diff --git a/modules/statusline/lualine/config.nix b/modules/statusline/lualine/config.nix
index d81e2de..2f8b962 100644
--- a/modules/statusline/lualine/config.nix
+++ b/modules/statusline/lualine/config.nix
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ in {
                 "navic",
                 color_correction = nil,
                 navic_opts = nil,
-                draw_empty = true
+                draw_empty = ${toString config.vim.ui.breadcrumbs.alwaysRender}
             }
           }
         },
diff --git a/modules/ui/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.nix b/modules/ui/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.nix
index b824674..a14bc5f 100644
--- a/modules/ui/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.nix
+++ b/modules/ui/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.nix
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ in {
   options.vim.ui.breadcrumbs = {
     enable = lib.mkEnableOption "breadcrumbs";
 
+    # maybe this should be an option to *disable* alwaysRender optionally but oh well
+    # too late
+    alwaysRender = mkOption {
+      type = types.bool;
+      default = true;
+      description = "Whether to always display the breadcrumbs component on winbar (always renders winbar)";
+    };
+
     navbuddy = {
       enable = mkEnableOption "navbuddy LSP UI";
       useDefaultMappings = mkEnableOption "default Navbuddy keybindings (disables user keybinds)";