diff --git a/include/swaybar/bar.h b/include/swaybar/bar.h
index 010e1f84c..9f5bf4007 100644
--- a/include/swaybar/bar.h
+++ b/include/swaybar/bar.h
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ struct bar {
 	int ipc_socketfd;
 	int status_read_fd;
 	pid_t status_command_pid;
+#ifdef ENABLE_TRAY
+	pid_t xembed_pid;
+#endif
 };
 
 struct output {
diff --git a/include/swaybar/tray/tray.h b/include/swaybar/tray/tray.h
index 7d371008f..b718e555b 100644
--- a/include/swaybar/tray/tray.h
+++ b/include/swaybar/tray/tray.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include "swaybar/tray/dbus.h"
 #include "swaybar/tray/sni.h"
+#include "swaybar/bar.h"
 #include "list.h"
 
 extern struct tray *tray;
@@ -14,13 +15,18 @@ struct tray {
 };
 
 /**
- * Initializes the tray host with D-Bus
+ * Processes a mouse event on the bar
  */
-int init_tray();
+void tray_mouse_event(struct output *output, int x, int y,
+		uint32_t button, uint32_t state);
+
+uint32_t tray_render(struct output *output, struct config *config);
+
+void tray_upkeep(struct bar *bar);
 
 /**
- * Returns an item if `x` and `y` collide with it and NULL otherwise
+ * Initializes the tray with D-Bus
  */
-struct StatusNotifierItem *collides_with_sni(int x, int y);
+void init_tray();
 
 #endif /* _SWAYBAR_TRAY_H */
diff --git a/swaybar/bar.c b/swaybar/bar.c
index cdaf6a37c..5d480b63c 100644
--- a/swaybar/bar.c
+++ b/swaybar/bar.c
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ static void bar_init(struct bar *bar) {
 	bar->config = init_config();
 	bar->status = init_status_line();
 	bar->outputs = create_list();
+#ifdef ENABLE_TRAY
+	bar->xembed_pid = 0;
+#endif
 }
 
 static void spawn_status_cmd_proc(struct bar *bar) {
@@ -57,24 +60,6 @@ static void spawn_status_cmd_proc(struct bar *bar) {
 	}
 }
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_TRAY
-static void spawn_xembed_sni_proxy() {
-	pid_t pid = fork();
-	if (pid == 0) {
-		int wstatus;
-		do {
-			pid = fork();
-			if (pid == 0) {
-				execlp("xembedsniproxy", "xembedsniproxy", NULL);
-				_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-			}
-			waitpid(pid, &wstatus, 0);
-		} while (!WIFEXITED(wstatus));
-		_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-	}
-}
-#endif
-
 struct output *new_output(const char *name) {
 	struct output *output = malloc(sizeof(struct output));
 	output->name = strdup(name);
@@ -122,27 +107,7 @@ static void mouse_button_notify(struct window *window, int x, int y,
 	}
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_TRAY
-	uint32_t tray_padding = swaybar.config->tray_padding;
-	int tray_width = window->width * window->scale;
-
-	for (int i = 0; i < clicked_output->items->length; ++i) {
-		struct sni_icon_ref *item =
-			 clicked_output->items->items[i];
-		int icon_width = cairo_image_surface_get_width(item->icon);
-
-		tray_width -= tray_padding;
-		if (x <= tray_width && x >= tray_width - icon_width) {
-			if (button == swaybar.config->activate_button) {
-				sni_activate(item->ref, x, y);
-			} else if (button == swaybar.config->context_button) {
-				sni_context_menu(item->ref, x, y);
-			} else if (button == swaybar.config->secondary_button) {
-				sni_secondary(item->ref, x, y);
-			}
-			break;
-		}
-		tray_width -= icon_width;
-	}
+	tray_mouse_event(clicked_output, x, y, button, state_w);
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -235,20 +200,7 @@ void bar_setup(struct bar *bar, const char *socket_path, const char *bar_id) {
 	spawn_status_cmd_proc(bar);
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_TRAY
-	// We should have at least one output to serve the tray to
-	if (!swaybar.config->tray_output || strcmp(swaybar.config->tray_output, "none") != 0) {
-		/* Connect to the D-Bus */
-		dbus_init();
-
-		/* Start the SNI watcher */
-		init_sni_watcher();
-
-		/* Start the SNI host */
-		init_tray();
-
-		/* Start xembedsniproxy */
-		spawn_xembed_sni_proxy();
-	}
+	init_tray(bar);
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -300,6 +252,8 @@ void bar_run(struct bar *bar) {
 
