diff --git a/modules/Bar.qml b/modules/Bar.qml
index ce37240..6b4f324 100644
--- a/modules/Bar.qml
+++ b/modules/Bar.qml
@@ -129,15 +129,13 @@ PanelWindow {
             spacing: M.Theme.groupSpacing
 
             M.BarGroup {
-                id: workspacesGroup
                 leftEdge: true
                 M.Workspaces {
                     bar: bar
-                    visible: M.Modules.workspaces.enable && M.NiriIpc.available
+                    visible: M.Modules.workspaces.enable
                 }
             }
             M.BarGroup {
-                leftEdge: !workspacesGroup.visible
                 M.Tray {
                     bar: bar
                     visible: M.Modules.tray.enable
diff --git a/modules/NiriIpc.qml b/modules/NiriIpc.qml
index ec37937..5d792e4 100644
--- a/modules/NiriIpc.qml
+++ b/modules/NiriIpc.qml
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@ QtObject {
     signal windowFocusChanged(var windowId)
     signal windowOpenedOrChanged(var window)
 
-    property bool available: false
+    readonly property bool available: Quickshell.env("NIRI_SOCKET") !== ""
 
     property string focusedTitle: ""
     property string focusedAppId: ""
     property bool overviewOpen: false
 
     property var _focusedProc: Process {
-        running: true
+        running: root.available
         command: ["niri", "msg", "--json", "focused-window"]
         stdout: StdioCollector {
             onStreamFinished: {
@@ -37,14 +37,13 @@ QtObject {
     }
 
     property var _eventStream: Process {
-        running: true
+        running: root.available
         command: ["niri", "msg", "--json", "event-stream"]
         stdout: SplitParser {
             splitMarker: "\n"
             onRead: line => {
                 try {
                     const ev = JSON.parse(line);
-                    root.available = true;
                     if (ev.WorkspacesChanged !== undefined)
                         root.workspacesChanged(ev.WorkspacesChanged.workspaces);
                     else if (ev.WorkspaceActivated !== undefined)
diff --git a/modules/WindowTitle.qml b/modules/WindowTitle.qml
index 8fdd0ad..7c9a897 100644
--- a/modules/WindowTitle.qml
+++ b/modules/WindowTitle.qml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import "." as M
 M.BarSection {
     id: root
     spacing: M.Theme.moduleSpacing
-    visible: M.Modules.windowTitle.enable && M.NiriIpc.focusedTitle !== ""
+    visible: M.Modules.windowTitle.enable && M.NiriIpc.available && M.NiriIpc.focusedTitle !== ""
 
     tooltip: M.NiriIpc.focusedAppId ? M.NiriIpc.focusedAppId + "\n" + M.NiriIpc.focusedTitle : M.NiriIpc.focusedTitle
 
diff --git a/modules/Workspaces.qml b/modules/Workspaces.qml
index bac38d2..b8d435a 100644
--- a/modules/Workspaces.qml
+++ b/modules/Workspaces.qml
@@ -14,10 +14,12 @@ Row {
     readonly property string _output: bar.screen?.name ?? ""
     readonly property var _workspaces: _allWorkspaces.filter(w => w.output === root._output)
 
+    visible: M.NiriIpc.available
+
     // Initial state
     Process {
         id: initProc
-        running: true
+        running: M.NiriIpc.available
         command: ["niri", "msg", "--json", "workspaces"]
         stdout: StdioCollector {
             onStreamFinished: {