diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index 75385b2dd..aa151d985 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -399,9 +399,7 @@ struct bar_config {
 		char *binding_mode_text;
 	} colors;
 
-#if HAVE_TRAY || HAVE_LIBSFDO
 	char *icon_theme;
-#endif
 
 #if HAVE_TRAY
 	struct wl_list tray_bindings; // struct tray_binding::link
diff --git a/include/sway/server.h b/include/sway/server.h
index 9202cb562..b1053d25f 100644
--- a/include/sway/server.h
+++ b/include/sway/server.h
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@
 #include "sway/xwayland.h"
 #endif
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 #include "sfdo.h"
-#endif
 
 struct sway_transaction;
 
@@ -151,10 +149,7 @@ struct sway_server {
 
 	struct wl_event_source *delayed_modeset;
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 	struct sfdo *sfdo;
-#endif
-
 };
 
 extern struct sway_server server;
diff --git a/include/swaybar/bar.h b/include/swaybar/bar.h
index 311993372..cbfa3df04 100644
--- a/include/swaybar/bar.h
+++ b/include/swaybar/bar.h
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ struct swaybar_tray;
 struct swaybar_workspace;
 struct loop;
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 struct sfdo;
-#endif
 
 struct swaybar {
 	char *id;
@@ -54,9 +52,7 @@ struct swaybar {
 	struct swaybar_tray *tray;
 #endif
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 	struct sfdo *sfdo;
-#endif
 
 	bool running;
 };
diff --git a/include/swaybar/config.h b/include/swaybar/config.h
index 8433b8c78..b360dbf0e 100644
--- a/include/swaybar/config.h
+++ b/include/swaybar/config.h
@@ -8,9 +8,7 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include <pango/pangocairo.h>
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 #include "sfdo.h"
-#endif
 
 struct box_colors {
 	uint32_t border;
@@ -77,9 +75,7 @@ struct swaybar_config {
 		struct box_colors binding_mode;
 	} colors;
 
-#if HAVE_TRAY || HAVE_LIBSFDO
 	char *icon_theme;
-#endif
 
 #if HAVE_TRAY
 	struct wl_list tray_bindings; // struct tray_binding::link
@@ -88,9 +84,7 @@ struct swaybar_config {
 	int tray_padding;
 #endif
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 	struct sfdo *sfdo;
-#endif
 };
 
 #if HAVE_TRAY
diff --git a/sway/config/bar.c b/sway/config/bar.c
index 58734a11e..93b217dff 100644
--- a/sway/config/bar.c
+++ b/sway/config/bar.c
@@ -71,16 +71,13 @@ void free_bar_config(struct bar_config *bar) {
 	free(bar->colors.binding_mode_bg);
 	free(bar->colors.binding_mode_text);
 
-	// this is to cover the case where tray support is not compiled in
-	// but we have libsfdo support which implies at least a default
-	// icon_theme string was allocated
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO && !HAVE_TRAY
-	free(bar->icone_theme);
-#endif
+	// since libsfdo is a hard depedency now we always have at least
+	// a default icon theme and need to free the string that contains
+	// its name
+	free(bar->icon_theme);
 
 #if HAVE_TRAY
 	list_free_items_and_destroy(bar->tray_outputs);
-	free(bar->icon_theme);
 
 	struct tray_binding *tray_bind = NULL, *tmp_tray_bind = NULL;
 	wl_list_for_each_safe(tray_bind, tmp_tray_bind, &bar->tray_bindings, link) {
@@ -179,11 +176,9 @@ struct bar_config *default_bar_config(void) {
 	bar->colors.binding_mode_text = NULL;
 
 	// we need some default when we initialize sfdo
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 	if (!(bar->icon_theme = strdup("Hicolor"))) {
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
-#endif
 
 #if HAVE_TRAY
 	bar->tray_padding = 2;
diff --git a/sway/server.c b/sway/server.c
index 841c61cce..e4fe3944a 100644
--- a/sway/server.c
+++ b/sway/server.c
@@ -69,9 +69,7 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_drm_lease_v1.h>
 #endif
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 #include "sfdo.h"
-#endif
 