 		event_loop_poll();
 #ifdef ENABLE_TRAY
+		tray_upkeep(bar);
+
 		dispatch_dbus();
 #endif
 	}
diff --git a/swaybar/render.c b/swaybar/render.c
index d02ecbbbd..6ec47e799 100644
--- a/swaybar/render.c
+++ b/swaybar/render.c
@@ -302,72 +302,9 @@ void render(struct output *output, struct config *config, struct status_line *li
 	cairo_paint(cairo);
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_TRAY
-	// Tray icons
-	uint32_t tray_padding = config->tray_padding;
-	unsigned int tray_width = window->width * window->scale;
-	const int item_size = (window->height * window->scale) - (2 * tray_padding);
-
-	if (item_size < 0) {
-		// Can't render items if the padding is too large
-		goto no_tray;
-	}
-
-	if (config->tray_output && strcmp(config->tray_output, output->name) != 0) {
-		goto no_tray;
-	}
-
-	for (int i = 0; i < tray->items->length; ++i) {
-		struct StatusNotifierItem *item =
-			tray->items->items[i];
-		if (!item->image) {
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		struct sni_icon_ref *render_item = NULL;
-		int j;
-		for (j = i; j < output->items->length; ++j) {
-			struct sni_icon_ref *ref =
-				output->items->items[j];
-			if (ref->ref == item) {
-				render_item = ref;
-				break;
-			} else {
-				sni_icon_ref_free(ref);
-				list_del(output->items, j);
-			}
-		}
-
-		if (!render_item) {
-			render_item = sni_icon_ref_create(item, item_size);
-			list_add(output->items, render_item);
-		} else if (item->dirty) {
-			// item needs re-render
-			sni_icon_ref_free(render_item);
-			output->items->items[j] = render_item =
-				sni_icon_ref_create(item, item_size);
-		}
-
-		tray_width -= tray_padding;
-		tray_width -= item_size;
-
-		cairo_operator_t op = cairo_get_operator(cairo);
-		cairo_set_operator(cairo, CAIRO_OPERATOR_OVER);
-		cairo_set_source_surface(cairo, render_item->icon, tray_width, tray_padding);
-		cairo_rectangle(cairo, tray_width, tray_padding, item_size, item_size);
-		cairo_fill(cairo);
-		cairo_set_operator(cairo, op);
-
-		item->dirty = false;
-	}
-
-
-	if (tray_width != window->width * window->scale) {
-		tray_width -= tray_padding;
-	}
-
-no_tray:
+	uint32_t tray_width = tray_render(output, config);
 #else
-	const int tray_width = window->width * window->scale;
+	const uint32_t tray_width = window->width * window->scale;
 #endif
 
 	// Command output
diff --git a/swaybar/tray/tray.c b/swaybar/tray/tray.c
index 9a709fe4e..ca8b1341b 100644
--- a/swaybar/tray/tray.c
+++ b/swaybar/tray/tray.c
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <dbus/dbus.h>
 #include "swaybar/bar.h"
 #include "swaybar/tray/tray.h"
 #include "swaybar/tray/dbus.h"
 #include "swaybar/tray/sni.h"
+#include "swaybar/tray/sni_watcher.h"
 #include "swaybar/bar.h"
+#include "swaybar/config.h"
 #include "list.h"
 #include "log.h"
 
@@ -184,7 +187,7 @@ static DBusHandlerResult signal_handler(DBusConnection *connection,
 	return DBUS_HANDLER_RESULT_NOT_YET_HANDLED;
 }
 
