diff --git a/src/nimdowpkg/config/configloader.nim b/src/nimdowpkg/config/configloader.nim
index 6da34cd..2817637 100644
--- a/src/nimdowpkg/config/configloader.nim
+++ b/src/nimdowpkg/config/configloader.nim
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ type
     fonts*: seq[string]
     # Hex values
     fgColor*, bgColor*, selectionColor*, urgentColor*: int
+    transparency*: uint8
   ScratchpadSettings* = object
     width*: int
     height*: int
@@ -397,6 +398,12 @@ proc populateBarSettings*(this: Config, barSettings: var BarSettings, settingsTa
   if urgentColor != -1:
     barSettings.urgentColor = urgentColor
 
+  barSettings.transparency = 255
+  if settingsTable.hasKey("barTransparency"):
+    let barTransparency = settingsTable["barTransparency"]
+    if barTransparency.kind == TomlValueKind.Int:
+      barSettings.transparency = clamp(barTransparency.intVal, 0, 255).uint8
+
   if settingsTable.hasKey("barHeight"):
     let barHeight = settingsTable["barHeight"]
     if barHeight.kind == TomlValueKind.Int:
diff --git a/src/nimdowpkg/statusbar.nim b/src/nimdowpkg/statusbar.nim
index acf33da..3d7dbd7 100644
--- a/src/nimdowpkg/statusbar.nim
+++ b/src/nimdowpkg/statusbar.nim
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ type
     fonts: seq[PXftFont]
     draw: PXftDraw
     visual: PVisual
+    depth: int
     colormap: Colormap
     fgColor*, bgColor*, selectionColor*, urgentColor*: XftColor
     area*: Area
@@ -83,8 +84,19 @@ proc newStatusBar*(
   result.tagSettings = tagSettings
   result.taggedClients = taggedClients
   result.screen = DefaultScreen(display)
-  result.visual = DefaultVisual(display, result.screen)
-  result.colormap = DefaultColormap(display, result.screen)
+  block visualCheck:
+    var vinfo: XVisualInfo
+    if XMatchVisualInfo(display, result.screen, 32, TrueColor, vinfo.addr) == 0:
+      if XMatchVisualInfo(display, result.screen, 24, TrueColor, vinfo.addr) == 0:
+        if XMatchVisualInfo(display, result.screen, 16, DirectColor, vinfo.addr) == 0:
+          if XMatchVisualInfo(display, result.screen, 8, PseudoColor, vinfo.addr) == 0:
+            result.visual = DefaultVisual(display, result.screen)
+            result.colormap = DefaultColormap(display, result.screen)
+            result.depth = DefaultDepth(display, result.screen)
+            break visualCheck
+    result.visual = vinfo.visual
+    result.colormap = XCreateColorMap(display, rootWindow, vinfo.visual, AllocNone)
+    result.depth = vinfo.depth
   result.area = area
   result.barWindow = result.createBar()
   result.draw = XftDrawCreate(display, result.barWindow, result.visual, result.colormap)
@@ -118,8 +130,10 @@ template currentWidth(this: StatusBar): int =
 
 proc createBar(this: StatusBar): Window =
   var windowAttr: XSetWindowAttributes
-  windowAttr.background_pixmap = ParentRelative
   windowAttr.event_mask = ExposureMask or ButtonPressMask
+  windowAttr.colormap = this.colormap
+  windowAttr.background_pixel = 0
+  windowAttr.border_pixel = 0
 
   return XCreateWindow(
     this.display,
@@ -129,10 +143,10 @@ proc createBar(this: StatusBar): Window =
     this.currentWidth,
     this.area.height,
     0,
-    DefaultDepth(this.display, this.screen),
-    CopyFromParent,
+    this.depth,
+    InputOutput,
     this.visual,
-    CWOverrideRedirect or CWBackPixmap or CWEventMask,
+    CWOverrideRedirect or CWEventMask or CWColormap or CWBackPixel or CWBorderPixel,
     windowAttr.addr
   )
 
@@ -263,19 +277,19 @@ proc toRGB(hex: int): RGB =
     hex and 0xff
   )
 
