Border Color Window Rules Ignores First Color

[emptinessmachinev2]

After version 0.53 the first color in a border color window rule declaration gets ignored. This color (or color set/gradient) corresponds to the active window and the second corresponds to the inactive window.

Lets say we have some rules to indicate window states for version 0.52:

windowrule = bordercolor $magenta $magenta_dim, pinned:1
windowrule = bordercolor $cyan $cyan_dim, fullscreenstate:1 0
windowrule = bordercolor $blue $blue_dim, onworkspace:s[true]

For version 0.53 we use the new syntax as indicated in the wiki:

windowrule = border_color $magenta $magenta_dim, match:pin true
windowrule = border_color $cyan $cyan_dim, match:fullscreen_state_internal 1
windowrule = border_color $blue $blue_dim, match:workspace s[true]

or use the named rule syntax:

windowrule {
  name = pinned_border_color
  border_color = $magenta $magenta_dim
  match:pin = true
}

windowrule {
  name = maximize_border_color
  border_color = $cyan $cyan_dim
  match:fullscreen_state_internal = 1
}

windowrule {
  name = special_ws_border_color
  match:workspace = s[true]

  border_color =  $blue $blue_dim
 }

The previous new rules will assign the second color as the active window border color and for the inactive will fallback to the one declared on the general section of the configuration.

One can add a third color to "fix" some of the rules(some the other it breaks the window state condition behaviour):

# this rule gets fixed by prefixing with another color
windowrule = border_color $blue $blue_dim, match:workspace s[true]

# like this
windowrule = border_color $any_color $blue $blue_dim, match:workspace s[true]

Don't know if this is a bug or just bad configuration on my side. Would appreciate for anyone to indicate what have I done wrong. Thanks in advance.

---

Configuration file(options)

general {
    layout = dwindle
    gaps_in = 4
    gaps_out = 8
    gaps_workspaces = 10
    border_size = 2
    col.active_border = $green
    col.inactive_border = $inactive
    no_focus_fallback = true
    resize_on_border = true
    hover_icon_on_border = true
    # snap {
    #     enabled = true
    #     window_gap = 100
    #     monitor_gap = 100
    #     respect_gaps = true
    # }
}

input {
    kb_layout = latam
    kb_model = pc105
    repeat_delay = 250
    repeat_rate = 50
    follow_mouse = 1
    mouse_refocus = true
    accel_profile = flat
    sensitivity = 0.1
    special_fallthrough = true

    touchpad {
        tap_button_map = lrm
        natural_scroll = true
        tap-to-click = true
        scroll_factor = 0.20
        drag_lock = false
        tap-and-drag = true
    }
}

device {
    name = elan06fa:00-04f3:31be-touchpad
    accel_profile = flat
    sensitivity = 1
    scroll_method = 2fg
}

device {
    name = logitech-usb-receiver-mouse
    accel_profile = flat
    sensitivity = 0.35
}

dwindle {
    pseudotile = false
    preserve_split = true
    force_split = 2
    smart_split = false
    smart_resizing = true
}

master {
    mfact = 0.5
    new_status = master
    new_on_top = true
    orientation = left
}

group {
    insert_after_current = true
    focus_removed_window = true
    col.border_active = $green

    groupbar {
        enabled = true
        stacked = false
        scrolling = true
        gradients = true
        keep_upper_gap = false
        priority = 1
        gradient_rounding = 10
        round_only_edges = false
        indicator_height = 0
        height = 14
        rounding = 1
        gaps_in = 10
        gaps_out = 6
        col.active = rgba(a6e06ccc)
        col.inactive = rgba(a6e06c55)
        text_color = rgba(111111ff)
        font_family = Jet Brains Mono Nerd Font
        font_size = 14
    }
}

decoration {
    rounding = 4
    active_opacity = 1.0
    inactive_opacity = 1.0
    fullscreen_opacity = 1.0
    dim_special = 0.2

