diff --git a/include/swaybar/i3bar.h b/include/swaybar/i3bar.h
index df8cdd09..1aec6d6c 100644
--- a/include/swaybar/i3bar.h
+++ b/include/swaybar/i3bar.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ struct i3bar_block {
 	// Airblader features
 	uint32_t background;
 	uint32_t border;
+	bool border_set;
 	int border_top;
 	int border_bottom;
 	int border_left;
diff --git a/swaybar/i3bar.c b/swaybar/i3bar.c
index 4bcd5843..6d00befb 100644
--- a/swaybar/i3bar.c
+++ b/swaybar/i3bar.c
@@ -28,6 +28,19 @@ void i3bar_block_unref(struct i3bar_block *block) {
 	}
 }
 
+static bool i3bar_parse_json_color(json_object *json, uint32_t *color) {
+	if (!json) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	const char *hexstring = json_object_get_string(json);
+	bool color_set = parse_color(hexstring, color);
+	if (!color_set) {
+		sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Ignoring invalid block hexadecimal color string: %s", hexstring);
+	}
+	return color_set;
+}
+
 static void i3bar_parse_json(struct status_line *status,
 		struct json_object *json_array) {
 	struct i3bar_block *block, *tmp;
@@ -68,13 +81,7 @@ static void i3bar_parse_json(struct status_line *status,
 			strdup(json_object_get_string(full_text)) : NULL;
 		block->short_text = short_text ?
 			strdup(json_object_get_string(short_text)) : NULL;
-		if (color) {
-			const char *hexstring = json_object_get_string(color);
-			block->color_set = parse_color(hexstring, &block->color);
-			if (!block->color_set) {
-				sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Invalid block color: %s", hexstring);
-			}
-		}
+		block->color_set = i3bar_parse_json_color(color, &block->color);
 		if (min_width) {
 			json_type type = json_object_get_type(min_width);
 			if (type == json_type_int) {
@@ -100,14 +107,8 @@ static void i3bar_parse_json(struct status_line *status,
 		block->separator_block_width = separator_block_width ?
 			json_object_get_int(separator_block_width) : 9;
 		// Airblader features
-		const char *hex = background ? json_object_get_string(background) : NULL;
-		if (hex && !parse_color(hex, &block->background)) {
-			sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Ignoring invalid block background: %s", hex);
-		}
-		hex = border ? json_object_get_string(border) : NULL;
-		if (hex && !parse_color(hex, &block->border)) {
-			sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Ignoring invalid block border: %s", hex);
-		}
+		i3bar_parse_json_color(background, &block->background);
+		block->border_set = i3bar_parse_json_color(border, &block->border);
 		block->border_top = border_top ? json_object_get_int(border_top) : 1;
 		block->border_bottom = border_bottom ?
 			json_object_get_int(border_bottom) : 1;
diff --git a/swaybar/render.c b/swaybar/render.c
index 65cacd39..92b73f4c 100644
--- a/swaybar/render.c
+++ b/swaybar/render.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "swaybar/ipc.h"
 #include "swaybar/render.h"
 #include "swaybar/status_line.h"
+#include "log.h"
 #if HAVE_TRAY
 #include "swaybar/tray/tray.h"
 #endif
@@ -215,11 +216,11 @@ static uint32_t render_status_block(struct render_context *ctx,
 	}
 
 	*x -= width;
-	if ((block->border || block->urgent) && block->border_left > 0) {
+	if ((block->border_set || block->urgent) && block->border_left > 0) {
 		*x -= (block->border_left + margin);
 		block_width += block->border_left + margin;
 	}
-	if ((block->border || block->urgent) && block->border_right > 0) {
+	if ((block->border_set || block->urgent) && block->border_right > 0) {
 		*x -= (block->border_right + margin);
 		block_width += block->border_right + margin;
 	}
@@ -273,18 +274,20 @@ static uint32_t render_status_block(struct render_context *ctx,
 
 	uint32_t border_color = block->urgent
 		? config->colors.urgent_workspace.border : block->border;
-	if (border_color && block->border_top > 0) {
-		render_sharp_line(cairo, border_color, x_pos, y_pos,
-				block_width, block->border_top);
-	}
-	if (border_color && block->border_bottom > 0) {
-		render_sharp_line(cairo, border_color, x_pos,
-				y_pos + render_height - block->border_bottom,
-				block_width, block->border_bottom);
-	}
-	if (border_color && block->border_left > 0) {
-		render_sharp_line(cairo, border_color, x_pos, y_pos,
-				block->border_left, render_height);
+	if (block->border_set || block->urgent) {
+		if (block->border_top > 0) {
+			render_sharp_line(cairo, border_color, x_pos, y_pos,
+					block_width, block->border_top);
+		}
+		if (block->border_bottom > 0) {
+			render_sharp_line(cairo, border_color, x_pos,
+					y_pos + render_height - block->border_bottom,
+					block_width, block->border_bottom);
+		}
+		if (block->border_left > 0) {
+			render_sharp_line(cairo, border_color, x_pos, y_pos,
+					block->border_left, render_height);
+		}
 		x_pos += block->border_left + margin;
 	}
 
@@ -307,10 +310,12 @@ static uint32_t render_status_block(struct render_context *ctx,
 	render_text(cairo, config->font, 1, block->markup, "%s", text);
 	x_pos += width;
 
-	if (border_color && block->border_right > 0) {
+	if (block->border_set || block->urgent) {
 		x_pos += margin;
-		render_sharp_line(cairo, border_color, x_pos, y_pos,
-				block->border_right, render_height);
+		if (block->border_right > 0) {
+			render_sharp_line(cairo, border_color, x_pos, y_pos,
+					block->border_right, render_height);
+		}
 		x_pos += block->border_right;
 	}
 
@@ -375,10 +380,10 @@ static void predict_status_block_pos(cairo_t *cairo,
 	}
 
 	*x -= width;
-	if ((block->border || block->urgent) && block->border_left > 0) {
+	if ((block->border_set || block->urgent) && block->border_left > 0) {
 		*x -= (block->border_left + margin);
 	}
-	if ((block->border || block->urgent) && block->border_right > 0) {
+	if ((block->border_set || block->urgent) && block->border_right > 0) {
 		*x -= (block->border_right + margin);
 	}