diff --git a/quickshell/Services/NiriService.qml b/quickshell/Services/NiriService.qml
index 8cc9f3d1f..de1f87472 100644
--- a/quickshell/Services/NiriService.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Services/NiriService.qml
@@ -1193,28 +1193,20 @@ Singleton {
         // Connected frame mode has no separate bar/frame surface to target
         const barFrameTargetNamespace = !frameEnabled ? (SettingsData.standaloneBarXrayAvailable ? "dms:bar" : null) : (frameConnectedMode ? null : "dms:frame");
 
-        // Xray is niri's default blur, so only the off state needs a rule
+        // Xray is niri's default blur, so only the off state needs a rule.
+        // A single rule excluding the bar/frame keeps its blur on the wallpaper
+        // without a second namespace-matched override rule.
         let xrayRules = "";
         if (!layoutXrayEnabled) {
+            const excludeLine = (layoutBarXrayEnabled && barFrameTargetNamespace) ? `\n    exclude namespace="^${barFrameTargetNamespace}$"` : "";
             xrayRules += `
 
-layer-rule {
+layer-rule {${excludeLine}
     background-effect {
         xray false
     }
 }`;
         }
-
-        if (layoutBarXrayEnabled && barFrameTargetNamespace) {
-            xrayRules += `
-
-layer-rule {
-    match namespace="^${barFrameTargetNamespace}$"
-    background-effect {
-        xray true
-    }
-}`;
-        }
         // Marker persists the preference even while the rule has no target
         if (!layoutBarXrayEnabled)
             xrayRules += `