_ALL);
             globalconf.screens[screen].need_arrange = True;
diff --git a/structs.h b/structs.h
index 5be8c590..93195e97 100644
--- a/structs.h
+++ b/structs.h
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ typedef struct SimpleWindow
 {
     Window window;
     Drawable drawable;
+    Area geometry;
 } SimpleWindow;
 
 /** Status bar */
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index a88dc331..6750db88 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -185,6 +185,12 @@ simplewindow_new(int phys_screen, int x, int y, unsigned int w, unsigned int h,
     SimpleWindow *sw;
 
     sw = p_new(SimpleWindow, 1);
+
+    sw->geometry.x = x;
+    sw->geometry.y = y;
+    sw->geometry.width = w;
+    sw->geometry.height = h;
+
     wa.event_mask = SubstructureRedirectMask | SubstructureNotifyMask
         | EnterWindowMask | LeaveWindowMask | StructureNotifyMask;
     wa.cursor = globalconf.cursor[CurNormal];