diff --git a/include/util/command.hpp b/include/util/command.hpp
index a52e9865..3d98f72e 100644
--- a/include/util/command.hpp
+++ b/include/util/command.hpp
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ inline int close(FILE* fp, pid_t pid) {
 
   fclose(fp);
   do {
+    waitpid(pid, &stat, WCONTINUED | WUNTRACED);
+
     if (WIFEXITED(stat)) {
       spdlog::debug("%s exited with code %d", WEXITSTATUS(stat));
     } else if (WIFSIGNALED(stat)) {
@@ -83,6 +85,14 @@ inline struct res exec(std::string cmd) {
   return {WEXITSTATUS(stat), output};
 }
 
+inline struct res execNoRead(std::string cmd) {
+  int  pid;
+  auto fp = command::open(cmd, pid);
+  if (!fp) return {-1, ""};
+  auto stat = command::close(fp, pid);
+  return {WEXITSTATUS(stat), ""};
+}
+
 inline int32_t forkExec(std::string cmd) {
   if (cmd == "") return -1;
 
diff --git a/src/modules/custom.cpp b/src/modules/custom.cpp
index 921296e0..fad10a6f 100644
--- a/src/modules/custom.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/custom.cpp
@@ -4,14 +4,13 @@
 waybar::modules::Custom::Custom(const std::string& name, const std::string& id,
                                 const Json::Value& config)
     : ALabel(config, "custom-" + name, id, "{}"), name_(name), fp_(nullptr), pid_(-1) {
-  if (config_["exec"].isString()) {
-    if (interval_.count() > 0) {
-      delayWorker();
-    } else {
-      continuousWorker();
-    }
+  if (interval_.count() > 0) {
+    delayWorker();
+  } else if (config_["exec"].isString()) {
+    continuousWorker();
+  } else {
+    dp.emit();
   }
-  dp.emit();
 }
 
 waybar::modules::Custom::~Custom() {
@@ -25,14 +24,16 @@ void waybar::modules::Custom::delayWorker() {
   thread_ = [this] {
     bool can_update = true;
     if (config_["exec-if"].isString()) {
-      auto res = util::command::exec(config_["exec-if"].asString());
-      if (res.exit_code != 0) {
+      output_ = util::command::execNoRead(config_["exec-if"].asString());
+      if (output_.exit_code != 0) {
         can_update = false;
         event_box_.hide();
       }
     }
     if (can_update) {
-      output_ = util::command::exec(config_["exec"].asString());
+      if (config_["exec"].isString()) {
+        output_ = util::command::exec(config_["exec"].asString());
+      }
       dp.emit();
     }
     thread_.sleep_for(interval_);