diff --git a/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/style.css b/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/style.css
index c5c57edc..818e2eea 100644
--- a/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/style.css
+++ b/hosts/common/programs/nwg-panel/style.css
@@ -49,6 +49,15 @@ button {
   background: @accent-g1;
   color: @fg1;
 }
+/* fix up the top bar sections so that the clock can be centered, even without forcing it to take 1/3rd of the bar */
+/* pair with `homogenous = false` in config. on overflow, the clock may be rendered on top of the left portion of the bar */
+/* and the right portion of the bar will render on top of all */
+#left-box {
+  margin-right: -16384px;
+}
+#right-box {
+  margin-left: -16384px;
+}
 
 /* increase the size of each workspace icon */
 #sway-workspaces-item > label {