-template configureColor(this: StatusBar, hexColor: int, xftColor: XftColor) =
+template configureColor(this: StatusBar, hexColor: int, xftColor: XftColor, transparency = 255'u8) =
   var
     color: XRenderColor
     rgb = toRGB(hexColor)
-  color.red = rgb.r.cushort shl 8
-  color.green = rgb.g.cushort shl 8
-  color.blue = rgb.b.cushort shl 8
-  color.alpha = 255 shl 8
+  color.red = ((rgb.r * transparency) div 255).cushort shl 8
+  color.green = ((rgb.g * transparency) div 255).cushort shl 8
+  color.blue = ((rgb.b * transparency) div 255).cushort shl 8
+  color.alpha = transparency.cushort shl 8
   this.allocColor(color.addr, xftColor.unsafeAddr)
 
 proc configureColors(this: StatusBar) =
   this.configureColor(this.settings.fgColor, this.fgColor)
-  this.configureColor(this.settings.bgColor, this.bgColor)
+  this.configureColor(this.settings.bgColor, this.bgColor, this.settings.transparency)
   this.configureColor(this.settings.selectionColor, this.selectionColor)
   this.configureColor(this.settings.urgentColor, this.urgentColor)
 
@@ -409,11 +423,13 @@ const
                  0xd0d0d0, 0xdadada, 0xe4e4e4, 0xeeeeee]
   resetCode = 0
   fontStart = 10
-  fontStop = 19
+  fontStop = 20
   fgColorStart = 30
   fgColorStop = 37
+  fgColorReset = 39
   bgColorStart = 40
   bgColorStop = 47
+  bgColorReset = 49
   fgBrightColorStart = 90
   fgBrightColorStop = 97
   bgBrightColorStart = 100
@@ -465,6 +481,9 @@ proc renderStringRightAligned(
     reset currentSgr
 
   for rune in str.runes:
+    if pos notin str.low..str.high:
+      log "Unable to render string in status bar, invalid UTF character encountered"
+      return 0 # Invalid UTF character input
     let runeAddr = cast[PFcChar8](str[pos].unsafeAddr)
     pos += rune.size
     if rune.int32 == escape:
@@ -513,6 +532,7 @@ proc renderStringRightAligned(
             while i < sgr.len:
               if sgr[i] == resetCode:
                 color = -1
+                bgColor = -1
                 selectedFont = -1
                 fontErrorLogged = false
               elif sgr[i] >= fontStart and sgr[i] <= fontStop:
@@ -526,6 +546,10 @@ proc renderStringRightAligned(
                 color = brightColors[sgr[i] - fgBrightColorStart]
               elif sgr[i] >= bgBrightColorStart and sgr[i] <= bgBrightColorStop:
                 bgColor = brightColors[sgr[i] - bgBrightColorStart]
+              elif sgr[i] == fgColorReset:
+                color = -1
+              elif sgr[i] == bgColorReset:
+                bgColor = -1
               elif sgr.len > i + 2 and sgr[i] in {fgColorTable, bgColorTable} and sgr[i + 1] == eightBitColor:
                 if sgr[i] == fgColorTable:
                   color = extraColors[sgr[i + 2]]
@@ -550,6 +574,16 @@ proc renderStringRightAligned(
   var
     last = xLoc
     current = xLoc
+    tallestBox: XGlyphInfo
+    tallestPos = 0
+  # Find first font with the "Full block" symbol, decide it's height and position
+  # This helps line up other symbols commonly used for block style statusbars
+  for i, font in this.fonts:
+    let rune = "\u2588"
+    if XftCharExists(this.display, font, rune.runeAt(0).int) == 1:
+      XftTextExtenTsUtf8(this.display, font, cast[PFCChar8](rune[0].addr), rune.len, tallestBox.addr)
+      tallestPos = font.ascent + (this.area.height.int - font.height) div 2 - tallestBox.y
+      break
   for pos, (rune, runeAddr, font, fg, bg, glyph) in runeInfo:
     if rune.int32 == unitSeparator:
       this.clickables.add (start: last, stop: current, characters: characters)
@@ -566,7 +600,11 @@ proc renderStringRightAligned(
       if bg == -1:
         bgColorXft = this.bgColor
       let centerY = font.ascent + (this.area.height.int - font.height) div 2
-      XftDrawRect(this.draw, bgColorXft.addr, xLoc, 0, glyph.xOff.int, this.area.height.int)
+      if tallestBox.height == 0:
+        XftDrawRect(this.draw, bgColorXft.addr, xLoc, 0, glyph.xOff.int, this.area.height.int)
+      else:
+        XftDrawRect(this.draw, bgColorXft.addr, xLoc, tallestPos, glyph.xOff.int, tallestBox.height.cuint)
+
       XftDrawStringUtf8(
         this.draw,
         colorXft.addr,