diff --git a/include/swaybar/bar.h b/include/swaybar/bar.h
index 72e0ca75..593f4f6d 100644
--- a/include/swaybar/bar.h
+++ b/include/swaybar/bar.h
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ struct swaybar_hotspot {
 
 struct swaybar {
 	char *id;
+	char *mode;
+	bool mode_pango_markup;
 
 	struct wl_display *display;
 	struct wl_compositor *compositor;
diff --git a/include/swaybar/config.h b/include/swaybar/config.h
index 99948463..68ee2087 100644
--- a/include/swaybar/config.h
+++ b/include/swaybar/config.h
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ struct swaybar_config {
 	char *font;
 	char *sep_symbol;
 	char *mode;
-	bool mode_pango_markup;
 	bool strip_workspace_numbers;
 	bool binding_mode_indicator;
 	bool wrap_scroll;
diff --git a/swaybar/bar.c b/swaybar/bar.c
index ecf1bf82..77294136 100644
--- a/swaybar/bar.c
+++ b/swaybar/bar.c
@@ -631,4 +631,5 @@ void bar_teardown(struct swaybar *bar) {
 		status_line_free(bar->status);
 	}
 	free(bar->id);
+	free(bar->mode);
 }
diff --git a/swaybar/ipc.c b/swaybar/ipc.c
index 26b7eca6..8568f957 100644
--- a/swaybar/ipc.c
+++ b/swaybar/ipc.c
@@ -386,12 +386,8 @@ bool handle_ipc_readable(struct swaybar *bar) {
 		json_object *json_change, *json_pango_markup;
 		if (json_object_object_get_ex(result, "change", &json_change)) {
 			const char *change = json_object_get_string(json_change);
-			free(bar->config->mode);
-			if (strcmp(change, "default") == 0) {
-				bar->config->mode = NULL;
-			} else {
-				bar->config->mode = strdup(change);
-			}
+			free(bar->mode);
+			bar->mode = strcmp(change, "default") != 0 ? strdup(change) : NULL;
 		} else {
 			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "failed to parse response");
 			json_object_put(result);
@@ -400,8 +396,7 @@ bool handle_ipc_readable(struct swaybar *bar) {
 		}
 		if (json_object_object_get_ex(result,
 					"pango_markup", &json_pango_markup)) {
-			bar->config->mode_pango_markup = json_object_get_boolean(
-					json_pango_markup);
+			bar->mode_pango_markup = json_object_get_boolean(json_pango_markup);
 		}
 		json_object_put(result);
 		break;
diff --git a/swaybar/render.c b/swaybar/render.c
index 2a06a79b..d226ba32 100644
--- a/swaybar/render.c
+++ b/swaybar/render.c
@@ -296,11 +296,15 @@ static uint32_t render_status_line(cairo_t *cairo,
 
 static uint32_t render_binding_mode_indicator(cairo_t *cairo,
 		struct swaybar_output *output, double x) {
+	const char *mode = output->bar->mode;
+	if (!mode) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	struct swaybar_config *config = output->bar->config;
-	const char *mode = config->mode;
 	int text_width, text_height;
 	get_text_size(cairo, config->font, &text_width, &text_height, NULL,
-			output->scale, config->mode_pango_markup,
+			output->scale, output->bar->mode_pango_markup,
 			"%s", mode);
 
 	int ws_vertical_padding = WS_VERTICAL_PADDING * output->scale;
@@ -333,8 +337,8 @@ static uint32_t render_binding_mode_indicator(cairo_t *cairo,
 	double text_y = height / 2.0 - text_height / 2.0;
 	cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, config->colors.binding_mode.text);
 	cairo_move_to(cairo, x + width / 2 - text_width / 2, (int)floor(text_y));
-	pango_printf(cairo, config->font, output->scale, config->mode_pango_markup,
-			"%s", mode);
+	pango_printf(cairo, config->font, output->scale,
+			output->bar->mode_pango_markup, "%s", mode);
 	return output->height;
 }
 
@@ -465,7 +469,7 @@ static uint32_t render_to_cairo(cairo_t *cairo, struct swaybar_output *output) {
 			max_height = h > max_height ? h : max_height;
 		}
 	}
-	if (config->binding_mode_indicator && config->mode) {
+	if (config->binding_mode_indicator) {
 		uint32_t h = render_binding_mode_indicator(cairo, output, x);
 		max_height = h > max_height ? h : max_height;
 	}