diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0d0508b..027df9b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ colors/gen/vendor
 colors/gen/tmp
 *.lock
 *.log
+*.pid
diff --git a/sh/bashrc b/sh/bashrc
index 4944c3c..e3c915d 100644
--- a/sh/bashrc
+++ b/sh/bashrc
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ alias emacs="emacs -nw"
 # arch aliases
 alias archupdate="pacaur -Syyu --noconfirm --noedit"
 
+# wm aliases
+alias startbar="source $DOTFILES_PATH/wm/extras/bar/start.bash"
+
 export EDITOR="vim"
 if command -v nvim >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   alias vim="nvim"
diff --git a/sh/layout_dev.tmux b/sh/layout_dev.tmux
index 9945356..5b31d0c 100644
--- a/sh/layout_dev.tmux
+++ b/sh/layout_dev.tmux
@@ -6,5 +6,3 @@ selectp -U
 splitw -v -p 50
 resize-pane -x 100
 selectp -L
-splitw -h -p 50
-selectp -L
diff --git a/variables.bash b/variables.bash
index 5ca6e8f..7d5c685 100755
--- a/variables.bash
+++ b/variables.bash
@@ -13,12 +13,13 @@ source "$DOTFILES_PATH/scripts/get_color.sh"
 
 export BAR_ON_XINIT=0
 export BAR_FIFO="$DOTFILES_PATH/wm_bar_fifo.lock"
-export BAR_TOP=1
+export BAR_TOP=0
 export BAR_MARGIN=$WINDOW_GAP
 export BAR_HEIGHT=20
 export BAR_BORDER_WIDTH=1
 export BAR_FONT_FAMILY="$PRIMARY_FONT_FAMILY_WITH_SIZE"
 export BAR_UNDERLINE=1
+export BAR_WID="wmpanel"
 
 # load per-device bashrc_env if it exists
 if [ -a "$HOME/.bashrc_env" ]; then
diff --git a/wm/extras/bar/modules/pacaur-updates-bm.bash b/wm/extras/bar/modules/pacaur-updates-bm.bash
index 34ad6d8..04aba2f 100644
--- a/wm/extras/bar/modules/pacaur-updates-bm.bash
+++ b/wm/extras/bar/modules/pacaur-updates-bm.bash
@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@ register_bar_module "$PRIORITY" "$MATCH" "bar_module_pacaur"
 
 bar_module_pacaur_updater() {
   while true; do
-    NUM_PACKAGES=$(pacaur -Syq > /dev/null && pacaur -Qqu | wc -l)
-    echo -e "$MATCH_PREFIX""$NUM_PACKAGES" > "$BAR_FIFO"
-    sleep 300
+    if [ -e "/var/lib/pacman/db.lck" ]; then
+      sleep 10
+    else
+      NUM_PACKAGES=$(pacaur -Syq --silent >/dev/null 2>/dev/null && pacaur -Qqu | wc -l)
+      echo -e "$MATCH_PREFIX""$NUM_PACKAGES" > "$BAR_FIFO"
+      sleep 300
+    fi
   done
 }
 bar_module_pacaur_updater &
diff --git a/wm/extras/bar/run_bar.bash b/wm/extras/bar/run_bar.bash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..46feb6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wm/extras/bar/run_bar.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+source "$DOTFILES_PATH/variables.bash"
+
+export BAR_RUNNING=1
+function killbar() {
+  export BAR_RUNNING=0
+  if [ $BAR_TOP -eq 1 ]; then
+    bspc config -m $(bspc query -M | head -n 1) top_padding "0"
+  else
+    bspc config -m $(bspc query -M | head -n 1) bottom_padding "0"
+  fi
+}
+
+if [ -e "$BAR_PID_FILE" ]; then
+  killbar
+fi
+
+trap killbar INT TERM QUIT EXIT
+
+rm -f "$BAR_FIFO"
+mkfifo "$BAR_FIFO"
+
+if [ $BAR_TOP -eq 1 ]; then
+  bspc config -m $(bspc query -M | head -n 1) top_padding "$BAR_HEIGHT"
+else
+  bspc config -m $(bspc query -M | head -n 1) bottom_padding "$BAR_HEIGHT"
+fi
+
+# get width of our main monitor
+WIDTH=`xrandr -q | egrep '(^| )connected( |$)' | tr 'x' '\n' | head -n 1 | awk '{print $NF}'`
+WIDTH=$((WIDTH-BAR_MARGIN-BAR_MARGIN))
+
+BAR_B=""
+if [ $BAR_TOP -eq 1 ]; then
+  :
+else
+  BAR_B="-b"
+fi
+
+source "$DOTFILES_PATH/wm/extras/bar/colors.bash"
+
+cat "$BAR_FIFO" | "$DOTFILES_PATH/wm/extras/bar/formatter.bash" | lemonbar $BAR_B -g \
+  "$WIDTH"x"$BAR_HEIGHT"+"$BAR_MARGIN"+"$POS_Y" -u "$BAR_BORDER_WIDTH" -f \
+  "$BAR_FONT_FAMILY" -F "$COLOR_FOREGROUND" -B "$COLOR_BACKGROUND" -n "$BAR_WID"
+
+killbar
diff --git a/wm/extras/bar/start.bash b/wm/extras/bar/start.bash
index 34cbb74..dfa2bc6 100755
--- a/wm/extras/bar/start.bash
+++ b/wm/extras/bar/start.bash
@@ -1,41 +1,19 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-source "$DOTFILES_PATH/variables.bash"
+export BAR_PID_FILE="$DOTFILES_PATH/wm_bar.pid"
 
