diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 8fd5d4a..0f67f44 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ static const unsigned int borderpx  = 1;        /* border pixel of windows */
 static const unsigned int snap      = 32;       /* snap pixel */
 static const Bool showbar           = True;     /* False means no bar */
 static const Bool topbar            = True;     /* False means bottom bar */
+static const char invert_delim[]    = "*";      /* Character to use to switch between norm/sel drawing in statusbar */
 
 /* tagging */
 static const char *tags[] = { "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9" };
diff --git a/dwm.c b/dwm.c
index d9443da..92059b5 100644
--- a/dwm.c
+++ b/dwm.c
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ static void drawbar(Monitor *m);
 static void drawbars(void);
 static void drawsquare(Bool filled, Bool empty, Bool invert, unsigned long col[ColLast]);
 static void drawtext(const char *text, unsigned long col[ColLast], Bool invert);
+static void drawstatus(const char *text);
 static void enternotify(XEvent *e);
 static void expose(XEvent *e);
 static void focus(Client *c);
@@ -740,7 +741,7 @@ drawbar(Monitor *m) {
 			dc.x = x;
 			dc.w = m->ww - x;
 		}
-		drawtext(stext, dc.norm, False);
+        drawstatus(stext);
 	}
 	else
 		dc.x = m->ww;
@@ -806,6 +807,46 @@ drawtext(const char *text, unsigned long col[ColLast], Bool invert) {
 }
 
 void
+drawstatus(const char *text) {
+    int len = strlen(text);
+    int i, x, y, h;
+    char inv_d = invert_delim[0];
+    Bool invert = False;
+    char buff[256] = "";
+    char full_buff[256] = "";
+
+    h = dc.font.ascent + dc.font.descent;
+    y = dc.y + (dc.h / 2) - (h / 2) + dc.font.ascent;
+    x = dc.x + (h/2);
+
+    XSetForeground(dpy, dc.gc, (invert?dc.sel:dc.norm)[ColBG]);
+    XFillRectangle(dpy, dc.drawable, dc.gc, dc.x, dc.y, dc.w, dc.h);
+
+    for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+        x += (text[i] == inv_d) * textnw(" ", 1);
+    }
+
+    for (i = 0; i <= len; i++) {
+        if (text[i] == inv_d || text[i] == '\0') {
+            XSetForeground(dpy, dc.gc, (invert?dc.sel:dc.norm)[ColFG]);
+
+            if(dc.font.set)
+                XmbDrawString(dpy, dc.drawable, dc.font.set, dc.gc, 
+                              x, y, buff, strlen(buff));
+            else
+                XDrawString(dpy, dc.drawable, dc.gc, x, y, buff, strlen(buff));
+
+            x += textnw(buff, strlen(buff));
+            invert = !invert;
+            strcpy(buff, "\0");
+        } else {
+            strncat(buff, &(text)[i], 1);
+            strncat(full_buff, &(text)[i], 1);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void
 enternotify(XEvent *e) {
 	Client *c;
 	Monitor *m;