diff --git a/src/bar_manager.c b/src/bar_manager.c
index 0f6c802..64a8444 100644
--- a/src/bar_manager.c
+++ b/src/bar_manager.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ void bar_manager_init(struct bar_manager *bar_manager)
   bar_manager->padding_right = 20;
 
   bar_item_init(&bar_manager->default_item, NULL);
+  custom_events_init(&bar_manager->custom_events);
   
   int shell_refresh_frequency = 1;
 
@@ -159,11 +160,6 @@ struct bar_item* bar_manager_get_item_by_point(struct bar_manager* bar_manager,
   return NULL;
 }
 
-uint32_t bar_manager_get_event_flag(struct bar_manager* bar_manager, char* event) {
-  return 0;
-}
-
-
 void bar_manager_handle_front_app_switch(struct bar_manager* bar_manager) {
   bar_manager_check_bar_items_for_update_pattern(bar_manager, UPDATE_FRONT_APP_SWITCHED);
 }
diff --git a/src/bar_manager.h b/src/bar_manager.h
index ceaddbb..5ca8435 100644
--- a/src/bar_manager.h
+++ b/src/bar_manager.h
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ struct bar_manager
 };
 
 int bar_manager_get_item_index_for_name(struct bar_manager* bar_manager, char* name);
-uint32_t bar_manager_get_event_flag(struct bar_manager* bar_manager, char* event);
 
 struct bar_item* bar_manager_create_item(struct bar_manager* bar_manager);
 
diff --git a/src/custom_events.c b/src/custom_events.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3efcad0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/custom_events.c
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+void custom_events_init(struct custom_events* custom_events) {
+  custom_events->flag_offset = 4;
+  custom_events->count = 0;
+}
+
+void custom_event_append(struct custom_events* custom_events, char *name) {
+  custom_events->count++;
+  custom_events->names = (char**) realloc(custom_events->names, sizeof(char*) * custom_events->count);
+  custom_events->names[custom_events->count - 1] = name;
+} 
+
+uint32_t custom_events_get_flag_for_name(struct custom_events* custom_events, char* name) {
+  for (int i = 0; i < custom_events->count; i++) {
+    if (strcmp(name, custom_events->names[i])) {
+      return 1 << (i + custom_events->flag_offset);
+    }
+  }
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/custom_events.h b/src/custom_events.h
index c484bb2..487048c 100644
--- a/src/custom_events.h
+++ b/src/custom_events.h
@@ -9,5 +9,7 @@ struct custom_events {
   char** names;
 };
 
-void custom_event_append(char* name);
+void custom_events_init(struct custom_events* custom_events);
+void custom_events_append(struct custom_events* custom_events, char* name);
+uint32_t custom_events_get_flag_for_name(struct custom_events* custom_events, char* name);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/manifest.m b/src/manifest.m
index fc74f53..c18d7da 100644
--- a/src/manifest.m
+++ b/src/manifest.m
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 #include "bar.c"
 #include "graph_data.c"
 #include "bar_item.c"
+#include "custom_events.c"
 #include "bar_manager.c"
 
 #include "sketchybar.c"
diff --git a/src/message.c b/src/message.c
index 1bd8a12..5f40861 100644
--- a/src/message.c
+++ b/src/message.c
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ static void handle_domain_subscribe(FILE* rsp, struct token domain, char* messag
   } else if (token_equals(event, COMMAND_SUBSCRIBE_FRONT_APP_SWITCHED)) {
     bar_item->update_mask |= UPDATE_FRONT_APP_SWITCHED;
   } else {
-    bar_item->update_mask |= bar_manager_get_event_flag(&g_bar_manager, token_to_string(event));
+    bar_item->update_mask |= custom_events_get_flag_for_name(&g_bar_manager.custom_events, token_to_string(event));
   }
 }