-export BAR_RUNNING=1
-function killbar() {
-  export BAR_RUNNING=0
-  if [ $BAR_TOP -eq 1 ]; then
-    bspc config -m $(bspc query -M | head -n 1) top_padding "0"
-  else
-    bspc config -m $(bspc query -M | head -n 1) bottom_padding "0"
-  fi
+"$DOTFILES_PATH/wm/extras/bar/run_bar.bash" &
+
+echo "$!" > "$BAR_PID_FILE"
+echo "Starting bar with PID $!"
+
+export BAR_PID="$!"
+
+stopbar() {
+  kill -SIGINT $(cat "$BAR_PID_FILE")
+  rm -f "$BAR_PID_FILE"
 }
+export -f stopbar
 
-trap killbar INT TERM QUIT EXIT
+xdo lower -a wmpanel
 
-rm -f "$BAR_FIFO"
-mkfifo "$BAR_FIFO"
-
-if [ $BAR_TOP -eq 1 ]; then
-  bspc config -m $(bspc query -M | head -n 1) top_padding "$BAR_HEIGHT"
-else
-  bspc config -m $(bspc query -M | head -n 1) bottom_padding "$BAR_HEIGHT"
-fi
-
-# get width of our main monitor
-WIDTH=`xrandr -q | egrep '(^| )connected( |$)' | tr 'x' '\n' | head -n 1 | awk '{print $NF}'`
-WIDTH=$((WIDTH-BAR_MARGIN-BAR_MARGIN))
-
-BAR_B=""
-if [ $BAR_TOP -eq 1 ]; then
-  :
-else
-  BAR_B="-b"
-fi
-
-source "$DOTFILES_PATH/wm/extras/bar/colors.bash"
-
-cat "$BAR_FIFO" | "$DOTFILES_PATH/wm/extras/bar/formatter.bash" | lemonbar $BAR_B -g "$WIDTH"x"$BAR_HEIGHT"+"$BAR_MARGIN"+"$POS_Y" -u "$BAR_BORDER_WIDTH" -f "$BAR_FONT_FAMILY" -F "$COLOR_FOREGROUND" -B "$COLOR_BACKGROUND"
-
-killbar
diff --git a/wm/sxhkdrc b/wm/sxhkdrc
index 1333aad..56c237d 100755
--- a/wm/sxhkdrc
+++ b/wm/sxhkdrc
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ super + {s,f}
 
 # set modes to pseudo_tiled/fullscreen for current node
 super + shift + {s,f}
-  bspc node -t {pseudo_tiled,fullscreen}
+  bspc node -t {pseudo_tiled,fullscreen -l above}
 
 # focus the last node/desktop
 super + {grave,Tab}