diff --git a/dot_config/sketchybar/executable_sketchybarrc b/dot_config/sketchybar/executable_sketchybarrc
index 6eb872e..a3b3b42 100644
--- a/dot_config/sketchybar/executable_sketchybarrc
+++ b/dot_config/sketchybar/executable_sketchybarrc
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ sketchybar \
   --add item mullvad right \
   --set mullvad \
     script="$PLUGIN_DIR/mullvad.sh" \
-    update_freq=10 \
 \
   --add item battery right \
   --set battery \
diff --git a/dot_config/sketchybar/plugins/executable_mullvad.sh b/dot_config/sketchybar/plugins/executable_mullvad.sh
index 2ebd81e..beaeae0 100644
--- a/dot_config/sketchybar/plugins/executable_mullvad.sh
+++ b/dot_config/sketchybar/plugins/executable_mullvad.sh
@@ -3,19 +3,18 @@
 # path where mullvad is kept
 PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH
 
-if command -v mullvad &> /dev/null; then
-  MULLVAD_STATUS=$(mullvad status)
+if ! [ -x "$(command -v mullvad)" ]; then
+  sketchybar --set "$NAME" icon=" " label=""
+fi
 
-  if echo "$MULLVAD_STATUS" | grep -q 'Connected'; then
-    OUTPUT=$(mullvad status | cut -d " " -f 3 | cut -d "-" -f 1 | tr '/a-z/' '/A-Z/')
+while read -r LINE; do
+  if echo "$LINE" | grep -q 'Connected'; then
+    # regex grep the relay, e.g. se7 for sweden-7
+    OUTPUT=$(echo "$LINE" | grep -oE "\w{2}\d+")
     ICON=" "
   else
     ICON=" "
   fi
 
-else
-  ICON=" "
-  OUTPUT=""
-fi
-
-sketchybar --set "$NAME" icon="$ICON" label="$OUTPUT"
+  sketchybar --set "$NAME" icon="$ICON" label="${OUTPUT^^}"
+done < <(mullvad status listen)
diff --git a/dot_local/bin/executable_mullvad-status b/dot_local/bin/executable_mullvad-status
index 95e9ad2..3c6d254 100644
--- a/dot_local/bin/executable_mullvad-status
+++ b/dot_local/bin/executable_mullvad-status
@@ -1,14 +1,19 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
+# if mullvad is not installed
+if ! [ -x "$(command -v mullvad)" ]; then
+  echo " "
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 while read -r LINE; do
   if echo "$LINE" | grep -q 'Connected'; then
-    # get the relay (3rd word) | drop the wireguard/openvpn suffix | make it uppercase
-    # just replace this with whatever style you like
-    OUTPUT=$(echo "$LINE" | cut -d " " -f 3 | cut -d "-" -f 1 | tr '/a-z/' '/A-Z/')
+    # regex grep the relay, e.g. se7 for sweden-7
+    OUTPUT=$(echo "$LINE" | grep -oE "\w{2}\d+")
     ICON=" "
   else
     ICON=" "
   fi
 
-  echo "$ICON" "$OUTPUT"
+  echo "$ICON" "${OUTPUT^^}"
 done < <(mullvad status listen)