diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index ca17a645..f21ecbb1 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -530,6 +530,8 @@ void free_sway_binding(struct sway_binding *sb);
 
 void seat_execute_command(struct sway_seat *seat, struct sway_binding *binding);
 
+void load_swaybar(struct bar_config *bar);
+
 void load_swaybars(void);
 
 void terminate_swaybg(pid_t pid);
diff --git a/sway/commands/bar.c b/sway/commands/bar.c
index 03f4c557..c808aef2 100644
--- a/sway/commands/bar.c
+++ b/sway/commands/bar.c
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ static struct cmd_handler bar_handlers[] = {
 	{ "height", bar_cmd_height },
 	{ "hidden_state", bar_cmd_hidden_state },
 	{ "icon_theme", bar_cmd_icon_theme },
-	{ "id", bar_cmd_id },
 	{ "mode", bar_cmd_mode },
 	{ "modifier", bar_cmd_modifier },
 	{ "output", bar_cmd_output },
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ static struct cmd_handler bar_handlers[] = {
 	{ "separator_symbol", bar_cmd_separator_symbol },
 	{ "status_command", bar_cmd_status_command },
 	{ "strip_workspace_numbers", bar_cmd_strip_workspace_numbers },
-	{ "swaybar_command", bar_cmd_swaybar_command },
 	{ "tray_output", bar_cmd_tray_output },
 	{ "tray_padding", bar_cmd_tray_padding },
 	{ "workspace_buttons", bar_cmd_workspace_buttons },
@@ -36,54 +34,49 @@ static struct cmd_handler bar_handlers[] = {
 
 // Must be in alphabetical order for bsearch
 static struct cmd_handler bar_config_handlers[] = {
-	{ "hidden_state", bar_cmd_hidden_state },
-	{ "mode", bar_cmd_mode }
+	{ "id", bar_cmd_id },
+	{ "swaybar_command", bar_cmd_swaybar_command },
 };
 
+// Determines whether the subcommand is valid in any bar handler struct
+static bool is_subcommand(char *name) {
+	return find_handler(name, bar_handlers, sizeof(bar_handlers)) ||
+		find_handler(name, bar_config_handlers, sizeof(bar_config_handlers));
+}
+
 struct cmd_results *cmd_bar(int argc, char **argv) {
 	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
-	if ((error = checkarg(argc, "bar", EXPECTED_AT_LEAST, 1))) {
+	if ((error = checkarg(argc, "bar", EXPECTED_AT_LEAST, 2))) {
 		return error;
 	}
 
-	if (find_handler(argv[0], bar_config_handlers,
-				sizeof(bar_config_handlers))) {
-		if (config->reading) {
-			return config_subcommand(argv, argc, bar_config_handlers,
-					sizeof(bar_config_handlers));
-		}
-		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "bar",
-				"Can only be used in config file.");
-	}
-
-	if (argc > 1) {
-		struct bar_config *bar = NULL;
-		if (!find_handler(argv[0], bar_handlers, sizeof(bar_handlers))
-				&& find_handler(argv[1], bar_handlers, sizeof(bar_handlers))) {
-			for (int i = 0; i < config->bars->length; ++i) {
-				struct bar_config *item = config->bars->items[i];
-				if (strcmp(item->id, argv[0]) == 0) {
-					wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Selecting bar: %s", argv[0]);
-					bar = item;
-					break;
-				}
+	bool spawn = false;
+	struct bar_config *bar = NULL;
+	if (strcmp(argv[0], "id") != 0 && is_subcommand(argv[1])) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < config->bars->length; ++i) {
+			struct bar_config *item = config->bars->items[i];
+			if (strcmp(item->id, argv[0]) == 0) {
+				wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Selecting bar: %s", argv[0]);
+				bar = item;
+				break;
 			}
+		}
+		if (!bar) {
+			spawn = !config->reading;
+			wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Creating bar: %s", argv[0]);
+			bar = default_bar_config();
 			if (!bar) {
-				wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Creating bar: %s", argv[0]);
-				bar = default_bar_config();
-				if (!bar) {
-					return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "bar",
-							"Unable to allocate bar state");
-				}
-
-				bar->id = strdup(argv[0]);
+				return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "bar",
+						"Unable to allocate bar state");
 			}
-			config->current_bar = bar;
-			++argv; --argc;
+
+			bar->id = strdup(argv[0]);
 		}
+		config->current_bar = bar;
+		++argv; --argc;
 	}
 
