diff --git a/config/i3/config b/config/i3/config
index 3e451f1..4a3607e 100644
--- a/config/i3/config
+++ b/config/i3/config
@@ -195,6 +195,5 @@ bindsym $mod+r mode "resize"
 # Start i3bar to display a workspace bar (plus the system information i3status
 # finds out, if available)
 bar {
-        status_command i3status
-#        tray_output primary
+        status_command ~/src/dotfiles/i3status_append.sh
 }
diff --git a/config/i3status/config b/config/i3status/config
index e7fbaf7..b467a2e 100644
--- a/config/i3status/config
+++ b/config/i3status/config
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
            # order += "disk /"
            # order += "run_watch DHCP"
            # order += "run_watch VPNC"
-           order += "path_exists VPN"
            order += "wireless wlp3s0"
            order += "ethernet enp0s31f6"
            order += "battery 0"
diff --git a/i3status_append.sh b/i3status_append.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7f3feb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/i3status_append.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# shell script to prepend i3status with more stuff
+
+eml(){
+      maildirs="$HOME/Mail/magazino/INBOX/new/"
+      ml="$(find "$maildirs" -type f | wc -l)"
+      if [ $ml > 0 ]; then
+        echo "$ml"
+      else
+        echo "0"
+      fi
+}
+
+i3status | while :
+do
+	read line
+    echo "Mails $(eml) | $line" || exit 1
+done