diff --git a/i3.config b/i3.config
index 7d7fce33..9a040585 100644
--- a/i3.config
+++ b/i3.config
@@ -147,7 +147,9 @@ bindsym Mod1+r mode "resize"
 
 # Start i3bar to display a workspace bar (plus the system information i3status
 # finds out, if available)
-exec i3status | i3bar -d
+bar {
+	status_line i3status
+}
 
 #######################################################################
 # automatically start i3-config-wizard to offer the user to create a
diff --git a/i3.config.keycodes b/i3.config.keycodes
index 0f1112db..89811dbb 100644
--- a/i3.config.keycodes
+++ b/i3.config.keycodes
@@ -148,4 +148,6 @@ bindcode $mod+27 mode "resize"
 
 # Start i3bar to display a workspace bar (plus the system information i3status
 # finds out, if available)
-exec i3status | i3bar -d
+bar {
+	status_line i3status
+}