diff --git a/docs/source/usage/wm-widgets.rst b/docs/source/usage/wm-widgets.rst
index 0a734ea7..6a28246d 100644
--- a/docs/source/usage/wm-widgets.rst
+++ b/docs/source/usage/wm-widgets.rst
@@ -44,13 +44,30 @@ Add the following to :file:`~/.config/qtile/config.py`:
        ),
    ]
 
+.. _bar-usage:
+
+LemonBoy’s bar
+=============
+
+To run the bar simply pipe the output of the binding script into ``bar`` and specify appropriate
+options, for example like this::
+
+    python powerline-bar.py | bar -f "-xos4-*"
+
+to run with i3, simply ``exec`` this in i3 config file::
+
+    exec python powerline-bar.py | bar -f "-xos4-*"
+
+See the `bar documentation <https://github.com/LemonBoy/bar>`_ for more information and options.
+
 I3 bar
 ======
 
 .. note::
-    Until the patch is done in i3 a custom ``i3bar`` build called ``i3bgbar`` is 
-    needed. The source is available `in S0lll0s/i3bgbar github repository 
-    <https://github.com/S0lll0s/i3bgbar>`_.
+   As the patch to include background-colors in i3bar is likely not to be 
+   merged, it is recommended to instead run ``bar`` (see above). The source for 
+   i3bgbar is however still available `here 
+   <https://github.com/S0lll0s/i3bgbar>`_.
 
 Add the following to :file:`~/.i3/config`::
 
diff --git a/powerline/bindings/i3/powerline-bar.py b/powerline/bindings/i3/powerline-bar.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fe29a08b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/powerline/bindings/i3/powerline-bar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8:noet
+from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import, print_function)
+
+import sys
+import time
+import i3
+from threading import Lock
+from powerline import Powerline
+from powerline.lib.monotonic import monotonic
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+	name = 'wm'
+	if len(sys.argv) > 1:
+		name = sys.argv[1]
+
+	powerline = Powerline( name, renderer_module='bar' )
+	powerline.update_renderer()
+
+	interval = 0.5
+	lock = Lock()
+
+	def encode( str ): return str.encode('utf-8')
+
+	if sys.version_info > (3,0):
+		def encode( str ): return str
+
+	def render(event=None, data=None, sub=None):
+		global lock
+		with lock:
+			ln = '%{l}'
+			ln += powerline.render(side='left')
+			ln += '%{r}'
+			ln += powerline.render(side='right')
+			print( encode(ln) )
+			sys.stdout.flush()
+
+	sub = i3.Subscription(render, 'workspace')
+	while True:
+		start_time = monotonic()
+		render()
+		time.sleep(max(interval - (monotonic() - start_time), 0.1))
diff --git a/powerline/renderers/bar.py b/powerline/renderers/bar.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e61c3cc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/powerline/renderers/bar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8:noet
+from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import, print_function)
+
+from powerline.renderer import Renderer
+from powerline.colorscheme import ATTR_BOLD, ATTR_ITALIC, ATTR_UNDERLINE
+
+
+class BarRenderer(Renderer):
+	'''bar (bar ain't recursive) renderer
+
+
+	See documentation of `bar <https://github.com/LemonBoy/bar>`_ and :ref:`the usage instructions <bar-usage>`
+	'''
+
+	character_translations = Renderer.character_translations.copy()
+	character_translations[ord('%')] = '%%'
+
+	@staticmethod
+	def hlstyle(*args, **kwargs):
+		# We don’t need to explicitly reset attributes, so skip those calls
+		return ''
+
+	def hl(self, contents, fg=None, bg=None, attrs=None):
+		text = ''
+
+		if fg is not None:
+			if fg is not False and fg[1] is not False:
+				text +=  '%{{F#ff{0:06x}}}'.format(fg[1])
+		if bg is not None:
+			if bg is not False and bg[1] is not False:
+				text +=  '%{{B#ff{0:06x}}}'.format(bg[1])
+
+		if attrs & ATTR_UNDERLINE:
+			text += '%{+u}'
+
+		return text + contents + '%{F-B--u}'
+
+
+renderer = BarRenderer
diff --git a/tests/test_configuration.py b/tests/test_configuration.py
index 9d6af211..07d98b71 100644
--- a/tests/test_configuration.py
+++ b/tests/test_configuration.py
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ config = {
 				'theme': 'default',
 				'colorscheme': 'default',
 			},
+			'wm': {
+				'theme': 'default',
+				'colorscheme': 'default',
+			},
 		},
 	},
 	'colors': {
@@ -91,6 +95,14 @@ config = {
 			'environment': {'fg': 'col3', 'bg': 'col4', 'attrs': ['underline']},
 		},
 	},
+	'colorschemes/wm/default': {
+		'groups': {
+			'hl1': {'fg': 'col1', 'bg': 'col2', 'attrs': ['underline']},
+			'hl2': {'fg': 'col2', 'bg': 'col1', 'attrs': []},
+			'hl3': {'fg': 'col3', 'bg': 'col1', 'attrs': ['underline']},
+			'hl4': {'fg': 'col2', 'bg': 'col4', 'attrs': []},
+		},
+	},
 	'themes/test/default': {
 		'segments': {
 			'left': [
@@ -142,6 +154,19 @@ config = {
 			],
 		},
 	},
+	'themes/wm/default': {
+		'default_module': 'powerline.segments.common',
+		'segments': {
+			'left': [
+				highlighted_string('A', 'hl1'),
+				highlighted_string('B', 'hl2'),
+			],
+			'right': [
+				highlighted_string('C', 'hl3'),
+				highlighted_string('D', 'hl4'),
+			],
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 
@@ -799,6 +824,24 @@ class TestVim(TestCase):
 	def tearDownClass(cls):
 		sys.path.pop(0)
 
+class TestBar(TestCase):
+	def test_bar(self):
+		import powerline as powerline_module
+		with swap_attributes(config, powerline_module):
+			with get_powerline_raw(config, powerline_module, ext='wm', renderer_module='bar') as powerline:
+				self.assertEqual("%{{l}}{}%{{r}}{}".format(powerline.render(side='left'), powerline.render(side='right')), "SOME_STRING_HERE")
+
+	def test_bar_escape(self):
+		from powerline.shell import ShellPowerline
+		import powerline as powerline_module
+		config['themes/wm/default']['segments']['left'] = {
+			highlighted_string('%{asd}', 'hl1'),
+			highlighted_string('10% %', 'hl2'),
+		}
+		with swap_attributes(config, powerline_module):
+			with get_powerline_raw(config, powerline_module, ext='wm', renderer_module='bar') as powerline:
+				self.assertEqual(powerline.render(side='left'), "SOME_STRING_HERE")
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
 	from tests import main