diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 1f20a3d2..6757f493 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [submodule "lib/i3ipcpp"]
 	path = lib/i3ipcpp
 	url = https://github.com/jaagr/i3ipcpp
-	branch = v0.5.1
+	branch = v0.6.0
 [submodule "lib/xpp"]
 	path = lib/xpp
 	url = https://github.com/jaagr/xpp
diff --git a/include/modules/i3.hpp b/include/modules/i3.hpp
index b5ee8cff..6d214255 100644
--- a/include/modules/i3.hpp
+++ b/include/modules/i3.hpp
@@ -11,33 +11,27 @@
 POLYBAR_NS
 
 namespace modules {
-  // meta types {{{
-
-  enum class i3_flag {
-    WORKSPACE_NONE,
-    WORKSPACE_FOCUSED,
-    WORKSPACE_UNFOCUSED,
-    WORKSPACE_VISIBLE,
-    WORKSPACE_URGENT,
-  };
-
-  struct i3_workspace {
-    int index;
-    i3_flag flag;
-    label_t label;
-
-    i3_workspace(int index_, i3_flag flag_, label_t&& label_)
-        : index(index_), flag(flag_), label(forward<decltype(label_)>(label_)) {}
-
-    operator bool();
-  };
-
-  using i3_workspace_t = unique_ptr<i3_workspace>;
-
-  // }}}
-
   class i3_module : public event_module<i3_module> {
    public:
+    enum class state {
+      NONE,
+      FOCUSED,
+      UNFOCUSED,
+      VISIBLE,
+      URGENT,
+    };
+
+    struct workspace {
+      explicit workspace(int index, state state_, label_t&& label)
+          : index(index), state(state_), label(forward<label_t>(label)) {}
+
+      operator bool();
+
+      int index;
+      state state;
+      label_t label;
+    };
+
     using event_module::event_module;
 
     void setup();
@@ -51,19 +45,26 @@ namespace modules {
     }
 
    private:
-    static constexpr auto DEFAULT_WS_ICON = "ws-icon-default";
-    static constexpr auto DEFAULT_WS_LABEL = "%icon% %name%";
-    static constexpr auto TAG_LABEL_STATE = "<label-state>";
+    static constexpr const char* DEFAULT_TAGS{"<label-state> <label-mode>"};
+    static constexpr const char* DEFAULT_MODE{"default"};
+    static constexpr const char* DEFAULT_WS_ICON{"ws-icon-default"};
+    static constexpr const char* DEFAULT_WS_LABEL{"%icon% %name%"};
 
-    static constexpr auto EVENT_PREFIX = "i3";
-    static constexpr auto EVENT_CLICK = "i3-wsfocus-";
-    static constexpr auto EVENT_SCROLL_UP = "i3-wsnext";
-    static constexpr auto EVENT_SCROLL_DOWN = "i3-wsprev";
+    static constexpr const char* TAG_LABEL_STATE{"<label-state>"};
+    static constexpr const char* TAG_LABEL_MODE{"<label-mode>"};
 
-    map<i3_flag, label_t> m_statelabels;
-    vector<i3_workspace_t> m_workspaces;
+    static constexpr const char* EVENT_PREFIX{"i3"};
+    static constexpr const char* EVENT_CLICK{"i3-wsfocus-"};
+    static constexpr const char* EVENT_SCROLL_UP{"i3-wsnext"};
+    static constexpr const char* EVENT_SCROLL_DOWN{"i3-wsprev"};
+
+    map<state, label_t> m_statelabels;
+    vector<unique_ptr<workspace>> m_workspaces;
     iconset_t m_icons;
 
+    label_t m_modelabel;
+    bool m_modeactive{false};
+
     bool m_click = true;
     bool m_scroll = true;
     bool m_indexsort = false;
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ namespace modules {
     bool m_strip_wsnumbers = false;
     size_t m_wsname_maxlen = 0;
 
-    i3_util::connection_t m_ipc;
+    unique_ptr<i3_util::connection_t> m_ipc;
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/i3ipcpp b/lib/i3ipcpp
index a9654243..8d78ec8c 160000
--- a/lib/i3ipcpp
+++ b/lib/i3ipcpp
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit a96542431949cb5d429df1078d9ba3ad28be371b
+Subproject commit 8d78ec8cb08f66874082a8d9166793e478682d97
diff --git a/src/modules/i3.cpp b/src/modules/i3.cpp
index ea010f0f..4ac22249 100644
--- a/src/modules/i3.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/i3.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 
-#include "modules/i3.hpp"
-
 #include "drawtypes/iconset.hpp"
 #include "drawtypes/label.hpp"
+#include "modules/i3.hpp"
+#include "utils/file.hpp"
 
 #include "modules/meta/base.inl"
 #include "modules/meta/event_module.inl"
@@ -14,11 +14,19 @@ namespace modules {
   template class module<i3_module>;
   template class event_module<i3_module>;
 
-  i3_workspace::operator bool() {
+  i3_module::workspace::operator bool() {
     return label && *label;
   }
 
