diff --git a/apps/de/bspwm/config b/apps/de/bspwm/config
index 97b1d89..6ead26d 100755
--- a/apps/de/bspwm/config
+++ b/apps/de/bspwm/config
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ MONITOR_COUNT=$(<<< "$BSPWM_MONITORS" wc -w | awk '{ printf $1 }')
 PER_MONITOR=$((NUM_DESKTOPS / MONITOR_COUNT))
 DESKTOPS=$(seq "$NUM_DESKTOPS")
 
-[ $REVERSE_MONITOR_DESKTOPS -eq 1 ] && BSPWM_MONITORS=$(<<< "$BSPWM_MONITORS" tac)
+[ "$REVERSE_MONITOR_DESKTOPS" -eq 1 ] && BSPWM_MONITORS=$(<<< "$BSPWM_MONITORS" tac)
 
 bspc config normal_border_color       "$(xrq bspwm.normal_border_color)"
 bspc config focused_border_color      "$(xrq bspwm.focused_border_color)"
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ for mon in $BSPWM_MONITORS; do
   i=$((max + 1))
 done
 
-if [ $REVERSE_DESKTOP_ORDERING -eq 1 ]; then
+if [ "$REVERSE_DESKTOP_ORDERING" -eq 1 ]; then
 	prev_mon=
 	for mon in ${BSPWM_MONITORS}; do
 		if [ ! -z $prev_mon ]; then
diff --git a/apps/de/bspwm/rc b/apps/de/bspwm/rc
index a5767a4..f4398fb 100755
--- a/apps/de/bspwm/rc
+++ b/apps/de/bspwm/rc
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 
+. "$DOTFILES_PATH/apps/de/x/profile"
+
 BAR_COMMAND="startbar"
 BSPWM_STATE_FILE="$HOME/.bspwm_state"
 
-if [ -e "$BSPWM_STATE" ] ; then
-	bspc wm -l "$BSPWM_STATE"
-	rm "$BSPWM_STATE"
-fi
+[ -e "$BSPWM_STATE" ] && bspc wm -l "$BSPWM_STATE" && rm "$BSPWM_STATE"
 
 . "$DOTFILES_PATH/apps/de/bspwm/config"
 
 [ -f "$HOME/.fehbg" ] && "$HOME/.fehbg" &
-[ "$(xrq bspwm.start_compton)" = "true" ] && has_command compton && compton &
-[ "$(xrq bspwm.start_bar)" = "true" ] && has_command "${BAR_COMMAND}" && "${BAR_COMMAND}" &
+[ "$(xrq bspwm.start_compton)" -eq 1 ] && has_command compton && compton &
+[ "$(xrq bspwm.start_bar)" -eq 1 ] && has_command "${BAR_COMMAND}" && "${BAR_COMMAND}" &
 has_command urxvtd && urxvtd &
 has_command dunst && dunst &
 has_command sxhkd && sxhkd -m -1 &
diff --git a/apps/de/polybar/config b/apps/de/polybar/config
index 3f1c973..9d6ee2a 100644
--- a/apps/de/polybar/config
+++ b/apps/de/polybar/config
@@ -102,20 +102,32 @@ format-mounted-prefix-foreground = ${colors.icon}
 ; ########################### ;
 
 [module/bspwm]
-ws-icon-0 = 1;
-ws-icon-1 = 2;
-ws-icon-2 = 3;
-ws-icon-3 = 4;
-ws-icon-4 = 5;
-ws-icon-5 = 6;
-ws-icon-6 = 7;
-ws-icon-7 = 8;
-ws-icon-8 = 9;
-ws-icon-9 = 10;
-ws-icon-default = ♟
-
+; ws-icon-0 = 1;
+; ws-icon-1 = 2;
+; ws-icon-2 = 3;
+; ws-icon-3 = 4;
+; ws-icon-4 = 5;
+; ws-icon-5 = 6;
+; ws-icon-6 = 7;
+; ws-icon-7 = 8;
+; ws-icon-8 = 9;
+; ws-icon-9 = 10;
+; ws-icon-default = ♟
 ; misc icon: 
 
+ws-icon-0 = 1;1
+ws-icon-1 = 2;2
+ws-icon-2 = 3;3
+ws-icon-3 = 4;4
+ws-icon-4 = 5;5
+ws-icon-5 = 6;6
+ws-icon-6 = 7;7
+ws-icon-7 = 8;8
+ws-icon-8 = 9;9
+ws-icon-9 = 10;0
+ws-icon-default = -
+; misc icon: -
+
 label-focused-font = 2
 label-occupied-font = 2
 label-urgent-font = 2
diff --git a/apps/de/polybar/run b/apps/de/polybar/run
index 78140fa..f4f753d 100755
--- a/apps/de/polybar/run
+++ b/apps/de/polybar/run
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ bar_monitor="$(xrq polybar.display_monitor)"
 
 # TODO: if bspwm is the active window manager
 if has_command bspc; then
-	if [ ! "$(xrq polybar.bottom_of_display)" = "true" ]; then
+	if [ ! "$(xrq polybar.bottom_of_display)" -eq 1 ]; then
 		bspc config -m "${bar_monitor}" top_padding "$eheight"
 		bspc config -m "${bar_monitor}" bottom_padding "0"
 	else
diff --git a/apps/de/x/profile b/apps/de/x/profile
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/apps/de/x/resources b/apps/de/x/resources
index 4240c8b..3e631f2 100755
--- a/apps/de/x/resources
+++ b/apps/de/x/resources
@@ -71,14 +71,14 @@ bspwm.num_desktops: 10
 bspwm.reverse_desktop_ordering: 0
 bspwm.reverse_monitor_desktops: 0
 bspwm.split_ratio: 0.5
-bspwm.start_compton: false
-bspwm.start_bar: true
+bspwm.start_compton: 0
+bspwm.start_bar: 1
 
 ! polybar
 polybar.primary_font: mono_font:pixelsize=bar_font_size;1
 polybar.secondary_font: icon_font:style=Regular:pixelsize=icon_font_size;1
 polybar.display_monitor: HDMI-1
-polybar.bottom_of_display: true
+polybar.bottom_of_display: 1
 polybar.margin: window_margin
 polybar.storage_volume: /
 polybar.ethernet_interface: eth0
diff --git a/bin/lib/colors/xresources b/bin/lib/colors/xresources
index 8ea3328..c524547 100644
--- a/bin/lib/colors/xresources
+++ b/bin/lib/colors/xresources
@@ -48,5 +48,5 @@ rofi.color-urgent: base00,base05,base00,base0D,base00
 
 bspwm.normal_border_color: base00
 bspwm.focused_border_color: base0D
-bspwm.active_border_color: base0D
+bspwm.active_border_color: base00
 bspwm.presel_feedback_color: base0D
diff --git a/env/desktop/x/resources b/env/desktop/x/resources
index 758ffac..e6dce21 100755
--- a/env/desktop/x/resources
+++ b/env/desktop/x/resources
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
-bspwm.reverse_desktop_ordering: 1
+#define bar_font_size 12
+# TODO: this needs fixing
+polybar.primary_font: Iosevka Term:pixelsize=bar_font_size;1
+bspwm.reverse_desktop_ordering: 0
+bspwm.reverse_monitor_desktops: 1
 polybar.display_monitor: DisplayPort-0