--- dmenu.c
+++ dmenu.c
@@ -152,21 +152,24 @@ drawmenu(void)
 	drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
 	drw_rect(drw, 0, 0, mw, mh, 1, 1);
 
-	if (prompt && *prompt) {
-		drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeSel]);
-		x = drw_text(drw, x, 0, promptw, bh, lrpad / 2, prompt, 0);
-	}
-	/* draw input field */
 	w = (lines > 0 || !matches) ? mw - x : inputw;
-	drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
-	drw_text(drw, x, 0, w, bh, lrpad / 2, text, 0);
 
-	curpos = TEXTW(text) - TEXTW(&text[cursor]);
-	if ((curpos += lrpad / 2 - 1) < w) {
+	if (text[0] == '\0' && prompt && *prompt) {
+		drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemePrompt]);
+		/* If vertical list: use full width (w), else just promptw */
+		drw_text(drw, x, 0, (lines > 0 ? w : promptw), bh, lrpad / 2, prompt, 0);
+	} else {
 		drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
-		drw_rect(drw, x + curpos, 2, 2, bh - 4, 1, 0);
+		drw_text(drw, x, 0, w, bh, lrpad / 2, text, 0);
 	}
 
+	if (text[0] != '\0') {
+		curpos = TEXTW(text) - TEXTW(&text[cursor]);
+		if ((curpos += lrpad / 2 - 1) < w) {
+			drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
+			drw_rect(drw, x + curpos, 1, 2, bh - 4, 1, 0);
+		}
+	}
 	if (lines > 0) {
 		/* draw vertical list */
 		for (item = curr; item != next; item = item->right)