diff --git a/crates/eww/src/app.rs b/crates/eww/src/app.rs
index ea339872..9c8f180d 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/app.rs
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ pub enum DaemonCommand {
     },
     OpenWindow {
         window_name: String,
+        instance_id: Option<String>,
         pos: Option<Coords>,
         size: Option<Coords>,
         anchor: Option<AnchorPoint>,
@@ -67,9 +68,30 @@ pub enum DaemonCommand {
     PrintWindows(DaemonResponseSender),
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct WindowInitiator {
+    pub config_name: String,
+    pub pos: Option<Coords>,
+    pub size: Option<Coords>,
+    pub monitor: Option<i32>,
+    pub anchor: Option<AnchorPoint>,
+}
+
+impl WindowInitiator {
+    pub fn new(
+        config_name: String,
+        pos: Option<Coords>,
+        size: Option<Coords>,
+        monitor: Option<i32>,
+        anchor: Option<AnchorPoint>,
+    ) -> Self {
+        WindowInitiator { config_name, pos, size, monitor, anchor }
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct EwwWindow {
-    pub name: String,
+    pub instance_id: String,
     pub definition: yuck::config::window_definition::WindowDefinition,
     pub scope_index: ScopeIndex,
     pub gtk_window: gtk::Window,
@@ -85,6 +107,7 @@ pub struct App {
     pub scope_graph: Rc<RefCell<ScopeGraph>>,
     pub eww_config: config::EwwConfig,
     pub open_windows: HashMap<String, EwwWindow>,
+    pub window_initiators: HashMap<String, WindowInitiator>,
     /// Window names that are supposed to be open, but failed.
     /// When reloading the config, these should be opened again.
     pub failed_windows: HashSet<String>,
@@ -103,6 +126,7 @@ impl std::fmt::Debug for App {
             .field("eww_config", &self.eww_config)
             .field("open_windows", &self.open_windows)
             .field("failed_windows", &self.failed_windows)
+            .field("window_initiators", &self.window_initiators)
             .field("paths", &self.paths)
             .finish()
     }
@@ -168,23 +192,35 @@ impl App {
                             if should_toggle && self.open_windows.contains_key(w) {
                                 self.close_window(w)
                             } else {
-                                self.open_window(w, None, None, None, None)
+                                self.open_window(w, &WindowInitiator::new(w.clone(), None, None, None, None))
                             }
                         })
                         .filter_map(Result::err);
                     sender.respond_with_error_list(errors)?;
                 }
-                DaemonCommand::OpenWindow { window_name, pos, size, anchor, screen: monitor, should_toggle, sender } => {
-                    let is_open = self.open_windows.contains_key(&window_name);
+                DaemonCommand::OpenWindow {
+                    window_name,
+                    instance_id,
+                    pos,
+                    size,
+                    anchor,
+                    screen: monitor,
+                    should_toggle,
+                    sender,
+                } => {
+                    let id = instance_id.unwrap_or(window_name.clone());
+
+                    let is_open = self.open_windows.contains_key(&id);
+
                     let result = if is_open {
                         if should_toggle {
-                            self.close_window(&window_name)
+                            self.close_window(&id)
                         } else {
                             // user should use `eww reload` to reload windows (https://github.com/elkowar/eww/issues/260)
                             Ok(())
                         }
                     } else {
-                        self.open_window(&window_name, pos, size, monitor, anchor)
+                        self.open_window(&id, &WindowInitiator::new(window_name, pos, size, monitor, anchor))
                     };
                     sender.respond_with_result(result)?;
                 }
@@ -279,11 +315,11 @@ impl App {
         // Due to poll vars not being able to be per window, these do not need to be updated
     }
 
-    fn close_window(&mut self, window_name: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    fn close_window(&mut self, instance_id: &str) -> Result<()> {
         let eww_window = self
             .open_windows
-            .remove(window_name)
-            .with_context(|| format!("Tried to close window named '{}', but no such window was open", window_name))?;
+            .remove(instance_id)
+            .with_context(|| format!("Tried to close window named '{}', but no such window was open", instance_id))?;
 
         self.scope_graph.borrow_mut().remove_scope(eww_window.scope_index);
 
@@ -295,28 +331,26 @@ impl App {
             self.script_var_handler.stop_for_variable(unused_var.clone());
         }
 
+        self.window_initiators.remove(instance_id);
+
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn open_window(
-        &mut self,
-        window_call: &str,
-        pos: Option<Coords>,
-        size: Option<Coords>,
-        monitor: Option<i32>,
-        anchor: Option<AnchorPoint>,
-    ) -> Result<()> {
-        self.failed_windows.remove(window_call);
-        log::info!("Opening window {}", window_call);
+    fn open_window(&mut self, instance_id: &str, initiator: &WindowInitiator) -> Result<()> {
+        self.failed_windows.remove(instance_id);
+        log::info!("Opening window {} as '{}'", initiator.config_name, instance_id);
 
