diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index bac1552fb..db4580634 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 #include "layouts/spiral.h"
 #include "layouts/floating.h"
 
-int blw = 0;
-
 /* static */
 static void initfont(const char *, Display *, DC *);
 static unsigned long initcolor(const char *colstr, Display *, int);
@@ -165,6 +163,8 @@ static void
 set_default_config(jdwm_config *jdwmconf)
 {
     strcpy(jdwmconf->statustext, "jdwm-" VERSION);
+    jdwmconf->statusbar.width = 0;
+    jdwmconf->statusbar.height = 0;
 }
 
 /** Parse configuration file and initialize some stuff
@@ -217,8 +217,8 @@ parse_config(Display * disp, int scr, DC * drawcontext, jdwm_config *jdwmconf)
             eprint("unknown layout in configuration file\n");
 
         j = textw(jdwmconf->layouts[i].symbol);
-        if(j > blw)
-            blw = j;
+        if(j > jdwmconf->statusbar.width)
+            jdwmconf->statusbar.width = j;
     }
 
     jdwmconf->layouts[i].symbol = NULL;
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 180c155a8..5f0dadb05 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ typedef struct
     const char *arg;
 } Key;
 
+/** Status bar */
+typedef struct
+{
+    int width;
+    int height;
+} Statusbar;
+
 /** Main configuration structure */
 struct jdwm_config
 {
@@ -101,6 +108,8 @@ struct jdwm_config
     char statustext[256];
     /** Current layout */
     Layout * current_layout;
+    /** Status bar */
+    Statusbar statusbar;
 };
 
 void parse_config(Display *, int, DC *, jdwm_config *);        /* parse configuration file */
diff --git a/draw.c b/draw.c
index 7a65cb2e8..2b3d4e83d 100644
--- a/draw.c
+++ b/draw.c
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 #include "layout.h"
 
 extern int sw;                  /* screen geometry */
-extern int bh, blw;             /* bar height, bar layout label width */
 extern Window barwin;
 extern DC dc;                   /* global draw context */
 extern Client *clients, *sel, *stack;   /* global client list and stack */
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ drawstatus(Display *disp, jdwm_config * jdwmconf)
         }
         dc.x += dc.w;
     }
-    dc.w = blw;
+    dc.w = jdwmconf->statusbar.width;
     drawtext(disp, jdwmconf->current_layout->symbol, dc.norm);
     x = dc.x + dc.w;
     dc.w = textw(jdwmconf->statustext);
@@ -138,7 +137,7 @@ drawstatus(Display *disp, jdwm_config * jdwmconf)
         dc.w = sw - x;
     }
     drawtext(disp, jdwmconf->statustext, dc.norm);
-    if((dc.w = dc.x - x) > bh)
+    if((dc.w = dc.x - x) > jdwmconf->statusbar.height)
     {
         dc.x = x;
         if(sel)
@@ -149,6 +148,6 @@ drawstatus(Display *disp, jdwm_config * jdwmconf)
         else
             drawtext(disp, NULL, dc.norm);
     }
-    XCopyArea(disp, dc.drawable, barwin, dc.gc, 0, 0, sw, bh, 0, 0);
+    XCopyArea(disp, dc.drawable, barwin, dc.gc, 0, 0, sw, jdwmconf->statusbar.height, 0, 0);
     XSync(disp, False);
 }
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index e531091b7..ccbf1c7ad 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 /* extern */
 extern int screen, sw, sh;      /* screen geometry */
 extern int wax, way, wah, waw;  /* windowarea geometry */
-extern int bh, blw;             /* bar height, bar layout label width */
 extern Window barwin;
 extern DC dc;                   /* global draw context */
 extern Cursor cursor[CurLast];
@@ -152,7 +151,7 @@ handle_event_buttonpress(XEvent * e, jdwm_config *jdwmconf)
                 return;
             }
         }
-        if((ev->x < x + blw) && ev->button == Button1)
+        if((ev->x < x + jdwmconf->statusbar.width) && ev->button == Button1)
             uicb_setlayout(e->xany.display, jdwmconf, NULL);
     }
     else if((c = getclient(ev->window)))
@@ -240,9 +239,9 @@ handle_event_configurenotify(XEvent * e, jdwm_config *jdwmconf)
         sw = ev->width;
         sh = ev->height;
         XFreePixmap(e->xany.display, dc.drawable);
-        dc.drawable = XCreatePixmap(e->xany.display, DefaultRootWindow(e->xany.display), sw, bh, DefaultDepth(e->xany.display, screen));
-        XResizeWindow(e->xany.display, barwin, sw, bh);
-        updatebarpos(e->xany.display, jdwmconf->current_bpos);
+        dc.drawable = XCreatePixmap(e->xany.display, DefaultRootWindow(e->xany.display), sw, jdwmconf->statusbar.height, DefaultDepth(e->xany.display, screen));
+        XResizeWindow(e->xany.display, barwin, sw, jdwmconf->statusbar.height);
+        updatebarpos(e->xany.display, jdwmconf->statusbar, jdwmconf->current_bpos);
         arrange(e->xany.display, jdwmconf);
     }
 }
diff --git a/jdwm.c b/jdwm.c
index 1bfbbe28b..8386422ec 100644
--- a/jdwm.c
+++ b/jdwm.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 #include "tag.h"
 
