diff --git a/bumblebee/outputs/i3.py b/bumblebee/outputs/i3.py
index aa6db2c..329e6d7 100644
--- a/bumblebee/outputs/i3.py
+++ b/bumblebee/outputs/i3.py
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 import json
 import bumblebee.output
 
 class i3bar(bumblebee.output.Output):
     def __init__(self):
         self._data = []
+        self._previous_background = None
 
     def start(self):
         return json.dumps({ "version": 1 }) + "["
@@ -12,15 +15,24 @@ class i3bar(bumblebee.output.Output):
         theme = obj.theme()
 
         data = {
-            "full_text": "{}{}{}".format(theme.prefix(obj), obj.data(), theme.suffix(obj)),
+            u"full_text": "{}{}{}".format(theme.prefix(obj), obj.data(), theme.suffix(obj)),
             "color": theme.color(obj),
-            "background": theme.background(obj)
+            "background": theme.background(obj),
         }
         if theme.default_separators(obj) == False:
             data["separator"] = False
             data["separator_block_width"] = 0
+            if theme.separator(obj):
+                self._data.append({
+                    u"full_text": theme.separator(obj),
+                    "color": theme.background(obj),
+                    "background": self._previous_background,
+                    "separator": False,
+                    "separator_block_width": 0,
+                })
 
         self._data.append(data)
+        self._previous_background = theme.background(obj)
 
     def get(self):
         data = json.dumps(self._data)
diff --git a/bumblebee/theme.py b/bumblebee/theme.py
index ce6a22c..dea942d 100644
--- a/bumblebee/theme.py
+++ b/bumblebee/theme.py
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ class Theme:
     def background(self, obj):
         return self._gettheme(obj, "bg")
 
+    def separator(self, obj):
+        return self._gettheme(obj, "separator")
+
     def default_separators(self, obj):
         return self._gettheme(obj, "default_separators")