diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index e89f8ce8..51040417 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -763,6 +763,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "chrono",
  "gdk4-x11",
  "gtk4",
+ "once_cell",
  "toml",
  "x11",
  "zbus",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index efdac025..3ab33917 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ cascade = "1"
 chrono = "0.4"
 gdk4-x11 = "0.2"
 gtk4 = "0.2"
+once_cell = "1"
 toml = "0.5"
 x11 = { version = "2", features = ["xlib"] }
 zbus = "1"
diff --git a/src/deref_cell.rs b/src/deref_cell.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dfdd4936
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/deref_cell.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+use once_cell::unsync::OnceCell;
+
+/// Wrapper around `OnceCell` implementing `Deref`, and thus also panicking
+/// when not set (or set twice).
+///
+/// To be used in place of `gtk::TemplateChild`, but without xml.
+pub struct DerefCell<T>(OnceCell<T>);
+
+impl<T> DerefCell<T> {
+    #[track_caller]
+    pub fn set(&self, value: T) {
+        if self.0.set(value).is_err() {
+            panic!("Initialized twice");
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> Default for DerefCell<T> {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self(OnceCell::default())
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> std::ops::Deref for DerefCell<T> {
+    type Target = T;
+
+    #[track_caller]
+    fn deref(&self) -> &T {
+        self.0.get().unwrap()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index cd866df7..3afbc48f 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 use gtk4::{gdk, glib, prelude::*};
 
+mod deref_cell;
+mod mpris;
 mod window;
 mod x;
 