 int screen, sx, sy, sw, sh, wax, way, waw, wah;
-int bh;
 Atom jdwmprops, wmatom[WMLast], netatom[NetLast];
 Client *clients = NULL;
 Client *sel = NULL;
@@ -175,19 +174,19 @@ setup(Display *disp, jdwm_config *jdwmconf)
     sw = DisplayWidth(disp, screen);
     sh = DisplayHeight(disp, screen);
     /* bar */
-    dc.h = bh = dc.font.height + 2;
+    dc.h = jdwmconf->statusbar.height = dc.font.height + 2;
     wa.override_redirect = 1;
     wa.background_pixmap = ParentRelative;
     wa.event_mask = ButtonPressMask | ExposureMask;
-    barwin = XCreateWindow(disp, DefaultRootWindow(disp), sx, sy, sw, bh, 0,
+    barwin = XCreateWindow(disp, DefaultRootWindow(disp), sx, sy, sw, jdwmconf->statusbar.height, 0,
                            DefaultDepth(disp, screen), CopyFromParent,
                            DefaultVisual(disp, screen),
                            CWOverrideRedirect | CWBackPixmap | CWEventMask, &wa);
     XDefineCursor(disp, barwin, cursor[CurNormal]);
-    updatebarpos(disp, jdwmconf->current_bpos);
+    updatebarpos(disp, jdwmconf->statusbar, jdwmconf->current_bpos);
     XMapRaised(disp, barwin);
     /* pixmap for everything */
-    dc.drawable = XCreatePixmap(disp, DefaultRootWindow(disp), sw, bh, DefaultDepth(disp, screen));
+    dc.drawable = XCreatePixmap(disp, DefaultRootWindow(disp), sw, jdwmconf->statusbar.height, DefaultDepth(disp, screen));
     dc.gc = XCreateGC(disp, DefaultRootWindow(disp), 0, 0);
     XSetLineAttributes(disp, dc.gc, 1, LineSolid, CapButt, JoinMiter);
     if(!dc.font.set)
@@ -217,7 +216,7 @@ uicb_quit(Display *disp __attribute__ ((unused)),
 }
 
 void
-updatebarpos(Display *disp, int bpos)
+updatebarpos(Display *disp, Statusbar statusbar, int bpos)
 {
     XEvent ev;
 
@@ -228,16 +227,16 @@ updatebarpos(Display *disp, int bpos)
     switch (bpos)
     {
     default:
-        wah -= bh;
-        way += bh;
+        wah -= statusbar.height;
+        way += statusbar.height;
         XMoveWindow(disp, barwin, sx, sy);
         break;
     case BarBot:
-        wah -= bh;
+        wah -= statusbar.height;
         XMoveWindow(disp, barwin, sx, sy + wah);
         break;
     case BarOff:
-        XMoveWindow(disp, barwin, sx, sy - bh);
+        XMoveWindow(disp, barwin, sx, sy - statusbar.height);
         break;
     }
     XSync(disp, False);
diff --git a/jdwm.h b/jdwm.h
index 15211fbed..386438413 100644
--- a/jdwm.h
+++ b/jdwm.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ enum
 { WMProtocols, WMDelete, WMName, WMState, WMLast };     /* default atoms */
 
 Bool gettextprop(Display *, Window, Atom, char *, unsigned int);   /* return text property, UTF-8 compliant */
-void updatebarpos(Display *, int);        /* updates the bar position */
+void updatebarpos(Display *, Statusbar, int);        /* updates the bar position */
 void uicb_quit(Display *, jdwm_config *, const char *);        /* quit jdwm nicely */
 int xerror(Display *, XErrorEvent *);   /* jdwm's X error handler */
 
diff --git a/layout.c b/layout.c
index 207bc8ab0..58fcb7725 100644
--- a/layout.c
+++ b/layout.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ uicb_togglebar(Display *disp,
         jdwmconf->current_bpos = (jdwmconf->bpos == BarOff) ? BarTop : jdwmconf->bpos;
     else
         jdwmconf->current_bpos = BarOff;
-    updatebarpos(disp, jdwmconf->current_bpos);
+    updatebarpos(disp, jdwmconf->statusbar, jdwmconf->current_bpos);
     arrange(disp, jdwmconf);
 }
 
diff --git a/layouts/grid.c b/layouts/grid.c
index ee4d84cb0..4fca1c853 100644
--- a/layouts/grid.c
+++ b/layouts/grid.c
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 #include "tag.h"
 
 extern int wah, waw;            /* windowarea geometry */
-extern int bh, bpos;            /* bar height, bar position */
 extern Client *clients;         /* global client list and stack */
 extern DC dc;
 
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ grid(Display *disp, jdwm_config *jdwmconf)
                 continue;
             c->ismax = False;
             cx = (i / rows) * cw;
-            cy = (i % rows) * ch + (jdwmconf->current_bpos == BarTop ? bh : 0);   // bh? adjust
+            cy = (i % rows) * ch + (jdwmconf->current_bpos == BarTop ? jdwmconf->statusbar.height : 0);   // bh? adjust
             /* adjust height/width of last row/column's windows */
             ah = ((i + 1) % rows == 0) ? wah - ch * rows : 0;
             aw = (i >= rows * (cols - 1)) ? waw - cw * cols : 0;
diff --git a/layouts/tile.c b/layouts/tile.c
index 28750986a..44b5703e9 100644
--- a/layouts/tile.c
+++ b/layouts/tile.c
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 
 /* extern */
 extern int wax, way, wah, waw;  /* windowarea geometry */
-extern int bh;                  /* bar height */
 extern Client *sel, *clients;
 
 /* static */
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ _tile(jdwm_config *jdwmconf, const Bool right)
     mh = (n <= nmaster) ? wah / (n > 0 ? n : 1) : wah / nmaster;
     mw = (n <= nmaster) ? waw : mwfact * waw;
     th = (n > nmaster) ? wah / (n - nmaster) : 0;
-    if(n > nmaster && th < bh)
+    if(n > nmaster && th < jdwmconf->statusbar.height)
         th = wah;
 
     nx = wax;