 #define SWAY_XDG_SHELL_VERSION 5
 #define SWAY_LAYER_SHELL_VERSION 4
@@ -545,9 +543,7 @@ void server_fini(struct sway_server *server) {
   wlr_backend_destroy(server->backend);
   wl_display_destroy(server->wl_display);
   list_free(server->dirty_nodes);
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
   sfdo_destroy(server->sfdo);
-#endif
   free(server->socket);
 }
 
@@ -589,11 +585,9 @@ bool server_start(struct sway_server *server) {
     return false;
   }
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
   // TODO: allow configurability of global sway icon theme if and when
   // it is applicable (titlebar icons? ssd icons?)
   server->sfdo = sfdo_create("Hicolor");
-#endif
 
   return true;
 }
@@ -603,73 +597,3 @@ void server_run(struct sway_server *server) {
            server->socket);
   wl_display_run(server->wl_display);
 }
-
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
-struct sfdo *sfdo_create(char *theme) {
-  struct sfdo *sfdo = calloc(1, sizeof(struct sfdo));
-  if (!sfdo) {
-    goto error_calloc;
-  }
-
-  struct sfdo_basedir_ctx *basedir_ctx = sfdo_basedir_ctx_create();
-  if (!basedir_ctx) {
-    goto error_basedir_ctx;
-  }
-
-  sfdo->desktop_ctx = sfdo_desktop_ctx_create(basedir_ctx);
-  if (!sfdo->desktop_ctx) {
-    goto error_desktop_ctx;
-  }
-
-  sfdo->icon_ctx = sfdo_icon_ctx_create(basedir_ctx);
-  if (!sfdo->icon_ctx) {
-    goto error_icon_ctx;
-  }
-
-  sfdo->desktop_db = sfdo_desktop_db_load(sfdo->desktop_ctx, NULL);
-  if (!sfdo->desktop_db) {
-    goto error_desktop_db;
-  }
-
-  int load_options = SFDO_ICON_THEME_LOAD_OPTIONS_DEFAULT |
-                     SFDO_ICON_THEME_LOAD_OPTION_ALLOW_MISSING |
-                     SFDO_ICON_THEME_LOAD_OPTION_RELAXED;
-
-  sfdo->icon_theme = sfdo_icon_theme_load(sfdo->icon_ctx, theme, load_options);
-  if (!sfdo->icon_theme) {
-    goto error_icon_theme;
-  }
-
-  sfdo_basedir_ctx_destroy(basedir_ctx);
-
-  sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Successfully setup sfdo");
-  return sfdo;
-
-error_icon_theme:
-  sfdo_desktop_db_destroy(sfdo->desktop_db);
-error_desktop_db:
-  sfdo_icon_ctx_destroy(sfdo->icon_ctx);
-error_icon_ctx:
-  sfdo_desktop_ctx_destroy(sfdo->desktop_ctx);
-error_desktop_ctx:
-  sfdo_basedir_ctx_destroy(basedir_ctx);
-error_basedir_ctx:
-  free(sfdo);
-error_calloc:
-  sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Failed to setup sfdo");
-  return NULL;
-}
-
-void sfdo_destroy(struct sfdo *sfdo) {
-  if (!sfdo) {
-    sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Null sfdo passed in");
-    return;
-  }
-
-  sfdo_icon_theme_destroy(sfdo->icon_theme);
-  sfdo_desktop_db_destroy(sfdo->desktop_db);
-  sfdo_icon_ctx_destroy(sfdo->icon_ctx);
-  sfdo_desktop_ctx_destroy(sfdo->desktop_ctx);
-  sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Successfully destroyed sfdo");
-}
-#endif
diff --git a/swaybar/bar.c b/swaybar/bar.c
index 5d7854b3c..8f808fa93 100644
--- a/swaybar/bar.c
+++ b/swaybar/bar.c
@@ -538,9 +538,7 @@ void bar_teardown(struct swaybar *bar) {
 #if HAVE_TRAY
 	destroy_tray(bar->tray);
 #endif
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 	sfdo_destroy(bar->config->sfdo);
-#endif
 	free_outputs(&bar->outputs);
 	free_outputs(&bar->unused_outputs);
 	free_seats(&bar->seats);
diff --git a/swaybar/config.c b/swaybar/config.c
index 9e17a7128..eb8b1a064 100644
--- a/swaybar/config.c
+++ b/swaybar/config.c
@@ -7,9 +7,7 @@
 #include "list.h"
 #include "log.h"
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 #include "sfdo.h"
-#endif
 
