diff --git a/include/components/types.hpp b/include/components/types.hpp
index b24e58d0..dba383af 100644
--- a/include/components/types.hpp
+++ b/include/components/types.hpp
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ struct bar_settings {
 
   xcb_window_t window{XCB_NONE};
   monitor_t monitor{};
+  bool monitor_strict{false};
   bool monitor_exact{true};
   edge origin{edge::TOP};
   struct size size {
diff --git a/src/components/bar.cpp b/src/components/bar.cpp
index 1bdb7640..f315dd57 100644
--- a/src/components/bar.cpp
+++ b/src/components/bar.cpp
@@ -72,15 +72,15 @@ bar::bar(connection& conn, signal_emitter& emitter, const config& config, const
   // Get available RandR outputs
   auto monitor_name = m_conf.get(bs, "monitor", ""s);
   auto monitor_name_fallback = m_conf.get(bs, "monitor-fallback", ""s);
-  auto monitor_strictmode = m_conf.get(bs, "monitor-strict", false);
+  m_opts.monitor_strict = m_conf.get(bs, "monitor-strict", m_opts.monitor_strict);
   m_opts.monitor_exact = m_conf.get(bs, "monitor-exact", m_opts.monitor_exact);
-  auto monitors = randr_util::get_monitors(m_connection, m_connection.screen()->root, monitor_strictmode);
+  auto monitors = randr_util::get_monitors(m_connection, m_connection.screen()->root, m_opts.monitor_strict);
 
   if (monitors.empty()) {
     throw application_error("No monitors found");
   }
 
-  if (monitor_name.empty() && !monitor_strictmode) {
+  if (monitor_name.empty() && !m_opts.monitor_strict) {
     auto connected_monitors = randr_util::get_monitors(m_connection, m_connection.screen()->root, true);
     if (!connected_monitors.empty()) {
       monitor_name = connected_monitors[0]->name;
diff --git a/src/modules/xbacklight.cpp b/src/modules/xbacklight.cpp
index 0364dfc1..e9baf5d3 100644
--- a/src/modules/xbacklight.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/xbacklight.cpp
@@ -19,9 +19,8 @@ namespace modules {
   xbacklight_module::xbacklight_module(const bar_settings& bar, string name_)
       : static_module<xbacklight_module>(bar, move(name_)), m_connection(connection::make()) {
     auto output = m_conf.get(name(), "output", m_bar.monitor->name);
-    auto strict = m_conf.get(name(), "monitor-strict", false);
 
-    auto monitors = randr_util::get_monitors(m_connection, m_connection.root(), strict);
+    auto monitors = randr_util::get_monitors(m_connection, m_connection.root(), bar.monitor_strict);
 
     m_output = randr_util::match_monitor(monitors, output, bar.monitor_exact);