diff --git a/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulseaudio.py b/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulseaudio.py
index 70acb01..431de10 100644
--- a/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulseaudio.py
+++ b/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulseaudio.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 """Displays volume and mute status and controls for PulseAudio devices. Use wheel up and down to change volume, left click mutes, right click opens pavucontrol.
 
+!!! This module will eventually be deprecated (since it has bad performance and high CPU load) and be replaced with "pulsectl", which is a much better drop-in replacement !!!
+
 Aliases: pasink (use this to control output instead of input), pasource
 
 Parameters:
diff --git a/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulsectl.py b/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulsectl.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f76a38c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulsectl.py
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+# pylint: disable=C0111,R0903
+
+"""Displays volume and mute status and controls for PulseAudio devices. Use wheel up and down to change volume, left click mutes, right click opens pavucontrol.
+
+**Please prefer this module over the "pulseaudio" module, which will eventually be deprecated
+
+Aliases: pulseout (for outputs, such as headsets, speakers), pulsein (for microphones)
+
+NOTE: Do **not** use this module directly, but rather use either pulseout or pulsein!
+NOTE2: For the parameter names below, please also use pulseout or pulsein, instead of pulsectl
+
+Parameters:
+    * pulsectl.autostart: If set to 'true' (default is 'false'), automatically starts the pulsectl daemon if it is not running
+    * pulsectl.percent_change: How much to change volume by when scrolling on the module (default is 2%)
+    * pulsectl.limit: Upper limit for setting the volume (default is 0%, which means 'no limit')
+    * pulsectl.showbars: 'true' for showing volume bars, requires --markup=pango;
+      'false' for not showing volume bars (default)
+    * pulsectl.showdevicename: If set to 'true' (default is 'false'), the currently selected default device is shown.
+      Per default, the sink/source name returned by "pactl list sinks short" is used as display name.
+
+      As this name is usually not particularly nice (e.g "alsa_output.usb-Logitech_Logitech_USB_Headset-00.analog-stereo"),
+      its possible to map the name to more a user friendly name.
+
+      e.g to map "alsa_output.usb-Logitech_Logitech_USB_Headset-00.analog-stereo" to the name "Headset", add the following
+      bumblebee-status config entry: pulsectl.alsa_output.usb-Logitech_Logitech_USB_Headset-00.analog-stereo=Headset
+
+      Furthermore its possible to specify individual (unicode) icons for all sinks/sources. e.g in order to use the icon 🎧 for the
+      "alsa_output.usb-Logitech_Logitech_USB_Headset-00.analog-stereo" sink, add the following bumblebee-status config entry:
+      pulsectl.icon.alsa_output.usb-Logitech_Logitech_USB_Headset-00.analog-stereo=🎧
+    * Per default a left mouse button click mutes/unmutes the device. In case you want to open a dropdown menu to change the current
+      default device add the following config entry to your bumblebee-status config: pulsectl.left-click=select_default_device_popup
+
+Requires the following Python module:
+    * pulsectl
+"""
+
+import pulsectl
+
+import core.module
+import core.widget
+import core.input
+import core.event
+
+import util.cli
+import util.graph
+import util.format
+
+class Module(core.module.Module):
+    def __init__(self, config, theme, type):
+        super().__init__(config, theme, core.widget.Widget(self.display))
+        self.background = True
+
+        self.__type = type
+        self.__volume = "n/a"
+        self.__devicename = "n/a"
+        self.__muted = False
+        self.__showbars = util.format.asbool(self.parameter("showbars", False))
+        self.__show_device_name = util.format.asbool(
+            self.parameter("showdevicename", False)
+        )
+
+        self.__change = util.format.asint(
+            self.parameter("percent_change", "2%").strip("%"), 0, 100
+        )
+        self.__limit = util.format.asint(self.parameter("limit", "0%").strip("%"), 0)
+
+        events = [
+            {
+                "type": "mute",
+                "action": self.toggle_mute,
+                "button": core.input.LEFT_MOUSE
+            },
+            {
+                "type": "volume",
+                "action": self.increase_volume,
+                "button": core.input.WHEEL_UP,
+            },
+            {
+                "type": "volume",
+                "action": self.decrease_volume,
+                "button": core.input.WHEEL_DOWN,
+            },
+        ]
+
