diff --git a/swaybar/ipc.c b/swaybar/ipc.c
index 75f17953..3c2d6fbc 100644
--- a/swaybar/ipc.c
+++ b/swaybar/ipc.c
@@ -306,6 +306,7 @@ bool handle_ipc_event(struct swaybar *bar) {
 		ipc_get_workspaces(bar);
 		break;
 	case IPC_EVENT_MODE: {
+		// TODO: interpret "pango_markup" field
 		json_object *result = json_tokener_parse(resp->payload);
 		if (!result) {
 			free_ipc_response(resp);
diff --git a/swaybar/render.c b/swaybar/render.c
index 226e4ce3..beb4de40 100644
--- a/swaybar/render.c
+++ b/swaybar/render.c
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <limits.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -10,6 +11,38 @@
 #include "swaybar/render.h"
 #include "wlr-layer-shell-unstable-v1-client-protocol.h"
 
+static const int ws_horizontal_padding = 5;
+static const double ws_vertical_padding = 1.5;
+static const int ws_spacing = 1;
+
+static uint32_t render_binding_mode_indicator(cairo_t *cairo,
+		struct swaybar_config *config, const char *mode, double x,
+		uint32_t height) {
+	int text_width, text_height;
+	get_text_size(cairo, config->font, &text_width, &text_height,
+			1, true, "⚡ %s", mode);
+	uint32_t ideal_height = text_height + ws_vertical_padding * 2;
+	if (height < ideal_height) {
+		height = ideal_height;
+	}
+
+	cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, config->colors.binding_mode.background);
+	cairo_rectangle(cairo, x, 0, text_width + ws_horizontal_padding * 2 - 1,
+			height + ws_vertical_padding * 2);
+	cairo_fill(cairo);
+
+	cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, config->colors.binding_mode.border);
+	cairo_rectangle(cairo, x, 0, text_width + ws_horizontal_padding * 2 - 1,
+			height + ws_vertical_padding * 2);
+	cairo_stroke(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, (int)x + ws_horizontal_padding, (int)floor(text_y));
+	pango_printf(cairo, config->font, 1, true, "⚡ %s", mode);
+	return ideal_height;
+}
+
 static const char *strip_workspace_number(const char *ws_name) {
 	size_t len = strlen(ws_name);
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < len; ++i) {
@@ -26,10 +59,6 @@ static const char *strip_workspace_number(const char *ws_name) {
 static uint32_t render_workspace_button(cairo_t *cairo,
 		struct swaybar_config *config, struct swaybar_workspace *ws,
 		double *x, uint32_t height) {
-	static const int ws_horizontal_padding = 5;
-	static const double ws_vertical_padding = 1.5;
-	static const int ws_spacing = 1;
-
 	const char *name = ws->name;
 	if (config->strip_workspace_numbers) {
 		name = strip_workspace_number(ws->name);
@@ -72,24 +101,10 @@ static uint32_t render_workspace_button(cairo_t *cairo,
 	return ideal_height;
 }
 
-static void update_heights(uint32_t height, uint32_t *min, uint32_t *max) {
-	if (*min < height) {
-		*min = height;
-	}
-	if (height > *max) {
-		*max = height;
-	}
-}
-
 static uint32_t render_to_cairo(cairo_t *cairo,
 		struct swaybar *bar, struct swaybar_output *output) {
 	struct swaybar_config *config = bar->config;
 
-	cairo_save(cairo);
-	cairo_set_operator(cairo, CAIRO_OPERATOR_CLEAR);
-	cairo_paint(cairo);
-	cairo_restore(cairo);
-
 	cairo_set_operator(cairo, CAIRO_OPERATOR_SOURCE);
 	if (output->focused) {
 		cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, config->colors.focused_background);
@@ -98,20 +113,30 @@ static uint32_t render_to_cairo(cairo_t *cairo,
 	}
 	cairo_paint(cairo);
 
-	uint32_t min_height = output->height, max_height = output->height;
-
+	uint32_t max_height = 0;
+	/*
+	 * Each render_* function takes the actual height of the bar, and returns
+	 * the ideal height. If the actual height is too short, the render function
+	 * can do whatever it wants - the buffer won't be committed. If the actual
+	 * height is too tall, the render function should adapt its drawing to
+	 * utilize the available space.
+	 */
 	double x = 0;
 	if (config->workspace_buttons) {
 		struct swaybar_workspace *ws;
 		wl_list_for_each(ws, &output->workspaces, link) {
 			uint32_t h = render_workspace_button(
 					cairo, config, ws, &x, output->height);
-			update_heights(h, &min_height, &max_height);
+			max_height = h > max_height ? h : max_height;
 		}
 	}
+	if (config->binding_mode_indicator && config->mode) {
+		uint32_t h = render_binding_mode_indicator(
+				cairo, config, config->mode, x, output->height);
+		max_height = h > max_height ? h : max_height;
+	}
 
-	// TODO: Shrink via min_height if sane
-	return max_height;
+	return max_height > output->height ? max_height : output->height;
 }
 
 void render_frame(struct swaybar *bar,
@@ -134,6 +159,12 @@ void render_frame(struct swaybar *bar,
 		output->current_buffer = get_next_buffer(bar->shm,
 				output->buffers, output->width, output->height);
 		cairo_t *shm = output->current_buffer->cairo;
+
+		cairo_save(shm);
+		cairo_set_operator(shm, CAIRO_OPERATOR_CLEAR);
+		cairo_paint(shm);
+		cairo_restore(shm);
+
 		cairo_set_source_surface(shm, recorder, 0.0, 0.0);
 		cairo_paint(shm);
 		wl_surface_attach(output->surface,