diff --git a/src/widgets/now_playing_mpris.c b/src/widgets/now_playing_mpris.c
index 3da4b2c..d1b051f 100644
--- a/src/widgets/now_playing_mpris.c
+++ b/src/widgets/now_playing_mpris.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include "widgets.h"
 #include "now_playing_mpris.h"
 
+static PlayerctlPlayer *widget_player;
+
 static int
 update_widget (struct widget *widget, PlayerctlPlayer *player) {
 	char *artist = playerctl_player_get_artist(player, NULL);
@@ -25,37 +27,86 @@ update_widget (struct widget *widget, PlayerctlPlayer *player) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+clear_widget (struct widget *widget) {
+	struct js_callback_arg args[2] = {
+		widget_data_arg_string(""),
+		widget_data_arg_string(""),
+	};
+
+	struct js_callback_data data = {
+		.widget = widget,
+		.args = args,
+		2,
+	};
+
+	web_view_callback(&data);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static void
-on_metadata (PlayerctlPlayer *player, GVariant *e, gpointer user_data) {
+player_update_callback (PlayerctlPlayer *player, GVariant *e, gpointer user_data) {
 	struct widget *widget = user_data;
 	update_widget(widget, player);
 }
 
+static void
+player_clear_callback (PlayerctlPlayer *player, gpointer user_data) {
+	struct widget *widget = user_data;
+	clear_widget(widget);
+}
+
+static void
+player_exit_destroy_callback (PlayerctlPlayer *player, gpointer user_data) {
+	g_clear_object(&widget_player);
+}
+
 void*
 widget_main (struct widget *widget) {
 	struct widget_config config = widget_config_defaults;
 	widget_init_config_string(widget->config, "player_name", config.player_name);
 
 	gchar *player_name = (gchar*)config.player_name;
-	PlayerctlPlayer *player = NULL;
+	widget_player = NULL;
 
 	widget_epoll_init(widget);
 	while (true) {
-		player = playerctl_player_new(player_name, NULL);
+		if (widget_player == NULL) {
+			widget_player = playerctl_player_new(player_name, NULL);
 
-		if (player) {
-			g_signal_connect(player, "metadata", G_CALLBACK(on_metadata), widget);
+			if (widget_player) {
+				/* update the widget on new metadata, or on play */
+				g_signal_connect(widget_player, "metadata",
+						G_CALLBACK(player_update_callback), widget);
+				g_signal_connect(widget_player, "play",
+						G_CALLBACK(player_update_callback), widget);
 
-			widget_epoll_wait_goto(widget, -1, cleanup);
-		}
-		else {
-			/* keep trying until we find a player */
-			widget_epoll_wait_goto(widget, 1, cleanup);
+				/* clear the widget on stop and exit */
+				g_signal_connect(widget_player, "stop",
+						G_CALLBACK(player_clear_callback), widget);
+				g_signal_connect(widget_player, "exit",
+						G_CALLBACK(player_clear_callback), widget);
+
+				if (player_name != NULL) {
+					/* if a player name was passed, stick with it */
+					widget_epoll_wait_goto(widget, -1, cleanup);
+					/* not reached */
+				}
+				else {
+					/* otherwise, remove the player when it exits and start polling again */
+					g_signal_connect(widget_player, "exit",
+							G_CALLBACK(player_exit_destroy_callback), widget);
+				}
+			}
 		}
+
+		/* if a player name was not configured, poll for new or different players */
+		widget_epoll_wait_goto(widget, 2, cleanup);
 	}
 
 cleanup:
-	g_object_unref(player);
+	g_clear_object(&widget_player);
 
 	widget_epoll_cleanup(widget);
 	widget_clean_exit(widget);
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index 8569e16..b9e2c94 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def configure(ctx):
 	ctx.check_cfg(package='dbus-1 dbus-glib-1', uselib_store='DBUS', args=['--cflags', '--libs'], mandatory=False)
 	ctx.check_cfg(package='GraphicsMagickWand', uselib_store='MAGICK', args=['--cflags', '--libs'], mandatory=False)
 	ctx.check_cfg(package='libmpdclient', uselib_store='LIBMPDCLIENT', args=['--cflags', '--libs'], mandatory=False)
-	ctx.check_cfg(package='playerctl-1.0', uselib_store='PLAYERCTL', args=['--cflags', '--libs'], mandatory=False)
+	ctx.check_cfg(package='playerctl-1.0 >= 0.3.0', uselib_store='PLAYERCTL', args=['--cflags', '--libs'], mandatory=False)
 	ctx.check_cfg(package='xcb-util xcb-ewmh xcb-icccm', uselib_store='XCB', args=['--cflags', '--libs'], mandatory=False)
 	ctx.check_cfg(package='i3ipc-glib-1.0', uselib_store='I3IPC', args=['--cflags', '--libs'], mandatory=False)