diff --git a/swaybar/render.c b/swaybar/render.c
index 8681532a1..3fd8da0b3 100644
--- a/swaybar/render.c
+++ b/swaybar/render.c
@@ -159,9 +159,10 @@ static uint32_t render_status_block(cairo_t *cairo,
 		if (config->sep_symbol) {
 			get_text_size(cairo, config->font, &sep_width, &sep_height,
 					output->scale, false, "%s", config->sep_symbol);
-			uint32_t _ideal_height = sep_height + ws_vertical_padding * 2;
-			if (_ideal_height * output->scale > height) {
-				return _ideal_height;
+			uint32_t _ideal_surface_height = ws_vertical_padding * 2
+				+ sep_height;
+			if (_ideal_surface_height > surface_height) {
+				return _ideal_surface_height;
 			}
 			if (sep_width > block->separator_block_width) {
 				block->separator_block_width = sep_width + margin * 2;