         // if an instance of this is already running, close it
-        let _ = self.close_window(window_call);
+        let _ = self.close_window(instance_id);
+
+        self.window_initiators.insert(instance_id.to_string(), initiator.clone());
 
         let open_result: Result<_> = try {
-            let (window_name, params) = extract_window_info(window_call);
+            let (window_name, params) = extract_window_info(&initiator.config_name);
 
             let mut window_def = self.eww_config.get_window(window_name)?.clone();
-            window_def.geometry = window_def.geometry.map(|x| x.override_if_given(anchor, pos, size));
+            window_def.geometry =
+                window_def.geometry.map(|x| x.override_if_given(initiator.anchor, initiator.pos, initiator.size));
 
             if params.len() != window_def.expected_args.len() {
                 // Throw error
@@ -339,7 +373,7 @@ impl App {
             )?;
 
             let global_window_scope = self.scope_graph.borrow_mut().register_new_scope(
-                window_call.to_string() + "_global",
+                instance_id.to_string() + "_global",
                 Some(root_index),
                 root_index,
                 self.eww_config
@@ -360,10 +394,11 @@ impl App {
 
             root_widget.style_context().add_class(&window_name.to_string());
 
-            let monitor_number = monitor.or(window_def.get_monitor_number(&local_variables)?);
+            let monitor_number = initiator.monitor.or(window_def.get_monitor_number(&local_variables)?);
             let monitor_geometry = get_monitor_geometry(monitor_number)?;
 
-            let eww_window = initialize_window(monitor_number, monitor_geometry, root_widget, window_def, window_scope)?;
+            let eww_window =
+                initialize_window(instance_id, monitor_number, monitor_geometry, root_widget, window_def, window_scope)?;
 
             // initialize script var handlers for variables that where not used before opening this window.
             // TODO maybe this could be handled by having a track_newly_used_variables function in the scope tree?
@@ -379,12 +414,12 @@ impl App {
                     let _ = scope_graph_sender.send(ScopeGraphEvent::RemoveScope(eww_window.scope_index));
                 }
             });
-            self.open_windows.insert(window_call.to_string(), eww_window);
+            self.open_windows.insert(instance_id.to_string(), eww_window);
         };
 
         if let Err(err) = open_result {
-            self.failed_windows.insert(window_call.to_string());
-            Err(err).with_context(|| format!("failed to open window `{}`", window_call))
+            self.failed_windows.insert(instance_id.to_string());
+            Err(err).with_context(|| format!("failed to open window `{}`", instance_id))
         } else {
             Ok(())
         }
@@ -402,10 +437,19 @@ impl App {
         self.eww_config = config;
         self.scope_graph.borrow_mut().clear(self.eww_config.generate_initial_state()?);
 
-        let window_names: Vec<String> =
+        let instances: Vec<String> =
             self.open_windows.keys().cloned().chain(self.failed_windows.iter().cloned()).dedup().collect();
-        for window_name in &window_names {
-            self.open_window(window_name, None, None, None, None)?;
+        let initiators = self.window_initiators.clone();
+        for instance_id in &instances {
+            let window_initiator;
+            match initiators.get(instance_id) {
+                Some(x) => window_initiator = x,
+                None => {
+                    return Err(anyhow!("Cannot reopen window, initial parameters were not saved correctly for {}", instance_id))
+                }
+            };
+
+            self.open_window(instance_id, window_initiator)?;
         }
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -417,6 +461,7 @@ impl App {
 }
 
 fn initialize_window(
+    instance_id: &str,
     monitor_number: Option<i32>,
     monitor_geometry: gdk::Rectangle,
     root_widget: gtk::Widget,
@@ -463,7 +508,7 @@ fn initialize_window(
 
     window.show_all();
 
-    Ok(EwwWindow { name: window_def.name.clone(), definition: window_def, gtk_window: window, scope_index: window_scope })
+    Ok(EwwWindow { instance_id: instance_id.to_string(), definition: window_def, gtk_window: window, scope_index: window_scope })
 }
 
 /// Apply the provided window-positioning rules to the window.
diff --git a/crates/eww/src/opts.rs b/crates/eww/src/opts.rs
index 3482cd84..44450a7a 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/opts.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/opts.rs
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ pub enum ActionWithServer {
         /// Name of the window you want to open.
         window_name: String,
 
+        // The id of the window instance
+        #[structopt(long)]
+        id: Option<String>,
+
         /// Monitor-index the window should open on
         #[structopt(long)]
         screen: Option<i32>,
@@ -211,9 +215,10 @@ impl ActionWithServer {
             ActionWithServer::OpenMany { windows, should_toggle } => {
                 return with_response_channel(|sender| app::DaemonCommand::OpenMany { windows, should_toggle, sender });
             }
-            ActionWithServer::OpenWindow { window_name, pos, size, screen, anchor, should_toggle } => {
+            ActionWithServer::OpenWindow { window_name, id, pos, size, screen, anchor, should_toggle } => {
                 return with_response_channel(|sender| app::DaemonCommand::OpenWindow {
                     window_name,
+                    instance_id: id,
                     pos,
                     size,
                     anchor,
diff --git a/crates/eww/src/server.rs b/crates/eww/src/server.rs
index de2006ca..b5aade89 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/server.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/server.rs
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ pub fn initialize_server(paths: EwwPaths, action: Option<DaemonCommand>, should_
         eww_config,
         open_windows: HashMap::new(),
         failed_windows: HashSet::new(),
+        window_initiators: HashMap::new(),
         css_provider: gtk::CssProvider::new(),
         script_var_handler,
         app_evt_send: ui_send.clone(),