diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 722c288d..9181e1c1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ All notable changes to eww will be listed here, starting at changes since versio
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### BREAKING CHANGES
+- Remove `eww windows` command, replace with `eww active-windows` and `eww list-windows`
+
 ### Features
 - Add `:namespace` window option
 - Default to building with x11 and wayland support simultaneously
diff --git a/crates/eww/src/app.rs b/crates/eww/src/app.rs
index 44ed96d0..8d36435c 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/app.rs
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ pub enum DaemonCommand {
     },
     PrintDebug(DaemonResponseSender),
     PrintGraph(DaemonResponseSender),
-    PrintWindows(DaemonResponseSender),
+    ListWindows(DaemonResponseSender),
+    ListActiveWindows(DaemonResponseSender),
 }
 
 /// An opened window.
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ pub struct App<B> {
     pub display_backend: B,
     pub scope_graph: Rc<RefCell<ScopeGraph>>,
     pub eww_config: config::EwwConfig,
-    /// Map of all currently open windows
+    /// Map of all currently open windows by their IDs
     pub open_windows: HashMap<String, EwwWindow>,
     pub instance_id_to_args: HashMap<String, WindowArguments>,
     /// Window names that are supposed to be open, but failed.
@@ -270,16 +271,12 @@ impl<B: DisplayBackend> App<B> {
                         None => sender.send_failure(format!("Variable not found \"{}\"", name))?,
                     }
                 }
-                DaemonCommand::PrintWindows(sender) => {
-                    let output = self
-                        .eww_config
-                        .get_windows()
-                        .keys()
-                        .map(|window_name| {
-                            let is_open = self.open_windows.contains_key(window_name);
-                            format!("{}{}", if is_open { "*" } else { "" }, window_name)
-                        })
-                        .join("\n");
+                DaemonCommand::ListWindows(sender) => {
+                    let output = self.eww_config.get_windows().keys().join("\n");
+                    sender.send_success(output)?
+                }
+                DaemonCommand::ListActiveWindows(sender) => {
+                    let output = self.open_windows.iter().map(|(id, window)| format!("{id}: {}", window.name)).join("\n");
                     sender.send_success(output)?
                 }
                 DaemonCommand::PrintDebug(sender) => {
diff --git a/crates/eww/src/opts.rs b/crates/eww/src/opts.rs
index df6f159c..39420fbd 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/opts.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/opts.rs
@@ -179,9 +179,13 @@ pub enum ActionWithServer {
     #[command(name = "get")]
     GetVar { name: String },
 
-    /// Print the names of all configured windows. Windows with a * in front of them are currently opened.
-    #[command(name = "windows")]
-    ShowWindows,
+    /// List the names of active windows
+    #[command(name = "list-windows")]
+    ListWindows,
+
+    /// Show active window IDs, formatted linewise `<window_id>: <window_name>`
+    #[command(name = "active-windows")]
+    ListActiveWindows,
 
     /// Print out the widget structure as seen by eww.
     ///
@@ -273,7 +277,8 @@ impl ActionWithServer {
                 return with_response_channel(|sender| app::DaemonCommand::CloseWindows { windows, sender });
             }
             ActionWithServer::Reload => return with_response_channel(app::DaemonCommand::ReloadConfigAndCss),
-            ActionWithServer::ShowWindows => return with_response_channel(app::DaemonCommand::PrintWindows),
+            ActionWithServer::ListWindows => return with_response_channel(app::DaemonCommand::ListWindows),
+            ActionWithServer::ListActiveWindows => return with_response_channel(app::DaemonCommand::ListActiveWindows),
             ActionWithServer::ShowState { all } => {
                 return with_response_channel(|sender| app::DaemonCommand::PrintState { all, sender })
             }
diff --git a/crates/eww/src/server.rs b/crates/eww/src/server.rs
index feebfce2..5a7ecc87 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/server.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/server.rs
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ pub fn initialize_server<B: DisplayBackend>(
         eww_config,
         open_windows: HashMap::new(),
         failed_windows: HashSet::new(),
-        window_argumentss: HashMap::new(),
+        instance_id_to_args: HashMap::new(),
         css_provider: gtk::CssProvider::new(),
         script_var_handler,
         app_evt_send: ui_send.clone(),