 uint32_t parse_position(const char *position) {
 	uint32_t horiz = ZWLR_LAYER_SURFACE_V1_ANCHOR_LEFT |
@@ -132,18 +130,11 @@ void free_config(struct swaybar_config *config) {
 		wl_list_remove(&tray_bind->link);
 		free_tray_binding(tray_bind);
 	}
-
-	free(config->icon_theme);
 #endif
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO && !HAVE_TRAY
 	free(config->icon_theme);
-#endif
-
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 	sfdo_destroy(config->sfdo);
 	sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Destroyed swaybar sfdo");
-#endif
 
 	free(config);
 }
diff --git a/swaybar/ipc.c b/swaybar/ipc.c
index e1a6283da..2e38775a5 100644
--- a/swaybar/ipc.c
+++ b/swaybar/ipc.c
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@
 #include "stringop.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 #include "sfdo.h"
-#endif
 
 void ipc_send_workspace_command(struct swaybar *bar, const char *ws) {
 	uint32_t size = strlen("workspace \"\"") + strlen(ws);
@@ -332,14 +330,14 @@ static bool ipc_parse_config(
 		}
 	}
 
+#endif
+
+	// whether or not there is a tray, we now always have an icon theme
 	if ((json_object_object_get_ex(bar_config, "icon_theme", &icon_theme))) {
 		config->icon_theme = strdup(json_object_get_string(icon_theme));
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 		sfdo_destroy(config->sfdo);
 		config->sfdo = sfdo_create(config->icon_theme);
-#endif
 	}
-#endif
 
 	json_object_put(bar_config);
 	return true;
diff --git a/swaybar/tray/item.c b/swaybar/tray/item.c
index e7b8d4231..6ee5bf505 100644
--- a/swaybar/tray/item.c
+++ b/swaybar/tray/item.c
@@ -20,9 +20,7 @@
 #include "stringop.h"
 #include "wlr-layer-shell-unstable-v1-client-protocol.h"
 
-#if HAVE_LIBSFDO
 #include "sfdo.h"
-#endif
 
 // TODO menu
 
@@ -426,16 +424,6 @@ static void reload_sni(struct swaybar_sni *sni, char *icon_theme, int target_siz
 		sni->attention_icon_name : sni->icon_name;
 	if (icon_name) {
 		char *icon_path = NULL;
-#if !HAVE_LIBSFDO
-		list_t *icon_search_paths = create_list();
-		list_cat(icon_search_paths, sni->tray->basedirs);
-		if (sni->icon_theme_path) {
-			list_add(icon_search_paths, sni->icon_theme_path);
-		}
-		icon_path = find_icon(sni->tray->themes, icon_search_paths,
-				icon_name, target_size, icon_theme,
-				&sni->min_size, &sni->max_size);
-#else
 		// TODO: at some point we will need to make this scaling-aware
 		int scale = 1;
 		struct sfdo *sfdo = sni->tray->bar->config->sfdo;
@@ -446,10 +434,6 @@ static void reload_sni(struct swaybar_sni *sni, char *icon_theme, int target_siz
 					icon_name, icon_theme, target_size);
 			}
 		}
-#endif
-#if !HAVE_LIBSFDO
-		list_free(icon_search_paths);
-#endif
 		if (icon_path) {
 			cairo_surface_destroy(sni->icon);
 			sni->icon = load_image(icon_path, target_size, scale);