    shadow {
        enabled = true
        range = 20
        color = 0x66000000
        offset = 10 10
    }

    blur {
        enabled = false
    }
}

animations {
    enabled = true
    bezier = curve, 0.0, 0.0, 0.58, 1
    animation = windows, 1, 1.0, curve, slide
    animation = border, 0, 1, curve
    animation = fade, 1, 2, curve
    animation = fade, 0
    animation = layers, 1, 2, curve
    animation = workspaces, 1, 0.5, curve, slide
    animation = specialWorkspace, 1, 0.5, curve, slidevert
}

binds {
    workspace_center_on = 0
    focus_preferred_method = 0
    movefocus_cycles_fullscreen = true
}

misc {
    force_default_wallpaper = 0
    disable_hyprland_logo = true
    disable_splash_rendering = true
    exit_window_retains_fullscreen = true
    disable_autoreload = true
    initial_workspace_tracking = 0
    focus_on_activate = true
    enable_swallow = false
    font_family = Jet Brains Mono Nerd Font
    lockdead_screen_delay = 3000
    vfr = true
}

cursor {
    hide_on_key_press = false
    inactive_timeout = 10
}

gestures {
    workspace_swipe_cancel_ratio = 0.3
    workspace_swipe_min_speed_to_force = 25
}

xwayland {
    enabled = false
    use_nearest_neighbor = true
    force_zero_scaling = false
}

render {
    send_content_type = false  # default: true
}

debug {
    disable_logs = false
}

ecosystem {
    no_donation_nag = true
    no_update_news = true
}

hyprctl version

Hyprland 0.53.1 built from branch v0.53.1 at commit ab1d80f3d6aebd57a0971b53a1993b1c1dfe0b09 clean (version: bump to 0.53.1).
Date: Fri Jan 2 21:20:57 2026
Tag: v0.53.1, commits: 6766

Libraries:
Hyprgraphics: built against 0.5.0, system has 0.5.0
Hyprutils: built against 0.11.0, system has 0.11.0
Hyprcursor: built against 0.1.13, system has 0.1.13
Hyprlang: built against 0.6.7, system has 0.6.8
Aquamarine: built against 0.10.0, system has 0.10.0

Version ABI string: ab1d80f3d6aebd57a0971b53a1993b1c1dfe0b09_aq_0.10_hu_0.11_hg_0.5_hc_0.1_hlg_0.6
no flags were set

[MorningMC]

What are your color definitions? (like $magenta $magenta_dim) Maybe there are some problems in your color definition.

[emptinessmachinev2]

I have been using the rgba(xxxxxxaa) format.

$bg           =  rgba(1f221fff)
$trbg         =  rgba(1f221f36)
$fg           =  rgba(ccccccff)
$fg_dim       =  rgba(777777ff)
$red          =  rgba(e06c6cff)
$green        =  rgba(a6e06cff)
$yellow       =  rgba(e6e665ff)
$blue         =  rgba(6c92e0ff)
$magenta      =  rgba(e06ce0ff)
$cyan         =  rgba(6ce0e0ff)

$red_dim      =  rgba(e06c6c55)
$green_dim    =  rgba(a6e06c55)
$yellow_dim   =  rgba(e6e66555)
$blue_dim     =  rgba(6c92e055)
$magenta_dim  =  rgba(e06ce055)
$cyan_dim     =  rgba(6ce0e055)

$warning      =  rgba(e6e665ff)
$critical     =  rgba(e06c6cff)
$limit        =  rgba(6ce0e0ff)
$inv          =  rgba(12345600)
$inactive     =  rgba(445544ff)

[MorningMC]

i think there are no issues with your color definitions..? maybe consider using windowrulev2, or create a issue to Hyprland

[ArielHorwitz]

Related: #12746

I think @emptinessmachinev2 has diagnosed the issue more accurately. It's the first color being ignored, and not that gradients are not working at all. Came here after my gradients broke after update to 0.53.