diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 1a44983..b0a7400 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 /* See LICENSE file for copyright and license details. */
 
+/* Helper macros for spawning commands */
+#define SHCMD(cmd) { .v = (const char*[]){ "/bin/sh", "-c", cmd, NULL } }
+#define CMD(...)   { .v = (const char*[]){ __VA_ARGS__, NULL } }
+
 /* appearance */
 #if ROUNDED_CORNERS_PATCH
 static const unsigned int borderpx       = 0;   /* border pixel of windows */
@@ -399,6 +403,13 @@ static char *statuscolors[][ColCount] = {
 static const char *layoutmenu_cmd = "layoutmenu.sh";
 #endif
 
+#if BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
+static const Launcher launchers[] = {
+	/* icon to display      command        */
+	{ "surf",               CMD("surf", "duckduckgo.com") },
+};
+#endif // BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
+
 #if COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
 static const char *const autostart[] = {
 	"st", NULL,
@@ -548,6 +559,9 @@ static const BarRule barrules[] = {
 	#if BAR_STATUSBUTTON_PATCH
 	{ -1,        0,     BAR_ALIGN_LEFT,   width_stbutton,           draw_stbutton,          click_stbutton,          NULL,                    "statusbutton" },
 	#endif // BAR_STATUSBUTTON_PATCH
+	#if BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
+	{ -1,        0,     BAR_ALIGN_LEFT,   width_launcher,           draw_launcher,          click_launcher,          NULL,                    "launcher" },
+	#endif // BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
 	#if BAR_POWERLINE_TAGS_PATCH
 	{  0,        0,     BAR_ALIGN_LEFT,   width_pwrl_tags,          draw_pwrl_tags,         click_pwrl_tags,         hover_pwrl_tags,         "powerline_tags" },
 	#endif // BAR_POWERLINE_TAGS_PATCH
@@ -847,9 +861,6 @@ static const char *xkb_layouts[]  = {
 #define HOLDKEY 0 // replace 0 with the keysym to activate holdbar
 #endif // BAR_HOLDBAR_PATCH
 
-/* helper for spawning shell commands in the pre dwm-5.0 fashion */
-#define SHCMD(cmd) { .v = (const char*[]){ "/bin/sh", "-c", cmd, NULL } }
-
 /* commands */
 #if !NODMENU_PATCH
 static char dmenumon[2] = "0"; /* component of dmenucmd, manipulated in spawn() */
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 8838c43..cd8ff78 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 /* See LICENSE file for copyright and license details. */
 #include <X11/XF86keysym.h>
 
+/* Helper macros for spawning commands */
+#define SHCMD(cmd) { .v = (const char*[]){ "/bin/sh", "-c", cmd, NULL } }
+#define CMD(...)   { .v = (const char*[]){ __VA_ARGS__, NULL } }
+
 /* appearance */
 #if ROUNDED_CORNERS_PATCH
 static const unsigned int borderpx       = 0;   /* border pixel of windows */
@@ -400,6 +404,13 @@ static char *statuscolors[][ColCount] = {
 static const char *layoutmenu_cmd = "layoutmenu.sh";
 #endif
 
+#if BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
+static const Launcher launchers[] = {
+	/* icon to display      command        */
+	{ "firefox",               CMD("firefox", "duckduckgo.com") },
+};
+#endif // BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
+
 #if COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
 static const char *const autostart[] = {
 	"dwmblocks", NULL,
@@ -577,6 +588,9 @@ static const BarRule barrules[] = {
 	#if BAR_STATUSBUTTON_PATCH
 	{ -1,        0,     BAR_ALIGN_LEFT,   width_stbutton,           draw_stbutton,          click_stbutton,          NULL,                    "statusbutton" },
 	#endif // BAR_STATUSBUTTON_PATCH
+	#if BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
+	{ -1,        0,     BAR_ALIGN_LEFT,   width_launcher,           draw_launcher,          click_launcher,          NULL,                    "launcher" },
+	#endif // BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
 	#if BAR_POWERLINE_TAGS_PATCH
 	{  0,        0,     BAR_ALIGN_LEFT,   width_pwrl_tags,          draw_pwrl_tags,         click_pwrl_tags,         hover_pwrl_tags,         "powerline_tags" },
 	#endif // BAR_POWERLINE_TAGS_PATCH
@@ -877,9 +891,6 @@ static const char *xkb_layouts[]  = {
 #define HOLDKEY 0 // replace 0 with the keysym to activate holdbar
 #endif // BAR_HOLDBAR_PATCH
 
-/* helper for spawning shell commands in the pre dwm-5.0 fashion */
-#define SHCMD(cmd) { .v = (const char*[]){ "/bin/sh", "-c", cmd, NULL } }
-
 /* commands */
 #if !NODMENU_PATCH
 static char dmenumon[2] = "0"; /* component of dmenucmd, manipulated in spawn() */
@@ -1418,7 +1429,6 @@ static const Command commands[] = {
 #else
 /* click can be ClkTagBar, ClkLtSymbol, ClkStatusText, ClkWinTitle, ClkClientWin, or ClkRootWin */
 #endif //
-
 static const Button buttons[] = {
 	/* click                event mask           button          function        argument */
 	{ ClkRootWin,     0,                Button1,  spawn,             SHCMD("dunstctl close-all; killall dmenu") },
diff --git a/dwm.c b/dwm.c
index 198b77b..506e310 100644
--- a/dwm.c
+++ b/dwm.c
@@ -4102,6 +4102,7 @@ spawn(const Arg *arg)
 	if (arg->v == dmenucmd)
 		dmenumon[0] = '0' + selmon->num;
 	#endif // NODMENU_PATCH
+fprintf(stderr, "spawn running cmd:\n");
 
