diff --git a/src/core.c b/src/core.c
index e81be898..878bbaee 100644
--- a/src/core.c
+++ b/src/core.c
@@ -1082,7 +1082,7 @@ struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s, const char *arg, long
 			obj->data.i = -1;
 		} else
 			arg = scan_bar(obj, arg + cnt);
-		obj->callbacks.print = &print_smapi_bat_bar;
+		obj->callbacks.barval = &smapi_bat_barval;
 #endif /* IBM */
 #ifdef MPD
 #define mpd_set_maxlen(name) \
diff --git a/src/smapi.c b/src/smapi.c
index 8c8c4d9a..48cf9a72 100644
--- a/src/smapi.c
+++ b/src/smapi.c
@@ -172,14 +172,9 @@ void print_smapi_bat_power(struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_max_size)
 		NORM_ERR("argument to smapi_bat_power must be an integer");
 }
 
-void print_smapi_bat_bar(struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_max_size)
+uint8_t smapi_bat_barval(struct text_object *obj)
 {
-	if (!p_max_size)
-		return;
-
 	if (obj->data.i >= 0 && smapi_bat_installed(obj->data.i))
-		new_bar(obj, p, p_max_size, (int)
-				(255 * smapi_get_bat_int(obj->data.i, "remaining_percent") / 100));
-	else
-		new_bar(obj, p, p_max_size, 0);
+		return round_to_int(smapi_get_bat_int(obj->data.i, "remaining_percent") * 2.55);
+	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/smapi.h b/src/smapi.h
index 70a73d2f..c7a74e75 100644
--- a/src/smapi.h
+++ b/src/smapi.h
@@ -40,6 +40,6 @@ void print_smapi(struct text_object *, char *, int);
 void print_smapi_bat_perc(struct text_object *, char *, int);
 void print_smapi_bat_temp(struct text_object *, char *, int);
 void print_smapi_bat_power(struct text_object *, char *, int);
-void print_smapi_bat_bar(struct text_object *, char *, int);
+uint8_t smapi_bat_barval(struct text_object *);
 
 #endif /* _SMAPI_H */