diff --git a/src/mpris.rs b/src/mpris.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b3453c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mpris.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+use cascade::cascade;
+use gtk4::{
+    gio,
+    glib::{self, clone},
+    prelude::*,
+    subclass::prelude::*,
+};
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+
+use crate::deref_cell::DerefCell;
+
+#[derive(Default)]
+pub struct MprisControlsInner {
+    box_: DerefCell<gtk4::Box>,
+    backward_button: DerefCell<gtk4::Button>,
+    play_pause_button: DerefCell<gtk4::Button>,
+    forward_button: DerefCell<gtk4::Button>,
+}
+
+#[glib::object_subclass]
+impl ObjectSubclass for MprisControlsInner {
+    const NAME: &'static str = "S76MprisControls";
+    type ParentType = gtk4::Widget;
+    type Type = MprisControls;
+
+    fn class_init(klass: &mut Self::Class) {
+        klass.set_layout_manager_type::<gtk4::BinLayout>();
+    }
+}
+
+impl ObjectImpl for MprisControlsInner {
+    fn constructed(&self, obj: &MprisControls) {
+        let backward_button = cascade! {
+            gtk4::Button::from_icon_name(Some("media-skip-backward-symbolic"));
+            ..connect_clicked(|_| {});
+        };
+
+        let play_pause_button = cascade! {
+            gtk4::Button::from_icon_name(Some("media-playback-start-symbolic"));
+            ..connect_clicked(|_| {});
+        };
+
+        let forward_button = cascade! {
+            gtk4::Button::from_icon_name(Some("media-skip-forward-symbolic"));
+            ..connect_clicked(|_| {});
+        };
+
+        let box_ = cascade! {
+            gtk4::Box::new(gtk4::Orientation::Horizontal, 0);
+            ..set_parent(obj);
+            ..append(&backward_button);
+            ..append(&play_pause_button);
+            ..append(&forward_button);
+        };
+
+        /*
+        glib::MainContext::default().spawn_local(clone!(@strong obj => async move {
+            // XXX unwrap
+            let dbus = DBus::new().await.unwrap();
+            dbus.connect_name_owner_changed(|a, b, c| {
+                println!("{:?}", (a, b, c));
+            });
+            for name in dbus.list_names().await.unwrap() {
+                if !name.starts_with("org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.") {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                let player = Player::new(&name).await.unwrap();
+
+                println!("{}", name);
+                let status = player.playback_status();
+                let metadata = player.metadata().unwrap();
+                let title = metadata.title();
+                let album = metadata.album();
+                let artist = metadata.artist();
+                let art = metadata.arturl();
+                println!("{:?}", (title, art));
+            }
+            std::mem::forget(dbus);
+        }));
+        */
+
+        self.box_.set(box_);
+        self.backward_button.set(backward_button);
+        self.play_pause_button.set(play_pause_button);
+        self.forward_button.set(forward_button);
+    }
+
+    fn dispose(&self, obj: &MprisControls) {
+        self.box_.unparent();
+    }
+}
+
+impl WidgetImpl for MprisControlsInner {}
+
+glib::wrapper! {
+    pub struct MprisControls(ObjectSubclass<MprisControlsInner>)
+        @extends gtk4::Widget;
+}
+
+impl MprisControls {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        glib::Object::new(&[]).unwrap()
+    }
+}
+
+fn dict_lookup<T: glib::FromVariant>(dict: &glib::VariantDict, key: &str) -> Option<T> {
+    dict.lookup_value(key, None)?.get()
+}
+
+fn property<T: glib::FromVariant>(proxy: &gio::DBusProxy, prop: &str) -> Option<T> {
+    proxy.cached_property(prop)?.get()
+}
+
+struct Metadata(glib::VariantDict);
+
+impl Metadata {
+    fn title(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        dict_lookup(&self.0, "xesam:title")
+    }
+
+    fn album(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        dict_lookup(&self.0, "xesam:album")
+    }
+
+    fn artist(&self) -> Option<Vec<String>> {
+        dict_lookup(&self.0, "xesam:artist")
+    }
+
+    fn arturl(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        dict_lookup(&self.0, "mpris:artUrl")
+    }
+}
+
+struct Player(gio::DBusProxy);
+
+impl Player {
+    async fn new(name: &str) -> Result<Self, glib::Error> {
+        let proxy = gio::DBusProxy::for_bus_future(
+            gio::BusType::Session,
+            gio::DBusProxyFlags::NONE,
+            None,
+            name,
+            "/org/mpris/MediaPlayer2",
+            "org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player",
+        )
+        .await?;
+        Ok(Self(proxy))
+    }
+
+    fn connect_properties_changed<F: Fn() + 'static>(&self, f: F) {
+        self.0
+            .connect_local("g-properties-changed", false, move |_| {
+                f();
+                None
+            })
+            .unwrap();
+    }
+
+    fn playback_status(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        property(&self.0, "PlayBackStatus")
+    }
+
+    fn metadata(&self) -> Option<Metadata> {
+        Some(Metadata(property(&self.0, "Metadata")?))
+    }
+}
+
+struct DBus(gio::DBusProxy);
+
+impl DBus {
+    async fn new() -> Result<Self, glib::Error> {
+        let proxy = gio::DBusProxy::for_bus_future(
+            gio::BusType::Session,
+            gio::DBusProxyFlags::NONE,
+            None,
+            "org.freedesktop.DBus",
+            "/org/freedesktop/DBus",
+            "org.freedesktop.DBus",
+        )
+        .await?;
+        Ok(Self(proxy))
+    }
+
+    async fn list_names(&self) -> Result<impl Iterator<Item = String>, glib::Error> {
+        Ok(self
+            .0
+            .call_future("ListNames", None, gio::DBusCallFlags::NONE, 1000)
+            .await?
+            .child_value(0)
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|x| x.get::<String>()))
+    }
+
+    fn connect_name_owner_changed<F: Fn(String, String, String) + 'static>(&self, f: F) {
+        self.0
+            .connect_local("g-signal", false, move |args| {
+                if &args[2].get::<String>().unwrap() == "NameOwnerChanged" {
+                    let (name, old, new) = args[3].get::<glib::Variant>().unwrap().get().unwrap();
+                    f(name, old, new);
+                }
+                None
+            })
+            .unwrap();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/window.rs b/src/window.rs
index 0d9c9c05..e548d683 100644
--- a/src/window.rs
+++ b/src/window.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use cascade::cascade;
 use glib::clone;
 use gtk4::{gdk, glib, prelude::*};
 
+use crate::mpris::MprisControls;
 use crate::x;
 
 pub fn window(monitor: gdk::Monitor) -> gtk4::Window {
@@ -11,7 +12,11 @@ pub fn window(monitor: gdk::Monitor) -> gtk4::Window {
         ..set_popover(Some(&cascade! {
             gtk4::Popover::new();
             ..set_child(Some(&cascade! {
-                gtk4::Calendar::new();
+                gtk4::Box::new(gtk4::Orientation::Horizontal, 0);
+                ..append(&MprisControls::new());
+                ..append(&cascade! {
+                    gtk4::Calendar::new();
+                });
             }));
         }));
     };