diff --git a/src/mpv/event.rs b/src/mpv/event.rs
index cebe92f..a559ae3 100644
--- a/src/mpv/event.rs
+++ b/src/mpv/event.rs
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ pub enum PropertyEventValue {
     Int64(i64),
     Double(f64),
     String(String),
+    Flag(bool),
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
diff --git a/src/mpv/handle.rs b/src/mpv/handle.rs
index aada46d..1fabf88 100644
--- a/src/mpv/handle.rs
+++ b/src/mpv/handle.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use super::event::{
 use super::{ffi, Error, Event as MpvEvent, GetProperty, SetProperty};
 use event_listener::{Event, EventListener, IntoNotification};
 use std::cell::{RefCell, RefMut};
-use std::ffi::{c_char, c_void, CStr, CString};
+use std::ffi::{c_char, c_int, c_void, CStr, CString};
 use std::fmt;
 use std::pin::Pin;
 use std::ptr::NonNull;
@@ -177,6 +177,18 @@ impl Handle {
         })
     }
 
+    pub fn observe_property_flag(&self, reply_userdata: u64, name: &str) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let name = CString::new(name).expect("null bytes in property name");
+        Error::from_return_code(unsafe {
+            ffi::mpv_observe_property(
+                self.inner.as_ptr(),
+                reply_userdata,
+                name.as_ptr(),
+                ffi::mpv_format_MPV_FORMAT_FLAG,
+            )
+        })
+    }
+
     pub fn unobserve_property(&self, registered_reply_userdata: u64) -> Result<u32, Error> {
         let rc =
             unsafe { ffi::mpv_unobserve_property(self.inner.as_ptr(), registered_reply_userdata) };
@@ -299,6 +311,13 @@ impl Handle {
                                 String::from_utf8_lossy(value.to_bytes()).into_owned(),
                             ))
                         }
+                        ffi::mpv_format_MPV_FORMAT_FLAG => Some(PropertyEventValue::Flag(unsafe {
+                            match *(data.data as *mut c_int) {
+                                0 => false,
+                                1 => true,
+                                other => unreachable!("bad mpv flag value {other}"),
+                            }
+                        })),
                         _ => todo!(),
                     },
                 }))
diff --git a/src/ui/window.rs b/src/ui/window.rs
index 875bb7a..b12670a 100644
--- a/src/ui/window.rs
+++ b/src/ui/window.rs
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ mod imp {
 
             mpv.observe_property_string(0, "path").unwrap();
             mpv.observe_property_int64(3, "playlist-pos").unwrap();
-            mpv.observe_property(4, "idle-active").unwrap();
+            mpv.observe_property_flag(4, "idle-active").unwrap();
             mpv.observe_property(6, "playlist-count").unwrap();
             mpv.observe_property_double(7, "duration").unwrap();
 
@@ -583,8 +583,13 @@ mod imp {
 
                 4 => {
                     assert_eq!(event.name, "idle-active");
+                    let value = match event.value {
+                        Some(PropertyEventValue::Flag(b)) => b,
+                        _ => unreachable!(),
+                    };
+                    event!(Level::TRACE, "idle-active is now {value}");
                     self.obj().notify("idle-active");
-                    if self.obj().idle_active() {
+                    if value {
                         self.on_idle_active();
                     }
                 }