diff --git a/nw/gui/statusbar.py b/nw/gui/statusbar.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..32f32d53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nw/gui/statusbar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""novelWriter GUI Main Window StatusBar
+
+ novelWriter – GUI Main Window StatusBar
+=========================================
+ Class holding the main window status bar
+
+ File History:
+ Created: 2019-04-20 [0.0.1]
+
+"""
+
+import logging
+import nw
+
+from os              import path
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QStatusBar, QLabel
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+class GuiMainStatus(QStatusBar):
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        QStatusBar.__init__(self)
+
+        logger.debug("Initialising GuiMainStatus ...")
+
+        self.mainConf = nw.CONFIG
+
+        self.boxWordCount = QLabel()
+        self.boxCharCount = QLabel()
+        self.boxDocHandle = QLabel()
+
+        self.addPermanentWidget(self.boxWordCount)
+        self.addPermanentWidget(self.boxCharCount)
+        if self.mainConf.debugGUI:
+            self.addPermanentWidget(self.boxDocHandle)
+
+        logger.debug("GuiMainStatus initialisation complete")
+
+        self.setWordCount(None)
+        self.setCharCount(None)
+        self.setDocHandleCount(None)
+
+        return
+
+    def setWordCount(self, theCount):
+        if theCount is None:
+            self.boxWordCount.setText("<b>Words:</b> --")
+        else:
+            self.boxWordCount.setText("<b>Words:</b> {:n}".format(theCount))
+        return
+
+    def setCharCount(self, theCount):
+        if theCount is None:
+            self.boxCharCount.setText("<b>Chars:</b> --")
+        else:
+            self.boxCharCount.setText("<b>Chars:</b> {:n}".format(theCount))
+        return
+
+    def setDocHandleCount(self, theHandle):
+        if theHandle is None:
+            self.boxDocHandle.setText("0000000000000")
+        else:
+            self.boxDocHandle.setText("%13s" % theHandle)
+        return
+
+# END Class GuiMainStatus
diff --git a/nw/gui/winmain.py b/nw/gui/winmain.py
index 528fce80..2f3e2a51 100644
--- a/nw/gui/winmain.py
+++ b/nw/gui/winmain.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from nw.gui.doctree       import GuiDocTree
 from nw.gui.doctreectx    import GuiDocTreeCtx
 from nw.gui.doceditor     import GuiDocEditor
 from nw.gui.projecteditor import GuiProjectEditor
+from nw.gui.statusbar     import GuiMainStatus
 from nw.project.project   import NWProject
 from nw.project.document  import NWDoc
 
@@ -36,13 +37,13 @@ class GuiMain(QMainWindow):
         logger.debug("Initialising GUI ...")
         self.mainConf    = nw.CONFIG
         self.theProject  = NWProject()
-        self.theDocument = NWDoc(self.theProject)
+        self.theDocument = NWDoc(self.theProject, self)
 
         self.resize(*self.mainConf.winGeometry)
         self._setWindowTitle()
         self.setWindowIcon(QIcon(path.join(self.mainConf.appPath,"..","novelWriter.svg")))
 
-        self.docEditor = GuiDocEditor()
+        self.docEditor = GuiDocEditor(self)
 
         self.treePane = QFrame()
         self.treePane.setFrameShape(QFrame.StyledPanel)
@@ -75,6 +76,10 @@ class GuiMain(QMainWindow):
         self.splitMain.setSizes(self.mainConf.mainPanePos)
         self.splitMain.splitterMoved.connect(self._splitMainMove)
 
+        self.statusBar = GuiMainStatus()
+        self.setStatusBar(self.statusBar)
+        self.statusBar.showMessage("Ready")
+
         # Load Theme StyleSheet
         cssFile = path.join(self.mainConf.themePath,self.mainConf.guiTheme+".css")
         if path.isfile(cssFile):
@@ -86,9 +91,6 @@ class GuiMain(QMainWindow):
 
         logger.debug("GUI initialisation complete")
 
-        statBar = self.statusBar()
-        statBar.showMessage("Ready")
-
         return
 
     #