diff --git a/include/swaybar/i3bar.h b/include/swaybar/i3bar.h
index aa4415ff..5b6001ce 100644
--- a/include/swaybar/i3bar.h
+++ b/include/swaybar/i3bar.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 struct i3bar_block {
 	struct wl_list link; // status_link::blocks
 	int ref_count;
-	char *full_text, *short_text, *align;
+	char *full_text, *short_text, *align, *min_width_str;
 	bool urgent;
 	uint32_t *color;
 	int min_width;
diff --git a/swaybar/i3bar.c b/swaybar/i3bar.c
index da93a132..43e2fe2d 100644
--- a/swaybar/i3bar.c
+++ b/swaybar/i3bar.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ void i3bar_block_unref(struct i3bar_block *block) {
 		free(block->full_text);
 		free(block->short_text);
 		free(block->align);
+		free(block->min_width_str);
 		free(block->name);
 		free(block->instance);
 		free(block->color);
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ static void i3bar_parse_json(struct status_line *status,
 				block->min_width = json_object_get_int(min_width);
 			} else if (type == json_type_string) {
 				/* the width will be calculated when rendering */
-				block->min_width = 0;
+				block->min_width_str = strdup(json_object_get_string(min_width));
 			}
 		}
 		block->align = strdup(align ? json_object_get_string(align) : "left");
diff --git a/swaybar/render.c b/swaybar/render.c
index e27f7d4c..116cc595 100644
--- a/swaybar/render.c
+++ b/swaybar/render.c
@@ -159,6 +159,12 @@ static uint32_t render_status_block(cairo_t *cairo,
 	double ws_vertical_padding = config->status_padding * output->scale;
 
 	int width = text_width;
+	if (block->min_width_str) {
+		int w;
+		get_text_size(cairo, config->font, &w, NULL, NULL,
+				output->scale, block->markup, "%s", block->min_width_str);
+		block->min_width = w;
+	}
 	if (width < block->min_width) {
 		width = block->min_width;
 	}