+        for event in events:
+            core.input.register(self, button=event["button"], cmd=event["action"])
+
+        if util.format.asbool(self.parameter("autostart", False)):
+            util.cli.execute("pulseaudio --start", ignore_errors=True)
+
+        self.process(None)
+
+    def display(self, _):
+        res = f"{int(self.__volume*100)}%"
+        if self.__showbars:
+            res = f"{res} {util.graph.hbar(self.__volume*100)}"
+
+        if self.__show_device_name:
+            friendly_name = self.__devicename
+            icon = self.parameter("icon." + self.__devicename, "")
+            res = (
+                icon + " " + friendly_name + " | " + res
+                if icon != ""
+                else friendly_name + " | " + res
+            )
+        return res
+
+    def toggle_mute(self, _):
+        with pulsectl.Pulse(self.id + "vol") as pulse:
+            dev = self.get_device(pulse)
+            pulse.mute(dev, not self.__muted)
+
+    def change_volume(self, amount):
+        with pulsectl.Pulse(self.id + "vol") as pulse:
+            dev = self.get_device(pulse)
+            vol = dev.volume
+            vol.value_flat += amount
+            if self.__limit > 0 and vol.value_flat > self.__limit/100:
+                vol.value_flat = self.__limit/100
+            pulse.volume_set(dev, vol)
+
+    def increase_volume(self, _):
+        self.change_volume(self.__change/100.0)
+
+    def decrease_volume(self, _):
+        self.change_volume(-self.__change/100.0)
+
+    def get_device(self, pulse):
+        devs = pulse.sink_list() if self.__type == "sink" else pulse.source_list()
+        default = pulse.server_info().default_sink_name if self.__type == "sink" else pulse.server_info().default_source_name
+
+        for dev in devs:
+            if dev.name == default:
+                return dev
+        return devs[0] # fallback
+
+
+
+    def process(self, _):
+        with pulsectl.Pulse(self.id + "proc") as pulse:
+            dev = self.get_device(pulse)
+            self.__volume = dev.volume.value_flat
+            self.__muted = dev.mute
+            self.__devicename = dev.name
+        core.event.trigger("update", [self.id], redraw_only=True)
+        core.event.trigger("draw")
+
+    def update(self):
+        with pulsectl.Pulse(self.id) as pulse:
+            pulse.event_mask_set(self.__type)
+            pulse.event_callback_set(self.process)
+            pulse.event_listen()
+
+    def state(self, _):
+        if self.__muted:
+            return ["warning", "muted"]
+        return ["unmuted"]
+
+# vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulsein.py b/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulsein.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0034dd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulsein.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+from .pulsectl import Module
+
+
+class Module(Module):
+    def __init__(self, config, theme):
+        super().__init__(config, theme, "source")
+
+
+# vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulseout.py b/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulseout.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31fecec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bumblebee_status/modules/core/pulseout.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+from .pulsectl import Module
+
+
+class Module(Module):
+    def __init__(self, config, theme):
+        super().__init__(config, theme, "sink")
+
+
+# vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/themes/icons/ascii.json b/themes/icons/ascii.json
index 77ef931..089fa3c 100644
--- a/themes/icons/ascii.json
+++ b/themes/icons/ascii.json
@@ -64,6 +64,14 @@
       "prefix": "audio"
     }
   },
+  "pulseout": {
+    "muted": {
+      "prefix": "audio(mute)"
+    },
+    "unmuted": {
+      "prefix": "audio"
+    }
+  },
   "amixer": {
     "muted": {
       "prefix": "audio(mute)"
@@ -80,6 +88,14 @@
       "prefix": "mic"
     }
   },
+  "pulsein": {
+    "muted": {
+      "prefix": "mic(mute)"
+    },
+    "unmuted": {
+      "prefix": "mic"
+    }
+  },
   "nic": {
     "wireless-up": {
       "prefix": "wifi"
diff --git a/themes/icons/awesome-fonts.json b/themes/icons/awesome-fonts.json
index a3de1d2..acd1fc3 100644
--- a/themes/icons/awesome-fonts.json
+++ b/themes/icons/awesome-fonts.json
@@ -197,6 +197,14 @@
       "prefix": ""
     }
   },
+  "pulseout": {
+    "muted": {
+      "prefix": ""
+    },
+    "unmuted": {
+      "prefix": ""
+    }
+  },
   "amixer": {
     "muted": {
       "prefix": ""
@@ -213,6 +221,14 @@
       "prefix": ""
     }
   },
+  "pulsein": {
+    "muted": {
+      "prefix": ""
+    },
+    "unmuted": {
+      "prefix": ""
+    }
+  },
   "kernel": {
     "prefix": "\uf17c"
   },
@@ -707,4 +723,4 @@
   "thunderbird": {
     "prefix": ""
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}