 	#if RIODRAW_PATCH
 	if ((pid = fork()) == 0)
diff --git a/patch/bar_launcher.c b/patch/bar_launcher.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a06096d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patch/bar_launcher.c
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+#if BAR_STATUS2D_PATCH
+int
+width_launcher(Bar *bar, BarArg *a)
+{
+	int i, x = 0;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(launchers); i++) {
+		x += status2dtextlength(launchers[i].name) + lrpad;
+	}
+	return x;
+}
+
+int
+draw_launcher(Bar *bar, BarArg *a)
+{
+	int i, w = 0;;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(launchers); i++) {
+		w = status2dtextlength(launchers[i].name);
+		drawstatusbar(a, launchers[i].name);
+		a->x += w + lrpad;
+	}
+
+	return a->x ;
+}
+
+int
+click_launcher(Bar *bar, Arg *arg, BarArg *a)
+{
+	int i, x = 0;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(launchers); i++) {
+		x += status2dtextlength(launchers[i].name) + lrpad;
+		if (a->x < x) {
+		    spawn(&launchers[i].command);
+		    break;
+		}
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+#else
+int
+width_launcher(Bar *bar, BarArg *a)
+{
+	int i, x = 0;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(launchers); i++) {
+		x += TEXTW(launchers[i].name);
+	}
+	return x;
+}
+
+int
+draw_launcher(Bar *bar, BarArg *a)
+{
+	int i, x = 0, w = 0;;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(launchers); i++) {
+		w = TEXTW(launchers[i].name);
+		drw_text(drw, x, 0, w, bh, lrpad / 2, launchers[i].name, 0, True);
+		x += w;
+	}
+
+	return x;
+}
+
+int
+click_launcher(Bar *bar, Arg *arg, BarArg *a)
+{
+	int i, x = 0;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(launchers); i++) {
+		x += TEXTW(launchers[i].name);
+		if (a->x < x) {
+		    spawn(&launchers[i].command);
+		    break;
+		}
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+#endif // BAR_STATUS2D_PATCH
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/patch/bar_launcher.h b/patch/bar_launcher.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2b3259
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patch/bar_launcher.h
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+typedef struct {
+	char* name;
+	const Arg command;
+} Launcher;
+
+static int width_launcher(Bar *bar, BarArg *a);
+static int draw_launcher(Bar *bar, BarArg *a);
+static int click_launcher(Bar *bar, Arg *arg, BarArg *a);
diff --git a/patch/bar_ltsymbol.c b/patch/bar_ltsymbol.c
index 1fbd1b8..1004378 100644
--- a/patch/bar_ltsymbol.c
+++ b/patch/bar_ltsymbol.c
@@ -15,4 +15,3 @@ click_ltsymbol(Bar *bar, Arg *arg, BarArg *a)
 {
 	return ClkLtSymbol;
 }
-
diff --git a/patch/bar_ltsymbol.h b/patch/bar_ltsymbol.h
index 4de5720..4188584 100644
--- a/patch/bar_ltsymbol.h
+++ b/patch/bar_ltsymbol.h
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 static int width_ltsymbol(Bar *bar, BarArg *a);
 static int draw_ltsymbol(Bar *bar, BarArg *a);
 static int click_ltsymbol(Bar *bar, Arg *arg, BarArg *a);
-
diff --git a/patch/bar_status2d.c b/patch/bar_status2d.c
index 860fd83..8f6a3f0 100644
--- a/patch/bar_status2d.c
+++ b/patch/bar_status2d.c
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ drawstatusbar(BarArg *a, char* stext)
 	#else
 	memcpy(text, stext, len);
 	#endif // BAR_STATUSCMD_PATCH
+	text[len] = '\0';
 
 	x += lrpad / 2;
 	drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[LENGTH(colors)]);
diff --git a/patch/include.c b/patch/include.c
index 239e7db..e3cacdb 100644
--- a/patch/include.c
+++ b/patch/include.c
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 #if COMBO_PATCH
 #include "combo.c"
 #endif
+#if BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
+#include "bar_launcher.c"
+#endif
 #if BAR_LTSYMBOL_PATCH
 #include "bar_ltsymbol.c"
 #endif
diff --git a/patch/include.h b/patch/include.h
index 4255b36..3f400eb 100644
--- a/patch/include.h
+++ b/patch/include.h
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
 #if BAR_HOLDBAR_PATCH
 #include "bar_holdbar.h"
 #endif
+#if BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH
+#include "bar_launcher.h"
+#endif
 #if BAR_LTSYMBOL_PATCH
 #include "bar_ltsymbol.h"
 #endif
diff --git a/patches.def.h b/patches.def.h
index 1af92cf..263dd34 100644
--- a/patches.def.h
+++ b/patches.def.h
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@
  */
 #define BAR_FLEXWINTITLE_PATCH 0
 
+/* Adds buttons to the bar that can be used to launch applications.
+ * https://dwm.suckless.org/patches/launcher/
+ */
+#define BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH 0
+
 /* This patch adds a context menu for layout switching.
  *   - xmenu needs to be installed.
  *   - Edit layoutmenu.sh with the installed layouts and with correct indexes.
diff --git a/patches.h b/patches.h
index 7b82d86..0c40115 100644
--- a/patches.h
+++ b/patches.h
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@
  */
 #define BAR_FLEXWINTITLE_PATCH 0
 
+/* Adds buttons to the bar that can be used to launch applications.
+ * https://dwm.suckless.org/patches/launcher/
+ */
+#define BAR_LAUNCHER_PATCH 0
+
 /* This patch adds a context menu for layout switching.
  *   - xmenu needs to be installed.
  *   - Edit layoutmenu.sh with the installed layouts and with correct indexes.