-int init_tray() {
+static int init_host() {
 	tray = (struct tray *)malloc(sizeof(tray));
 
 	tray->items = create_list();
@@ -277,3 +280,129 @@ err:
 	free(name);
 	return -1;
 }
+
+void tray_mouse_event(struct output *output, int x, int y,
+		uint32_t button, uint32_t state) {
+
+	struct window *window = output->window;
+	uint32_t tray_padding = swaybar.config->tray_padding;
+	int tray_width = window->width * window->scale;
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < output->items->length; ++i) {
+		struct sni_icon_ref *item =
+			 output->items->items[i];
+		int icon_width = cairo_image_surface_get_width(item->icon);
+
+		tray_width -= tray_padding;
+		if (x <= tray_width && x >= tray_width - icon_width) {
+			if (button == swaybar.config->activate_button) {
+				sni_activate(item->ref, x, y);
+			} else if (button == swaybar.config->context_button) {
+				sni_context_menu(item->ref, x, y);
+			} else if (button == swaybar.config->secondary_button) {
+				sni_secondary(item->ref, x, y);
+			}
+			break;
+		}
+		tray_width -= icon_width;
+	}
+}
+
+uint32_t tray_render(struct output *output, struct config *config) {
+	struct window *window = output->window;
+	cairo_t *cairo = window->cairo;
+
+	// Tray icons
+	uint32_t tray_padding = config->tray_padding;
+	uint32_t tray_width = window->width * window->scale;
+	const int item_size = (window->height * window->scale) - (2 * tray_padding);
+
+	if (item_size < 0) {
+		// Can't render items if the padding is too large
+		return tray_width;
+	}
+
+	if (config->tray_output && strcmp(config->tray_output, output->name) != 0) {
+		return tray_width;
+	}
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < tray->items->length; ++i) {
+		struct StatusNotifierItem *item =
+			tray->items->items[i];
+		if (!item->image) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		struct sni_icon_ref *render_item = NULL;
+		int j;
+		for (j = i; j < output->items->length; ++j) {
+			struct sni_icon_ref *ref =
+				output->items->items[j];
+			if (ref->ref == item) {
+				render_item = ref;
+				break;
+			} else {
+				sni_icon_ref_free(ref);
+				list_del(output->items, j);
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (!render_item) {
+			render_item = sni_icon_ref_create(item, item_size);
+			list_add(output->items, render_item);
+		} else if (item->dirty) {
+			// item needs re-render
+			sni_icon_ref_free(render_item);
+			output->items->items[j] = render_item =
+				sni_icon_ref_create(item, item_size);
+		}
+
+		tray_width -= tray_padding;
+		tray_width -= item_size;
+
+		cairo_operator_t op = cairo_get_operator(cairo);
+		cairo_set_operator(cairo, CAIRO_OPERATOR_OVER);
+		cairo_set_source_surface(cairo, render_item->icon, tray_width, tray_padding);
+		cairo_rectangle(cairo, tray_width, tray_padding, item_size, item_size);
+		cairo_fill(cairo);
+		cairo_set_operator(cairo, op);
+
+		item->dirty = false;
+	}
+
+
+	if (tray_width != window->width * window->scale) {
+		tray_width -= tray_padding;
+	}
+
+	return tray_width;
+}
+
+void tray_upkeep(struct bar *bar) {
+	if (!bar->xembed_pid ||
+			(bar->xembed_pid == waitpid(bar->xembed_pid, NULL, WNOHANG))) {
+		pid_t pid = fork();
+		if (pid == 0) {
+			execlp("xembedsniproxy", "xembedsniproxy", NULL);
+			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		} else {
+			bar->xembed_pid = pid;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+void init_tray(struct bar *bar) {
+	if (!bar->config->tray_output || strcmp(bar->config->tray_output, "none") != 0) {
+		/* Connect to the D-Bus */
+		dbus_init();
+
+		/* Start the SNI watcher */
+		init_sni_watcher();
+
+		/* Start the SNI host */
+		init_host();
+
+		/* Start xembedsniproxy */
+		tray_upkeep(bar);
+	}
+}