-  void i3_module::setup() {  // {{{
+  void i3_module::setup() {
+    auto socket_path = i3ipc::get_socketpath();
+
+    if (!file_util::exists(socket_path)) {
+      throw module_error("Could not find socket: " + (socket_path.empty() ? "<empty>" : socket_path));
+    }
+
+    m_ipc = make_unique<i3ipc::connection>();
+
     // Load configuration values
     GET_CONFIG_VALUE(name(), m_click, "enable-click");
     GET_CONFIG_VALUE(name(), m_scroll, "enable-scroll");
@@ -28,17 +36,21 @@ namespace modules {
     GET_CONFIG_VALUE(name(), m_wsname_maxlen, "wsname-maxlen");
 
     // Add formats and create components
-    m_formatter->add(DEFAULT_FORMAT, TAG_LABEL_STATE, {TAG_LABEL_STATE});
+    m_formatter->add(DEFAULT_FORMAT, DEFAULT_TAGS, {TAG_LABEL_STATE, TAG_LABEL_MODE});
 
     if (m_formatter->has(TAG_LABEL_STATE)) {
-      m_statelabels.insert(make_pair(
-          i3_flag::WORKSPACE_FOCUSED, load_optional_label(m_conf, name(), "label-focused", DEFAULT_WS_LABEL)));
-      m_statelabels.insert(make_pair(
-          i3_flag::WORKSPACE_UNFOCUSED, load_optional_label(m_conf, name(), "label-unfocused", DEFAULT_WS_LABEL)));
-      m_statelabels.insert(make_pair(
-          i3_flag::WORKSPACE_VISIBLE, load_optional_label(m_conf, name(), "label-visible", DEFAULT_WS_LABEL)));
       m_statelabels.insert(
-          make_pair(i3_flag::WORKSPACE_URGENT, load_optional_label(m_conf, name(), "label-urgent", DEFAULT_WS_LABEL)));
+          make_pair(state::FOCUSED, load_optional_label(m_conf, name(), "label-focused", DEFAULT_WS_LABEL)));
+      m_statelabels.insert(
+          make_pair(state::UNFOCUSED, load_optional_label(m_conf, name(), "label-unfocused", DEFAULT_WS_LABEL)));
+      m_statelabels.insert(
+          make_pair(state::VISIBLE, load_optional_label(m_conf, name(), "label-visible", DEFAULT_WS_LABEL)));
+      m_statelabels.insert(
+          make_pair(state::URGENT, load_optional_label(m_conf, name(), "label-urgent", DEFAULT_WS_LABEL)));
+    }
+
+    if (m_formatter->has(TAG_LABEL_MODE)) {
+      m_modelabel = load_optional_label(m_conf, name(), "label-mode", "%mode%");
     }
 
     m_icons = make_shared<iconset>();
@@ -52,29 +64,44 @@ namespace modules {
     }
 
     try {
-      m_ipc.subscribe(i3ipc::ET_WORKSPACE);
-      m_ipc.prepare_to_event_handling();
-    } catch (std::exception& err) {
+      if (m_modelabel) {
+        m_ipc->on_mode_event = [this](const i3ipc::mode_t& mode) {
+          m_modeactive = (mode.change != DEFAULT_MODE);
+          if (m_modeactive) {
+            m_modelabel->reset_tokens();
+            m_modelabel->replace_token("%mode%", mode.change);
+          }
+        };
+      }
+      m_ipc->subscribe(i3ipc::ET_WORKSPACE | i3ipc::ET_MODE);
+    } catch (const exception& err) {
       throw module_error(err.what());
     }
-  }  // }}}
+  }
 
-  void i3_module::stop() {  // {{{
+  void i3_module::stop() {
     try {
-      m_log.info("%s: Disconnecting from sockets", name());
-      shutdown(m_ipc.get_event_socket_fd(), SHUT_RDWR);
-      shutdown(m_ipc.get_main_socket_fd(), SHUT_RDWR);
+      if (m_ipc) {
+        m_log.info("%s: Disconnecting from socket", name());
+        shutdown(m_ipc->get_event_socket_fd(), SHUT_RDWR);
+        shutdown(m_ipc->get_main_socket_fd(), SHUT_RDWR);
+      }
     } catch (...) {
     }
 
     event_module::stop();
-  }  // }}}
+  }
 
-  bool i3_module::has_event() {  // {{{
-    return m_ipc.handle_event();
-  }  // }}}
+  bool i3_module::has_event() {
+    try {
+      m_ipc->handle_event();
+      return true;
+    } catch (const exception& err) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
 
-  bool i3_module::update() {  // {{{
+  bool i3_module::update() {
     m_workspaces.clear();
     i3_util::connection_t ipc;
 
@@ -83,9 +110,9 @@ namespace modules {
       vector<shared_ptr<i3ipc::workspace_t>> sorted = workspaces;
       string focused_output;
 
-      for (auto&& workspace : workspaces) {
-        if (workspace->focused) {
-          focused_output = workspace->output;
+      for (auto&& ws : workspaces) {
+        if (ws->focused) {
+          focused_output = ws->output;
           break;
         }
       }
@@ -99,23 +126,23 @@ namespace modules {
         // clang-format on
       }
 
