diff --git a/patches/bar-modes/README.md b/patches/bar-modes/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7dc12d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/bar-modes/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+![dwl bar-modes patch example](./example.png)
+
+### Description
+
+Add a mode indicator to bar that tells which mode you are in, just like
+river-classic's [dam](https://codeberg.org/sewn/dam) bar.
+
+The string from `modes_labels` defined in `config.h` is used, while normal mode
+is ignored.
+
+Another usage is to serve as a hint for each modes keybindings:
+
+```c
+enum {
+    BROWSER,
+};
+const char *modes_lablels[] = {
+    "[f]irefox [b]rave [c]hromium [q]utebrowser",
+};
+```
+
+### Dependencies
+this patch depends on:
+- [bar](https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl-patches/src/branch/main/patches/bar/) patch
+- [modes](https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl-patches/src/branch/main/patches/modes/) patch
+
+### Download
+- [v0.8](https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl-patches/raw/branch/main/patches/bar-modes/bar-modes.patch)
+
+### Authors
+- [unixchad](https://codeberg.org/unixchad/)
diff --git a/patches/bar-modes/bar-modes.patch b/patches/bar-modes/bar-modes.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e239a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/bar-modes/bar-modes.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+From 4f2c8a99720d90a551bf38f2c8d25ad239346eef Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: nate zhou <gnuunixchad@outlook.com>
+Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2026 21:54:03 +0800
+Subject: [PATCH] Patch: bar-modes for 0.8
+
+Add modes_labels indicator to bar, which behaves like river-classic's
+dam bar. This patch has to be applied after the bar and modes patch.
+---
+ dwl.c | 70 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------
+ 1 file changed, 59 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/dwl.c b/dwl.c
+index ae290ad..df525d3 100644
+--- a/dwl.c
++++ b/dwl.c
+@@ -1585,19 +1585,26 @@ drawbar(Monitor *m)
+ 	uint32_t i, occ = 0, urg = 0;
+ 	Client *c;
+ 	Buffer *buf;
++	char mode_text[256] = "";
++	int mode_width = 0;
+ 
+ 	if (!m->scene_buffer->node.enabled)
+ 		return;
+ 	if (!(buf = bufmon(m)))
+ 		return;
+ 
+-	/* draw status first so it can be overdrawn by tags later */
+-	if (m == selmon) { /* status is only drawn on selected monitor */
+-		drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[SchemeNorm]);
+-		tw = TEXTW(m, stext) - m->lrpad + 2; /* 2px right padding */
+-		drwl_text(m->drw, m->b.width - tw, 0, tw, m->b.height, 0, stext, 0);
++	/* get current mode text if in a mode (not normal) */
++	if (active_mode_index >= 0 && active_mode_index < LENGTH(modes_labels) &&
++	    modes_labels[active_mode_index]) {
++		strncpy(mode_text, modes_labels[active_mode_index], sizeof(mode_text) - 1);
++		mode_text[sizeof(mode_text) - 1] = '\0';
++		mode_width = TEXTW(m, mode_text);
+ 	}
+ 
++	/* calculate status text width */
++	drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[SchemeNorm]);
++	tw = TEXTW(m, stext) - m->lrpad + 2;
++
+ 	wl_list_for_each(c, &clients, link) {
+ 		if (c->mon != m)
+ 			continue;
+@@ -1607,6 +1614,8 @@ drawbar(Monitor *m)
+ 	}
+ 	x = 0;
+ 	c = focustop(m);
++
++	/* draw tags (always shown) */
+ 	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(tags); i++) {
+ 		w = TEXTW(m, tags[i]);
+ 		drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[m->tagset[m->seltags] & 1 << i ? SchemeSel : SchemeNorm]);
+@@ -1617,19 +1626,57 @@ drawbar(Monitor *m)
+ 				urg & 1 << i);
+ 		x += w;
+ 	}
++
++	/* draw mode indicator after tags if in a mode */
++	if (mode_text[0]) {
++		drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[SchemeSel]);
++		drwl_text(m->drw, x, 0, mode_width, m->b.height, m->lrpad / 2, mode_text, 0);
++		x += mode_width;
++	}
++
++	/* draw layout symbol after mode */
+ 	w = TEXTW(m, m->ltsymbol);
+ 	drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[SchemeNorm]);
+-	x = drwl_text(m->drw, x, 0, w, m->b.height, m->lrpad / 2, m->ltsymbol, 0);
++	drwl_text(m->drw, x, 0, w, m->b.height, m->lrpad / 2, m->ltsymbol, 0);
++	x += w;
++
++	int remaining = m->b.width - x;
+ 
+-	if ((w = m->b.width - tw - x) > m->b.height) {
+-		if (c) {
++	if (mode_text[0]) {
++		int title_width = remaining;
++
++		if (title_width > m->b.height && c) {
+ 			drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[m == selmon ? SchemeSel : SchemeNorm]);
+-			drwl_text(m->drw, x, 0, w, m->b.height, m->lrpad / 2, client_get_title(c), 0);
++			drwl_text(m->drw, x, 0, title_width, m->b.height, m->lrpad / 2,
++			         client_get_title(c), 0);
+ 			if (c && c->isfloating)
+ 				drwl_rect(m->drw, x + boxs, boxs, boxw, boxw, 0, 0);
+-		} else {
++		} else if (title_width > 0) {
++			drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[SchemeNorm]);
++			drwl_rect(m->drw, x, 0, title_width, m->b.height, 1, 1);
++		}
++		/* no status text when in a mode - completely omitted */
++	} else {
++		/* not in a mode - normal behavior with status */
++		if (remaining >= tw) {
++			drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[SchemeNorm]);
++			drwl_text(m->drw, m->b.width - tw, 0, tw, m->b.height, 0, stext, 0);
++
++			int title_space = remaining - tw;
++			if (title_space > m->b.height && c) {
++				drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[m == selmon ? SchemeSel : SchemeNorm]);
++				drwl_text(m->drw, x, 0, title_space, m->b.height, m->lrpad / 2,
++				         client_get_title(c), 0);
++				if (c && c->isfloating)
++					drwl_rect(m->drw, x + boxs, boxs, boxw, boxw, 0, 0);
++			} else if (title_space > 0) {
++				drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[SchemeNorm]);
++				drwl_rect(m->drw, x, 0, title_space, m->b.height, 1, 1);
++			}
++		} else if (remaining > 0) {
+ 			drwl_setscheme(m->drw, colors[SchemeNorm]);
+-			drwl_rect(m->drw, x, 0, w, m->b.height, 1, 1);
++			drwl_text(m->drw, m->b.width - remaining, 0, remaining, m->b.height, 0,
++			         stext, 0);
+ 		}
+ 	}
+ 
+@@ -3437,6 +3484,7 @@ entermode(const Arg *arg)
+ {
+ 	active_mode_index = arg->i;
+ 	printstatus();
++    drawbars();
+ }
+ 
+ #ifdef XWAYLAND
+-- 
+2.53.0
+
diff --git a/patches/bar-modes/example.png b/patches/bar-modes/example.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..185b4fe
Binary files /dev/null and b/patches/bar-modes/example.png differ