diff --git a/crates/eww/src/config/script_var.rs b/crates/eww/src/config/script_var.rs
index 46db670..da44b43 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/config/script_var.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/config/script_var.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub fn initial_value(var: &ScriptVarDefinition) -> Result<DynVal> {
                 run_command(command).map_err(|e| anyhow!(create_script_var_failed_warn(*span, var.name(), &e.to_string())))
             }
         },
-        ScriptVarDefinition::Listen(_) => Ok(DynVal::from_string(String::new())),
+        ScriptVarDefinition::Listen(var) => Ok(var.initial_value.clone()),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/eww/src/script_var_handler.rs b/crates/eww/src/script_var_handler.rs
index 8fc2202..2ebfc31 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/script_var_handler.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/script_var_handler.rs
@@ -196,13 +196,13 @@ impl ListenVarHandler {
     }
 
     async fn start(&mut self, var: ListenScriptVar) {
-        log::debug!("starting poll var {}", &var.name);
+        log::debug!("starting listen-var {}", &var.name);
         let cancellation_token = CancellationToken::new();
         self.listen_process_handles.insert(var.name.clone(), cancellation_token.clone());
 
         let evt_send = self.evt_send.clone();
         tokio::spawn(async move {
-            crate::try_logging_errors!(format!("Executing tail var command {}", &var.command) =>  {
+            crate::try_logging_errors!(format!("Executing listen var-command {}", &var.command) =>  {
                 let mut handle = tokio::process::Command::new("sh")
                     .args(&["-c", &var.command])
                     .stdout(std::process::Stdio::piped())
diff --git a/crates/eww/src/widgets/widget_definitions.rs b/crates/eww/src/widgets/widget_definitions.rs
index b67bd04..dd3d9b4 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/widgets/widget_definitions.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/widgets/widget_definitions.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ pub(super) fn resolve_widget_attrs(bargs: &mut BuilderArgs, gtk_widget: &gtk::Wi
         prop(valign: as_string) { gtk_widget.set_valign(parse_align(&valign)?) },
         // @prop halign - how to align this horizontally. possible values: $alignment
         prop(halign: as_string) { gtk_widget.set_halign(parse_align(&halign)?) },
+        // @prop vexpand - should this container expand vertically. Default: false.
+        prop(vexpand: as_bool = false) { gtk_widget.set_vexpand(vexpand) },
+        // @prop hexpand - should this widget expand horizontally. Default: false.
+        prop(hexpand: as_bool = false) { gtk_widget.set_hexpand(hexpand) },
         // @prop width - width of this element. note that this can not restrict the size if the contents stretch it
         prop(width: as_f64) { gtk_widget.set_size_request(width as i32, gtk_widget.get_allocated_height()) },
         // @prop height - height of this element. note that this can not restrict the size if the contents stretch it
@@ -158,13 +162,8 @@ pub(super) fn resolve_widget_attrs(bargs: &mut BuilderArgs, gtk_widget: &gtk::Wi
 }
 
 /// @widget !container
-pub(super) fn resolve_container_attrs(bargs: &mut BuilderArgs, gtk_widget: &gtk::Container) {
-    resolve_block!(bargs, gtk_widget, {
-        // @prop vexpand - should this container expand vertically
-        prop(vexpand: as_bool = false) { gtk_widget.set_vexpand(vexpand) },
-        // @prop hexpand - should this container expand horizontally
-        prop(hexpand: as_bool = false) { gtk_widget.set_hexpand(hexpand) },
-    });
+pub(super) fn resolve_container_attrs(_bargs: &mut BuilderArgs, _gtk_widget: &gtk::Container) {
+    // resolve_block!(bargs, gtk_widget, {});
 }
 
 /// @widget !range
diff --git a/crates/yuck/src/config/script_var_definition.rs b/crates/yuck/src/config/script_var_definition.rs
index bc48e51..79b4fb8 100644
--- a/crates/yuck/src/config/script_var_definition.rs
+++ b/crates/yuck/src/config/script_var_definition.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ impl FromAstElementContent for PollScriptVar {
 pub struct ListenScriptVar {
     pub name: VarName,
     pub command: String,
+    pub initial_value: DynVal,
     pub command_span: Span,
     pub name_span: Span,
 }
@@ -94,10 +95,12 @@ impl FromAstElementContent for ListenScriptVar {
     fn from_tail<I: Iterator<Item = Ast>>(span: Span, mut iter: AstIterator<I>) -> AstResult<Self> {
         let result: AstResult<_> = try {
             let (name_span, name) = iter.expect_symbol()?;
+            let mut attrs = iter.expect_key_values()?;
+            let initial_value = attrs.primitive_optional("initial")?.unwrap_or_else(|| DynVal::from_string(String::new()));
             let (command_span, script) = iter.expect_literal()?;
             iter.expect_done()?;
-            Self { name_span, name: VarName(name), command: script.to_string(), command_span }
+            Self { name_span, name: VarName(name), command: script.to_string(), initial_value, command_span }
         };
-        result.note(r#"Expected format: `(deflisten name "tail -f /tmp/example")`"#)
+        result.note(r#"Expected format: `(deflisten name :initial "0" "tail -f /tmp/example")`"#)
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/yuck/src/parser/lexer.rs b/crates/yuck/src/parser/lexer.rs
index edfe6e5..8068c7f 100644
--- a/crates/yuck/src/parser/lexer.rs
+++ b/crates/yuck/src/parser/lexer.rs
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ impl Lexer {
                     toks.push((lo, tok, hi));
                 }
                 Some(Err(err)) => {
-                    dbg!(&simplexpr_lexer);
                     if simplexpr_lexer.continues_with('}') {
                         let start = toks.first().map(|x| x.0).unwrap_or(end);
                         self.pos = end + 1;