-	if (!config->current_bar) {
+	if (!config->current_bar && config->reading) {
 		// Create new bar with default values
 		struct bar_config *bar = default_bar_config();
 		if (!bar) {
@@ -92,18 +85,13 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_bar(int argc, char **argv) {
 		}
 
 		// set bar id
-		for (int i = 0; i < config->bars->length; ++i) {
-			if (bar == config->bars->items[i]) {
-				const int len = 5 + numlen(i); // "bar-" + i + \0
-				bar->id = malloc(len * sizeof(char));
-				if (bar->id) {
-					snprintf(bar->id, len, "bar-%d", i);
-				} else {
-					return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE,
-							"bar", "Unable to allocate bar ID");
-				}
-				break;
-			}
+		const int len = 5 + numlen(config->bars->length - 1); // "bar-"+i+\0
+		bar->id = malloc(len * sizeof(char));
+		if (bar->id) {
+			snprintf(bar->id, len, "bar-%d", config->bars->length - 1);
+		} else {
+			return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE,
+					"bar", "Unable to allocate bar ID");
 		}
 
 		// Set current bar
@@ -111,5 +99,32 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_bar(int argc, char **argv) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Creating bar %s", bar->id);
 	}
 
-	return config_subcommand(argv, argc, bar_handlers, sizeof(bar_handlers));
+	if (find_handler(argv[0], bar_config_handlers,
+				sizeof(bar_config_handlers))) {
+		if (config->reading) {
+			return config_subcommand(argv, argc, bar_config_handlers,
+					sizeof(bar_config_handlers));
+		} else if (spawn) {
+			for (int i = config->bars->length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+				struct bar_config *bar = config->bars->items[i];
+				if (bar == config->current_bar) {
+					list_del(config->bars, i);
+					free_bar_config(bar);
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "bar",
+				"Can only be used in the config file.");
+	}
+
+	struct cmd_results *res =
+		config_subcommand(argv, argc, bar_handlers, sizeof(bar_handlers));
+	if (!config->reading) {
+		if (spawn) {
+			load_swaybar(config->current_bar);
+		}
+		config->current_bar = NULL;
+	}
+	return res;
 }
diff --git a/sway/commands/bar/id.c b/sway/commands/bar/id.c
index 65fa69fd..7690a852 100644
--- a/sway/commands/bar/id.c
+++ b/sway/commands/bar/id.c
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ struct cmd_results *bar_cmd_id(int argc, char **argv) {
 	const char *oldname = config->current_bar->id;
 	if (strcmp(name, oldname) == 0) {
 		return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);  // NOP
+	} else if (strcmp(name, "id") == 0) {
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "id", "id cannot be 'id'");
 	}
 	// check if id is used by a previously defined bar
 	for (int i = 0; i < config->bars->length; ++i) {
diff --git a/sway/commands/bar/status_command.c b/sway/commands/bar/status_command.c
index 5b4fdc87..490393f1 100644
--- a/sway/commands/bar/status_command.c
+++ b/sway/commands/bar/status_command.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ struct cmd_results *bar_cmd_status_command(int argc, char **argv) {
 	}
 
 	if (config->active && !config->validating) {
-		load_swaybars();
+		load_swaybar(config->current_bar);
 	}
 
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/sway/config/bar.c b/sway/config/bar.c
index c6899f57..5726e95b 100644
--- a/sway/config/bar.c
+++ b/sway/config/bar.c
@@ -226,13 +226,17 @@ static void invoke_swaybar(struct bar_config *bar) {
 	close(filedes[1]);
 }
 
+void load_swaybar(struct bar_config *bar) {
+	if (bar->pid != 0) {
+		terminate_swaybar(bar->pid);
+	}
+	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Invoking swaybar for bar id '%s'", bar->id);
+	invoke_swaybar(bar);
+}
+
 void load_swaybars(void) {
 	for (int i = 0; i < config->bars->length; ++i) {
 		struct bar_config *bar = config->bars->items[i];
-		if (bar->pid != 0) {
-			terminate_swaybar(bar->pid);
-		}
-		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Invoking swaybar for bar id '%s'", bar->id);
-		invoke_swaybar(bar);
+		load_swaybar(bar);
 	}
 }