diff --git a/i3-msg/main.c b/i3-msg/main.c
index 5bc35b88..13cf0ccb 100644
--- a/i3-msg/main.c
+++ b/i3-msg/main.c
@@ -74,9 +74,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 message_type = I3_IPC_MESSAGE_TYPE_GET_TREE;
             else if (strcasecmp(optarg, "get_marks") == 0)
                 message_type = I3_IPC_MESSAGE_TYPE_GET_MARKS;
+            else if (strcasecmp(optarg, "get_bar_config") == 0)
+                message_type = I3_IPC_MESSAGE_TYPE_GET_BAR_CONFIG;
             else {
                 printf("Unknown message type\n");
-                printf("Known types: command, get_workspaces, get_outputs, get_tree, get_marks\n");
+                printf("Known types: command, get_workspaces, get_outputs, get_tree, get_marks, get_bar_config\n");
                 exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
             }
         } else if (o == 'q') {
diff --git a/include/i3/ipc.h b/include/i3/ipc.h
index 30b2d304..a12d5cd7 100644
--- a/include/i3/ipc.h
+++ b/include/i3/ipc.h
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
 /** Request the current defined marks from i3 */
 #define I3_IPC_MESSAGE_TYPE_GET_MARKS           5
 
+/** Request the configuration for a specific 'bar' */
+#define I3_IPC_MESSAGE_TYPE_GET_BAR_CONFIG      6
+
 /*
  * Messages from i3 to clients
  *
@@ -61,9 +64,12 @@
 /** Tree reply type */
 #define I3_IPC_REPLY_TYPE_TREE                  4
 
-/** Marks reply type*/
+/** Marks reply type */
 #define I3_IPC_REPLY_TYPE_MARKS                 5
 
+/** Bar config reply type */
+#define I3_IPC_REPLY_TYPE_BAR_CONFIG            6
+
 /*
  * Events from i3 to clients. Events have the first bit set high.
  *
diff --git a/src/ipc.c b/src/ipc.c
index eba778cd..60f55966 100644
--- a/src/ipc.c
+++ b/src/ipc.c
@@ -475,6 +475,120 @@ IPC_HANDLER(get_marks) {
     y(free);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Formats the reply message for a GET_BAR_CONFIG request and sends it to the
+ * client.
+ *
+ */
+IPC_HANDLER(get_bar_config) {
+    /* To get a properly terminated buffer, we copy
+     * message_size bytes out of the buffer */
+    char *bar_id = scalloc(message_size + 1);
+    strncpy(bar_id, (const char*)message, message_size);
+    LOG("IPC: looking for config for bar ID \"%s\"\n", bar_id);
+    Barconfig *current, *config = NULL;
+    SLIST_FOREACH(current, &barconfigs, configs) {
+        if (strcmp(current->id, bar_id) != 0)
+            continue;
+
+        config = current;
+        break;
+    }
+
+#if YAJL_MAJOR >= 2
+    yajl_gen gen = yajl_gen_alloc(NULL);
+#else
+    yajl_gen gen = yajl_gen_alloc(NULL, NULL);
+#endif
+
+    y(map_open);
+
+    if (!config) {
+        /* If we did not find a config for the given ID, the reply will contain
+         * a null 'id' field. */
+        ystr("id");
+        y(null);
+    } else {
+        ystr("id");
+        ystr(config->id);
+
+        if (config->num_outputs > 0) {
+            ystr("outputs");
+            y(array_open);
+            for (int c = 0; c < config->num_outputs; c++)
+                ystr(config->outputs[c]);
+            y(array_close);
+        }
+
+#define YSTR_IF_SET(name) \
+        do { \
+            if (config->name) { \
+                ystr( # name); \
+                ystr(config->name); \
+            } \
+        } while (0)
+
+        YSTR_IF_SET(tray_output);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(socket_path);
+
+        ystr("mode");
+        if (config->mode == M_HIDE)
+            ystr("hide");
+        else ystr("dock");
+
+        ystr("position");
+        if (config->position == P_BOTTOM)
+            ystr("bottom");
+        else ystr("top");
+
+        YSTR_IF_SET(status_command);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(font);
+
+        ystr("workspace_buttons");
+        y(bool, !config->hide_workspace_buttons);
+
+        ystr("verbose");
+        y(bool, config->verbose);
+
+#undef YSTR_IF_SET
+#define YSTR_IF_SET(name) \
+        do { \
+            if (config->colors.name) { \
+                ystr( # name); \
+                ystr(config->colors.name); \
+            } \
+        } while (0)
+
+        ystr("colors");
+        y(map_open);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(background);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(statusline);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(focused_workspace_text);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(focused_workspace_bg);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(active_workspace_text);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(active_workspace_bg);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(inactive_workspace_text);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(inactive_workspace_bg);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(urgent_workspace_text);
+        YSTR_IF_SET(urgent_workspace_bg);
+
+#undef YSTR_IF_SET
+    }
+
+    y(map_close);
+
+    const unsigned char *payload;
+#if YAJL_MAJOR >= 2
+    size_t length;
+#else
+    unsigned int length;
+#endif
+    y(get_buf, &payload, &length);
+
+    ipc_send_message(fd, length, I3_IPC_REPLY_TYPE_BAR_CONFIG, payload);
+    y(free);
+}
+
 /*
  * Callback for the YAJL parser (will be called when a string is parsed).
  *
@@ -560,13 +674,14 @@ IPC_HANDLER(subscribe) {
 
 /* The index of each callback function corresponds to the numeric
  * value of the message type (see include/i3/ipc.h) */
-handler_t handlers[6] = {
+handler_t handlers[7] = {
     handle_command,
     handle_get_workspaces,
     handle_subscribe,
     handle_get_outputs,
     handle_tree,
-    handle_get_marks
+    handle_get_marks,
+    handle_get_bar_config
 };
 
 /*