diff --git a/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/chain-labels.conf b/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/chain-labels.example.conf
similarity index 75%
rename from sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/chain-labels.conf
rename to sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/chain-labels.example.conf
index b081524..f2cef24 100644
--- a/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/chain-labels.conf
+++ b/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/chain-labels.example.conf
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # for sxhkd-chain-labels script
 
 # media manipulation mode: playing, pausing, skipping,..
-media:super + alt + m
+media:alt + m
 
 # academia mode: opening bibtex readings, annotating,..
-academia:super + alt + a
+academia:alt + a
diff --git a/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc b/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
index 0efa2b3..06eb67f 100644
--- a/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
+++ b/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ super + q
 
 ## modes
 
-# media control mode
+# mode:media:alt + m
 # seek +/- 5 seconds
 alt + m : {h,l}
   playerctl position {5-,5+}
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ alt + m : shift + {j,k}
 alt + m : {_,shift} + p
   playerctl {play-pause,stop}
 
-# academia mode
+# mode:academia:alt + a
 # due papers this week
 alt + a : {F1,F2}
   rofi-bib-due -p{1,3} -u $(date --date='fri this week' +%Y-%m-%d)
diff --git a/sxhkd/.local/bin/sxhkd-chain-labels b/sxhkd/.local/bin/sxhkd-chain-labels
index 9de6208..287cd80 100755
--- a/sxhkd/.local/bin/sxhkd-chain-labels
+++ b/sxhkd/.local/bin/sxhkd-chain-labels
@@ -1,18 +1,29 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 
-# output is to stdout unless explicitly set through -o
-OUTPUTF=""
+# output is to stdout unless explicitly set through -o or env var
+OUTPUTF="$SXHKD_OUTPUTF"
 
 # set fifo input file, according (somewhat) to xdg
-[ -n "$SXHKD_FIFO" ] && FIFO="$SXHKD_FIFO"
-[ ! -e "$FIFO" ] && FIFO="${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"/sxhkd_fifo
-[ ! -e "$FIFO" ] && FIFO="${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}"/sxhkd_fifo
-[ ! -e "$FIFO" ] && FIFO="$HOME/.sxhkd_fifo"
+if [ -n "$SXHKD_FIFO" ]; then
+  FIFO="$SXHKD_FIFO"
+elif [ -p "${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"/sxhkd_fifo ]; then
+  FIFO="${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"/sxhkd_fifo
+elif [ -p "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}"/sxhkd_fifo ]; then
+  FIFO="${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}"/sxhkd_fifo
+elif [ -p "$HOME/.sxhkd_fifo" ]; then
+  FIFO="$HOME/.sxhkd_fifo"
+fi
 
 # set label config file, according (somewhat) to xdg
-[ -n "$SXHKD_LABELCONFIG" ] && LABELCONFIG="$SXHKD_LABELCONFIG"
-[ ! -f "$LABELCONFIG" ] && LABELCONFIG="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}"/sxhkd/chain-labels.conf
-[ ! -f "$LABELCONFIG" ] && LABELCONFIG="$HOME/.chain-labels.conf"
+if [ -n "$SXHKD_LABELCONFIG" ]; then
+  LABELCONFIG="$SXHKD_LABELCONFIG"
+elif [ -f "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}"/sxhkd/chain-labels.conf ]; then
+  LABELCONFIG="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}"/sxhkd/chain-labels.conf
+elif [ -f "$HOME/.chain-labels.conf" ]; then
+  LABELCONFIG="$HOME/.chain-labels.conf"
+fi
+
+SXHKDRC_FILE="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
 
 main() {
   while read -r event; do
@@ -62,7 +73,22 @@ ev_chainend() {
 
 # read config from file, remove comments (lines starting with #) and empty lines
 read_config() {
-  [ -f "$1" ] && LABELS="$(sed -e '/^#/d;/^[[:blank:]]*$/d' <"$1")" || LABELS=""
+  [ ! -f "$1" ] && return 1
+
+  parse_labels "$(cat "$1")"
+}
+
+# parse sxhkdrc for mode compatible comments
+read_sxhkdrc() {
+  [ ! -f "$1" ] && return 1
+
+  _sxhkdrc_content="$(sed -e '/^# mode:/!d;s/^# mode://' <"$1")"
+  parse_labels "$_sxhkdrc_content"
+}
+
+# append
+parse_labels() {
+  LABELS="${LABELS}$(echo "$1" | sed -e '/^#/d;/^[[:blank:]]*$/d')"
 }
 
 get_help() {
@@ -95,19 +121,29 @@ get_help() {
      \$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/sxhkd/chain-labels.conf
      ~/.config/sxhkd/chain-labels.conf
      ~/.chain-labels.conf 
+     \$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/sxhkd/sxhkdrc (parsing)
 
  The label configuration file uses the following format:
-   mode-name:chain activation combination
+   mode name:key chain
 
- Lines beginning with a # will be ignored. Whitespace is 
- important, sxhkd will, by default, put a single space 
- between any component of the key combination.
-
- An example file:
+ Lines beginning with a # will be ignored. Whitespace is important, sxhkd will, by 
+ default, put a single space between any component of the key combination.
 
+ An example file chain-labels.conf:
    media:super + alt + m
    system:super + backspace
 
+ Instead of using an explicit configuration file, you can put the chain mode 
+ information into the regular sxhkdrc as comments. They need to follow this exact format:
+   # mode:mode name:key chain 
+
+ They can occur anywhere in the file. The space before mode is necessary, and # needs to 
+ be the first character on the line. The above example file as written into the sxhkdrc:
+   # mode:media:super + alt + m
+   # mode:system:super + backspace
+
+ If an explicit configuration file exists, it will supersede any mode information in the
+ sxhkdrc file.
   \n"
 }
 
@@ -150,7 +186,8 @@ shift $((OPTIND - 1))
 
 [ "${1:-}" = "--" ] && shift
 
-# look for default label config
+# look for default label config, prefer config file to parsing sxhkdrc
 [ -z "$LABELS" ] && read_config "$LABELCONFIG"
+[ -z "$LABELS" ] && read_sxhkdrc "$SXHKDRC_FILE"
 
 main "$@"