diff --git a/.config/kak/autoload/title.kak b/.config/kak/autoload/title.kak
index ffcd9172..d7118a1f 100644
--- a/.config/kak/autoload/title.kak
+++ b/.config/kak/autoload/title.kak
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # TODO: make the operation async!
 # Is there something we can do with global vs. window scoped title?
+declare-option bool bar_debug false
 declare-option -docstring %{
     Format string passed to printf for the bufferlist.
     It should be set in the global scope.
@@ -39,6 +40,9 @@ declare-option -docstring %{
 define-command -hidden bar-buflist %{
     nop %sh{
         {
+            if [ -z "$kak_client" ]; then
+                exit
+            fi
             list=''
             index=0
 while read buf; do
@@ -63,13 +67,18 @@ EOF
 
             title="$list - $kak_client@[$kak_session]"
             # printf "eval -verbatim set-option -add window ui_options %%{terminal_title=%s}" "$title" | kak -p ${kak_session}
-            printf "eval -try-client '$kak_client' -verbatim set-option -add global ui_options %%{terminal_title=%s}" "$title" | kak -p ${kak_session}
-            printf "eval -verbatim try %%{ exec -try-client '$kak_client' <c-l> }" | kak -p ${kak_session}
-            # printf "echo -debug -- eval -try-client '$kak_client' -verbatim set-option -add global ui_options %%{terminal_title=%s}; exec -try-client '$kak_client' <c-l>" "$title" | kak -p ${kak_session}
+            title_cmd=$(printf "eval -try-client '$kak_client' -verbatim set-option -add global ui_options %%{terminal_title=%s}" "$title")
+            echo "$title_cmd" | kak -p ${kak_session}
+            refresh_cmd=$(printf "eval -verbatim try %%{ exec -try-client '$kak_client' <c-l> }")
+            echo "$refresh_cmd" | kak -p ${kak_session}
+            if [ "$kak_opt_bar_debug" = "true" ]; then
+                printf 'echo -debug -- %s' "$title_cmd" | kak -p ${kak_session}
+                printf 'echo -debug -- %s' "$refresh_cmd" | kak -p ${kak_session}
+            fi
         } > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
     }
 }
-
+set global bar_debug true
 hook global WinDisplay .* bar-buflist
 hook global FocusIn .* bar-buflist
 # hook global FocusOut .* bar-buflist