diff --git a/boxes/phone/out-of-tree/Makefile b/boxes/phone/out-of-tree/Makefile
index 66f2adc..f7ba990 100644
--- a/boxes/phone/out-of-tree/Makefile
+++ b/boxes/phone/out-of-tree/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-termux: termux-pkgs termux-dots utils-sh rebuild-sh st pip-pkgs git-annex.linux sssg
+termux: termux-pkgs termux-dots utils-sh rebuild-sh st pip-pkgs git-annex.linux sssg statusbar-polyfill
 
 list: options # alias
 options:
@@ -87,3 +87,6 @@ git-annex.linux:
 sssg:
 	-cp ~/git/sssg/sssg.sh ~/.local/bin/sssg
 	-chmod +x ~/.local/bin/sssg
+
+statusbar-polyfill:
+	cp ~/dot_testing/builds/statusbar/termux-statusbar-polyfill ~/.local/bin
diff --git a/builds/statusbar/statusbar/statusbar.py b/builds/statusbar/statusbar/statusbar.py
index df40c14..cd2e61c 100644
--- a/builds/statusbar/statusbar/statusbar.py
+++ b/builds/statusbar/statusbar/statusbar.py
@@ -179,17 +179,22 @@ def main():
         os.mkdir("/home/usr/.cache/statusbar")
     except FileExistsError:
         pass
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        # we're on the phone
+        try:
+            os.mkdir("/data/data/com.termux/files/home/.cache/statusbar")
+        except FileExistsError:
+            pass
 
     if argv[1] == "start_statusbars":
         hostname = gethostname()
 
-        print(hostname)
         if not hostname == "localhost": # if we're not the phone
             start_statusbars()
         else:
             # we are the phone
-            os.system("st -c statusbar -p -g {}x{}+{}+{} -e statusbar {} & disown".format(
-                1920, 100, 0, 980
+            os.system("/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash -c 'st -c statusbar -p -g {}x{}+{}+{} -e termux-statusbar-polyfill {} & disown'".format(
+                1920, 50, 0, 980,
                 "VNC-0"
             ))
 
diff --git a/builds/statusbar/termux-statusbar-polyfill b/builds/statusbar/termux-statusbar-polyfill
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ae8f3f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builds/statusbar/termux-statusbar-polyfill
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+python3 ~/dot_testing/builds/statusbar/statusbar/statusbar.py $@
diff --git a/builds/utils/disp b/builds/utils/disp
index 894ba8a..7b3a8a3 100755
--- a/builds/utils/disp
+++ b/builds/utils/disp
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ case "$(hostname)" in
 		bspc config top_padding 0
 		bspc config bottom_padding 100
 		mkdir -p ~/.cache/statusbar
+		termux-statusbar-polyfill start_statusbars
 		;;
 esac