-      for (auto&& workspace : sorted) {
-        if (m_pinworkspaces && workspace->output != m_bar.monitor->name) {
+      for (auto&& ws : sorted) {
+        if (m_pinworkspaces && ws->output != m_bar.monitor->name) {
           continue;
         }
 
-        auto flag = i3_flag::WORKSPACE_NONE;
-        if (workspace->focused) {
-          flag = i3_flag::WORKSPACE_FOCUSED;
-        } else if (workspace->urgent) {
-          flag = i3_flag::WORKSPACE_URGENT;
-        } else if (!workspace->visible || (workspace->visible && workspace->output != focused_output)) {
-          flag = i3_flag::WORKSPACE_UNFOCUSED;
+        auto state = state::NONE;
+        if (ws->focused) {
+          state = state::FOCUSED;
+        } else if (ws->urgent) {
+          state = state::URGENT;
+        } else if (!ws->visible || (ws->visible && ws->output != focused_output)) {
+          state = state::UNFOCUSED;
         } else {
-          flag = i3_flag::WORKSPACE_VISIBLE;
+          state = state::VISIBLE;
         }
 
-        string wsname{workspace->name};
+        string wsname{ws->name};
 
         // Remove workspace numbers "0:"
         if (m_strip_wsnumbers) {
@@ -130,53 +157,55 @@ namespace modules {
           wsname.erase(m_wsname_maxlen);
         }
 
-        auto icon = m_icons->get(workspace->name, DEFAULT_WS_ICON);
-        auto label = m_statelabels.find(flag)->second->clone();
+        auto icon = m_icons->get(ws->name, DEFAULT_WS_ICON);
+        auto label = m_statelabels.find(state)->second->clone();
 
         label->reset_tokens();
-        label->replace_token("%output%", workspace->output);
+        label->replace_token("%output%", ws->output);
         label->replace_token("%name%", wsname);
         label->replace_token("%icon%", icon->get());
-        label->replace_token("%index%", to_string(workspace->num));
-        m_workspaces.emplace_back(make_unique<i3_workspace>(workspace->num, flag, move(label)));
+        label->replace_token("%index%", to_string(ws->num));
+        m_workspaces.emplace_back(make_unique<workspace>(ws->num, state, move(label)));
       }
 
       return true;
-    } catch (const std::exception& err) {
+    } catch (const exception& err) {
       m_log.err("%s: %s", name(), err.what());
       return false;
     }
-  }  // }}}
+  }
 
-  bool i3_module::build(builder* builder, const string& tag) const {  // {{{
-    if (tag != TAG_LABEL_STATE) {
+  bool i3_module::build(builder* builder, const string& tag) const {
+    if (tag == TAG_LABEL_MODE && m_modeactive) {
+      builder->node(m_modelabel);
+    } else if (tag == TAG_LABEL_STATE && !m_workspaces.empty()) {
+      if (m_scroll) {
+        builder->cmd(mousebtn::SCROLL_DOWN, EVENT_SCROLL_DOWN);
+        builder->cmd(mousebtn::SCROLL_UP, EVENT_SCROLL_UP);
+      }
+
+      for (auto&& ws : m_workspaces) {
+        if (m_click) {
+          builder->cmd(mousebtn::LEFT, string{EVENT_CLICK} + to_string(ws->index));
+          builder->node(ws->label);
+          builder->cmd_close();
+        } else {
+          builder->node(ws->label);
+        }
+      }
+
+      if (m_scroll) {
+        builder->cmd_close();
+        builder->cmd_close();
+      }
+    } else {
       return false;
     }
 
-    if (m_scroll) {
-      builder->cmd(mousebtn::SCROLL_DOWN, EVENT_SCROLL_DOWN);
-      builder->cmd(mousebtn::SCROLL_UP, EVENT_SCROLL_UP);
-    }
-
-    for (auto&& ws : m_workspaces) {
-      if (m_click) {
-        builder->cmd(mousebtn::LEFT, string{EVENT_CLICK} + to_string(ws->index));
-        builder->node(ws->label);
-        builder->cmd_close();
-      } else {
-        builder->node(ws->label);
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (m_scroll) {
-      builder->cmd_close();
-      builder->cmd_close();
-    }
-
     return true;
-  }  // }}}
+  }
 
-  bool i3_module::handle_event(string cmd) {  // {{{
+  bool i3_module::handle_event(string cmd) {
     if (cmd.compare(0, 2, EVENT_PREFIX) != 0) {
       return false;
     }
@@ -194,12 +223,12 @@ namespace modules {
         m_log.info("%s: Sending workspace next command to ipc handler", name());
         ipc.send_command("workspace prev_on_output");
       }
-    } catch (const std::exception& err) {
+    } catch (const exception& err) {
       m_log.err("%s: %s", name(), err.what());
     }
 
     return true;
-  }  // }}}
+  }
 }
 
 POLYBAR_NS_END