diff --git a/.config/waybar/config b/.config/waybar/config
index 6e0a2d21..ba0b2831 100644
--- a/.config/waybar/config
+++ b/.config/waybar/config
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     },
     "custom/colcount": {
       "exec": "~/dev/niri-windows/niri-windows.py",
+      "return-type": "json",
       "restart-interval": "never",
       "format": "{} "
     },