diff --git a/shell/Ui/BarWidget.qml b/shell/Ui/BarWidget.qml
index 1cf3e256..10e9c324 100644
--- a/shell/Ui/BarWidget.qml
+++ b/shell/Ui/BarWidget.qml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import QtQuick
+import qs.Commons
 
 // Base item every bar widget extends. Codifies the three properties the
 // bar host injects into each widget slot:
@@ -14,4 +15,19 @@ Item {
   property QtObject bar: null
   property string moduleName: ""
   property var settings: ({})
+
+  // Bar geometry, lifted off the host. Widgets read these constantly to pick
+  // between horizontal/vertical layouts; defining them on the base keeps the
+  // `bar ? bar.x : fallback` ternary out of every widget body.
+  readonly property bool vertical: bar ? bar.vertical : false
+  readonly property int barSize: bar ? bar.barSize : Style.bar.sizeHorizontal
+
+  // Read a single value from this widget's inline shell.json entry, with a
+  // fallback for missing/null values. Every widget that takes user-tunable
+  // settings needs this; defining it once on the base keeps the wiring
+  // consistent.
+  function setting(name, fallback) {
+    var value = settings ? settings[name] : undefined
+    return value === undefined || value === null ? fallback : value
+  }
 }
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/activeWindow.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/activeWindow.qml
index 8f9d0137..49ef4f72 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/activeWindow.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/activeWindow.qml
@@ -9,20 +9,13 @@ BarWidget {
   moduleName: "activeWindow"
 
 
-  function setting(name, fallback) {
-    var value = settings ? settings[name] : undefined
-    return value === undefined || value === null ? fallback : value
-  }
-
   readonly property var toplevel: ToplevelManager.activeToplevel
   readonly property string title: toplevel ? (toplevel.title || toplevel.appId || "") : ""
   readonly property int maxLabelWidth: Number(setting("maxWidth", 280))
 
-  readonly property bool vertical: bar ? bar.vertical : false
-
   visible: title !== "" && !vertical
   implicitWidth: visible ? Math.min(maxLabelWidth, labelText.implicitWidth) + Style.spacing.controlPaddingX * 2 : 0
-  implicitHeight: bar ? bar.barSize : 26
+  implicitHeight: barSize
 
   Behavior on implicitWidth {
     NumberAnimation { duration: 180; easing.type: Easing.OutCubic }
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/clock.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/clock.qml
index 2820bb3f..eee8ef46 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/clock.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/clock.qml
@@ -9,11 +9,6 @@ BarWidget {
 
   property bool alt: false
 
-  function setting(name, fallback) {
-    var value = settings ? settings[name] : undefined
-    return value === undefined || value === null ? fallback : value
-  }
-
   function label() {
     if (alt) return Qt.formatDateTime(clock.date, String(setting("formatAlt", "dd MMMM 'W'ww yyyy")))
     if (bar && bar.vertical) return Qt.formatDateTime(clock.date, String(setting("verticalFormat", "HH\n—\nmm")))
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/daytime.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/daytime.qml
index e85b0ff3..ec368e8c 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/daytime.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/daytime.qml
@@ -9,11 +9,6 @@ BarWidget {
 
   property date now: new Date()
 
-  function setting(name, fallback) {
-    var value = settings ? settings[name] : undefined
-    return value === undefined || value === null ? fallback : value
-  }
-
   function formatLabel() {
     if (!bar) return ""
     var fmt = bar.vertical
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/indicators.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/indicators.qml
index e44be26d..afd4825e 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/indicators.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/indicators.qml
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ BarWidget {
   id: root
   moduleName: "indicators"
 
-  readonly property bool vertical: bar ? bar.vertical : false
-  readonly property int barSize: bar ? bar.barSize : Style.bar.sizeHorizontal
   readonly property int indicatorSlotExtent: Style.space(22)
   readonly property int inactiveSlotExtent: indicatorEntries.length * indicatorSlotExtent
   readonly property var indicatorEntries: indicatorEntriesFromSettings(settings)
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/keyboardLayout.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/keyboardLayout.qml
index f2ff8a56..b8220e5d 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/keyboardLayout.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/keyboardLayout.qml
@@ -13,11 +13,6 @@ BarWidget {
   property string layoutLabel: ""
   property string layoutFull: ""
 
