diff --git a/include/config_directives.h b/include/config_directives.h
index 1a7a3932..a7da4914 100644
--- a/include/config_directives.h
+++ b/include/config_directives.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ CFGFUN(bar_verbose, const char *verbose);
 CFGFUN(bar_modifier, const char *modifier);
 CFGFUN(bar_wheel_up_cmd, const char *command);
 CFGFUN(bar_wheel_down_cmd, const char *command);
+CFGFUN(bar_bindsym, const char *button, const char *command);
 CFGFUN(bar_position, const char *position);
 CFGFUN(bar_i3bar_command, const char *i3bar_command);
 CFGFUN(bar_color, const char *colorclass, const char *border, const char *background, const char *text);
@@ -90,4 +91,5 @@ CFGFUN(bar_status_command, const char *command);
 CFGFUN(bar_binding_mode_indicator, const char *value);
 CFGFUN(bar_workspace_buttons, const char *value);
 CFGFUN(bar_strip_workspace_numbers, const char *value);
+CFGFUN(bar_start);
 CFGFUN(bar_finish);
diff --git a/parser-specs/config.spec b/parser-specs/config.spec
index b52fafc2..e0d422c8 100644
--- a/parser-specs/config.spec
+++ b/parser-specs/config.spec
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ state BARBRACE:
   end
       ->
   '{'
-      -> BAR
+      -> call cfg_bar_start(); BAR
 
 state BAR:
   end ->
@@ -409,6 +409,7 @@ state BAR:
   'modifier'               -> BAR_MODIFIER
   'wheel_up_cmd'           -> BAR_WHEEL_UP_CMD
   'wheel_down_cmd'         -> BAR_WHEEL_DOWN_CMD
+  'bindsym'                -> BAR_BINDSYM
   'position'               -> BAR_POSITION
   'output'                 -> BAR_OUTPUT
   'tray_output'            -> BAR_TRAY_OUTPUT
@@ -463,6 +464,14 @@ state BAR_WHEEL_DOWN_CMD:
   command = string
       -> call cfg_bar_wheel_down_cmd($command); BAR
 
+state BAR_BINDSYM:
+  button = word
+      -> BAR_BINDSYM_COMMAND
+
+state BAR_BINDSYM_COMMAND:
+  command = string
+      -> call cfg_bar_bindsym($button, $command); BAR
+
 state BAR_POSITION:
   position = 'top', 'bottom'
       -> call cfg_bar_position($position); BAR
diff --git a/src/config_directives.c b/src/config_directives.c
index 37bd0121..cf15d8d4 100644
--- a/src/config_directives.c
+++ b/src/config_directives.c
@@ -530,14 +530,21 @@ CFGFUN(bar_modifier, const char *modifier) {
         current_bar.modifier = M_SHIFT;
 }
 
+static void bar_configure_mouse_command(const char *button, const char *command) {
+}
+
 CFGFUN(bar_wheel_up_cmd, const char *command) {
-    FREE(current_bar.wheel_up_cmd);
-    current_bar.wheel_up_cmd = sstrdup(command);
+    ELOG("'wheel_up_cmd' is deprecated. Please us 'bindsym button4 %s' instead.\n", command);
+    bar_configure_mouse_command("button4", command);
 }
 
 CFGFUN(bar_wheel_down_cmd, const char *command) {
-    FREE(current_bar.wheel_down_cmd);
-    current_bar.wheel_down_cmd = sstrdup(command);
+    ELOG("'wheel_down_cmd' is deprecated. Please us 'bindsym button5 %s' instead.\n", command);
+    bar_configure_mouse_command("button5", command);
+}
+
+CFGFUN(bar_bindsym, const char *button, const char *command) {
+    bar_configure_mouse_command(button, command);
 }
 
 CFGFUN(bar_position, const char *position) {
@@ -611,6 +618,10 @@ CFGFUN(bar_strip_workspace_numbers, const char *value) {
     current_bar.strip_workspace_numbers = eval_boolstr(value);
 }
 
+CFGFUN(bar_start) {
+    TAILQ_INIT(&(current_bar.mouse_commands));
+}
+
 CFGFUN(bar_finish) {
     DLOG("\t new bar configuration finished, saving.\n");
     /* Generate a unique ID for this bar if not already configured */
diff --git a/testcases/t/201-config-parser.t b/testcases/t/201-config-parser.t
index de25e7ff..9dc0f840 100644
--- a/testcases/t/201-config-parser.t
+++ b/testcases/t/201-config-parser.t
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ EOT
 
 $expected = <<'EOT';
 cfg_bar_output(LVDS-1)
-ERROR: CONFIG: Expected one of these tokens: <end>, '#', 'set', 'i3bar_command', 'status_command', 'socket_path', 'mode', 'hidden_state', 'id', 'modifier', 'wheel_up_cmd', 'wheel_down_cmd', 'position', 'output', 'tray_output', 'font', 'separator_symbol', 'binding_mode_indicator', 'workspace_buttons', 'strip_workspace_numbers', 'verbose', 'colors', '}'
+ERROR: CONFIG: Expected one of these tokens: <end>, '#', 'set', 'i3bar_command', 'status_command', 'socket_path', 'mode', 'hidden_state', 'id', 'modifier', 'wheel_up_cmd', 'wheel_down_cmd', 'bindsym', 'position', 'output', 'tray_output', 'font', 'separator_symbol', 'binding_mode_indicator', 'workspace_buttons', 'strip_workspace_numbers', 'verbose', 'colors', '}'
 ERROR: CONFIG: (in file <stdin>)
 ERROR: CONFIG: Line   1: bar {
 ERROR: CONFIG: Line   2:     output LVDS-1