diff --git a/src/config/handler.rs b/src/config/handler.rs
index 76eb6e74..e9fdd404 100644
--- a/src/config/handler.rs
+++ b/src/config/handler.rs
@@ -1433,14 +1433,18 @@ impl ConfigProxyHandler {
         });
     }
 
-    fn handle_set_bar_position(&self, position: BarPosition) {
+    fn handle_set_bar_position(&self, position: BarPosition) -> Result<(), CphError> {
+        let Ok(position) = position.try_into() else {
+            return Err(CphError::UnknownBarPosition(position));
+        };
         self.state.theme.bar_position.set(position);
         self.spaces_change();
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     fn handle_get_bar_position(&self) {
         self.respond(Response::GetBarPosition {
-            position: self.state.theme.bar_position.get(),
+            position: self.state.theme.bar_position.get().into(),
         });
     }
 
@@ -3289,7 +3293,9 @@ impl ConfigProxyHandler {
             ClientMessage::GetShowBar => self.handle_get_show_bar(),
             ClientMessage::SetShowTitles { show } => self.handle_set_show_titles(show),
             ClientMessage::GetShowTitles => self.handle_get_show_titles(),
-            ClientMessage::SetBarPosition { position } => self.handle_set_bar_position(position),
+            ClientMessage::SetBarPosition { position } => self
+                .handle_set_bar_position(position)
+                .wrn("set_bar_position")?,
             ClientMessage::GetBarPosition => self.handle_get_bar_position(),
             ClientMessage::SeatFocusHistory { seat, timeline } => self
                 .handle_seat_focus_history(seat, timeline)
@@ -3524,6 +3530,8 @@ enum CphError {
     ModifyConnectorState(#[source] BackendConnectorTransactionError),
     #[error("Unknown blend space {0:?}")]
     UnknownBlendSpace(ConfigBlendSpace),
+    #[error("Unknown bar position {0:?}")]
+    UnknownBarPosition(BarPosition),
 }
 
 trait WithRequestName {
diff --git a/src/ifs/wl_surface/tray/jay_tray_item_v1.rs b/src/ifs/wl_surface/tray/jay_tray_item_v1.rs
index 5385d41a..88b5731f 100644
--- a/src/ifs/wl_surface/tray/jay_tray_item_v1.rs
+++ b/src/ifs/wl_surface/tray/jay_tray_item_v1.rs
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ use {
         },
         leaks::Tracker,
         object::{Object, Version},
+        theme::BarPosition,
         tree::NodeVisitor,
         utils::copyhashmap::CopyHashMap,
         wire::{JayTrayItemV1Id, XdgPopupId, jay_tray_item_v1::*},
     },
-    jay_config::theme::BarPosition,
     std::rc::Rc,
     thiserror::Error,
 };
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ impl JayTrayItemV1 {
     fn send_preferred_anchor(&self) {
         let anchor = match self.data.client.state.theme.bar_position.get() {
             BarPosition::Bottom => ANCHOR_TOP_RIGHT,
-            BarPosition::Top | _ => ANCHOR_BOTTOM_RIGHT,
+            BarPosition::Top => ANCHOR_BOTTOM_RIGHT,
         };
         self.data.client.event(PreferredAnchor {
             self_id: self.id,
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ impl JayTrayItemV1 {
     fn send_preferred_gravity(&self) {
         let gravity = match self.data.client.state.theme.bar_position.get() {
             BarPosition::Bottom => ANCHOR_TOP_LEFT,
-            BarPosition::Top | _ => ANCHOR_BOTTOM_LEFT,
+            BarPosition::Top => ANCHOR_BOTTOM_LEFT,
         };
         self.data.client.event(PreferredGravity {
             self_id: self.id,
diff --git a/src/theme.rs b/src/theme.rs
index 8deda63d..f470993e 100644
--- a/src/theme.rs
+++ b/src/theme.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ use {
         gfx_api::AlphaMode,
         utils::clonecell::CloneCell,
     },
-    jay_config::theme::BarPosition,
+    jay_config::theme::BarPosition as ConfigBarPosition,
+    linearize::Linearize,
     num_traits::Float,
     std::{cell::Cell, cmp::Ordering, ops::Mul, sync::Arc},
 };
@@ -515,6 +516,35 @@ sizes! {
 
 pub const DEFAULT_FONT: &str = "monospace 8";
 
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug, Hash, Eq, PartialEq, Default, Linearize)]
+pub enum BarPosition {
+    #[default]
+    Top,
+    Bottom,
+}
+
+impl TryFrom<ConfigBarPosition> for BarPosition {
+    type Error = ();
+
+    fn try_from(value: ConfigBarPosition) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        let v = match value {
+            ConfigBarPosition::Top => Self::Top,
+            ConfigBarPosition::Bottom => Self::Bottom,
+            _ => return Err(()),
+        };
+        Ok(v)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Into<ConfigBarPosition> for BarPosition {
+    fn into(self) -> ConfigBarPosition {
+        match self {
+            BarPosition::Top => ConfigBarPosition::Top,
+            BarPosition::Bottom => ConfigBarPosition::Bottom,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub struct Theme {
     pub colors: ThemeColors,
     pub sizes: ThemeSizes,
diff --git a/src/tree/output.rs b/src/tree/output.rs
index 55707c92..ff4baad8 100644
--- a/src/tree/output.rs
+++ b/src/tree/output.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ use {
         scale::Scale,
         state::State,
         text::TextTexture,
+        theme::BarPosition,
         tree::{
             Direction, FindTreeResult, FindTreeUsecase, FoundNode, Node, NodeId, NodeLayerLink,
             NodeLocation, PinnedNode, StackedNode, TddType, TileDragDestination,
@@ -67,7 +68,6 @@ use {
     },
     ahash::AHashMap,
     jay_config::{
-        theme::BarPosition,
         video::{TearingMode as ConfigTearingMode, Transform, VrrMode as ConfigVrrMode},
         workspace::WorkspaceDisplayOrder,
     },
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ impl OutputNode {
                         Rect::new_sized_saturating(x1, y1 + height - bh - bsw, width, bsw);
                     bar_rect = Rect::new_sized_saturating(x1, y1 + height - bh, width, bh);
                 }
-                BarPosition::Top | _ => {
+                BarPosition::Top => {
                     bar_rect = Rect::new_sized_saturating(x1, y1, width, bh);
                     bar_separator_rect = Rect::new_sized_saturating(x1, y1 + bh, width, bsw);
                     bar_rect_with_separator = Rect::new_sized_saturating(x1, y1, width, bh + bsw);