-  function setting(name, fallback) {
-    var value = settings ? settings[name] : undefined
-    return value === undefined || value === null ? fallback : value
-  }
-
   function refresh() {
     if (!queryProc.running) queryProc.running = true
   }
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/lockKeys.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/lockKeys.qml
index 3704ff4d..272bb594 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/lockKeys.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/lockKeys.qml
@@ -14,11 +14,6 @@ BarWidget {
   property bool scrollOn: false
   property bool hideWhenOff: true
 
-  function setting(name, fallback) {
-    var value = settings ? settings[name] : undefined
-    return value === undefined || value === null ? fallback : value
-  }
-
   Component.onCompleted: {
     hideWhenOff = setting("hideWhenOff", true) === true
     refresh()
@@ -58,10 +53,8 @@ BarWidget {
   readonly property bool anyOn: capsOn || numOn || scrollOn
   visible: ledsAvailable && (hideWhenOff ? anyOn : true)
 
-  readonly property bool vertical: bar ? bar.vertical : false
-
-  implicitWidth: vertical ? (bar ? bar.barSize : Style.bar.sizeVertical) : (lay.item ? lay.item.implicitWidth + Style.spacing.controlGap : 0)
-  implicitHeight: vertical ? (lay.item ? lay.item.implicitHeight + Style.spacing.controlGap : 0) : (bar ? bar.barSize : Style.bar.sizeHorizontal)
+  implicitWidth: vertical ? barSize : (lay.item ? lay.item.implicitWidth + Style.spacing.controlGap : 0)
+  implicitHeight: vertical ? (lay.item ? lay.item.implicitHeight + Style.spacing.controlGap : 0) : barSize
 
   Loader {
     id: lay
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/media.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/media.qml
index 3a79c26a..c9957162 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/media.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/media.qml
@@ -9,11 +9,6 @@ BarWidget {
   moduleName: "media"
 
 
-  function setting(name, fallback) {
-    var value = settings ? settings[name] : undefined
-    return value === undefined || value === null ? fallback : value
-  }
-
   readonly property var players: Mpris.players ? Mpris.players.values : []
   readonly property var activePlayer: {
     var playing = null
@@ -38,7 +33,7 @@ BarWidget {
 
   visible: hasMedia
   implicitWidth: hasMedia ? row.implicitWidth + Style.space(14) : 0
-  implicitHeight: bar ? bar.barSize : 26
+  implicitHeight: barSize
 
   Row {
     id: row
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/spacer.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/spacer.qml
index 744a1856..5cb38c6a 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/spacer.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/spacer.qml
@@ -5,11 +5,9 @@ BarWidget {
   id: root
   moduleName: "spacer"
 
-
-  readonly property bool vertical: bar ? bar.vertical : false
   readonly property int span: settings && settings.size !== undefined ? Number(settings.size) : 12
 
-  implicitWidth: vertical ? (bar ? bar.barSize : 28) : span
-  implicitHeight: vertical ? span : (bar ? bar.barSize : 26)
+  implicitWidth: vertical ? barSize : span
+  implicitHeight: vertical ? span : barSize
   visible: span > 0
 }
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/systemStats.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/systemStats.qml
index 520f07f4..31e020cc 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/systemStats.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/systemStats.qml
@@ -116,8 +116,7 @@ BarWidget {
     onTriggered: root.refresh()
   }
 
-  readonly property bool vertical: bar ? bar.vertical : false
-  readonly property color statColor: bar ? bar.foreground : "#cacccc"
+  readonly property color statColor: bar ? bar.foreground : Color.foreground
 
   implicitWidth: button.implicitWidth
   implicitHeight: button.implicitHeight
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/tray.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/tray.qml
index d53f2ba6..b88287db 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/tray.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/tray.qml
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ BarWidget {
 
   property bool expanded: false
   property bool managePopupOpen: false
-  readonly property bool vertical: bar ? bar.vertical : false
-  readonly property int barSize: bar ? bar.barSize : Style.bar.sizeHorizontal
   readonly property color foreground: bar ? bar.foreground : Color.foreground
   readonly property string fontFamily: bar ? bar.fontFamily : Style.font.family
   readonly property var pinnedIds: Array.isArray(settings.pinned) ? settings.pinned : []
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/workspaces.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/workspaces.qml
index b0d7e304..b26e5e56 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/workspaces.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/workspaces.qml
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@ BarWidget {
   id: root
   moduleName: "workspaces"
 
-  readonly property bool vertical: bar ? bar.vertical : false
-  readonly property int barSize: bar ? bar.barSize : Style.bar.sizeHorizontal
-
   function workspaceById(id) {
     var values = Hyprland.workspaces.values
     for (var i = 0; i < values.length; i++) {