diff --git a/eekboard/eekboard-context-service.c b/eekboard/eekboard-context-service.c
index 5dd2a6cd..962be75a 100644
--- a/eekboard/eekboard-context-service.c
+++ b/eekboard/eekboard-context-service.c
@@ -513,3 +513,8 @@ eekboard_context_service_set_overlay(EekboardContextService *context, const char
     context->priv->overlay = strdup(name);
     update_layout_and_type(context);
 }
+
+const char*
+eekboard_context_service_get_overlay(EekboardContextService *context) {
+    return context->priv->overlay;
+}
diff --git a/src/manager.rs b/src/manager.rs
index 3843cc25..42d1ce26 100644
--- a/src/manager.rs
+++ b/src/manager.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 /*! Procedures relating to the management of the switching of layouts */
+use ::util;
 
 pub mod c {
     use std::os::raw::{c_char, c_void};
@@ -14,5 +15,20 @@ pub mod c {
             manager: Manager,
             name: *const c_char,
         );
+
+        pub fn eekboard_context_service_get_overlay(
+            manager: Manager,
+        ) -> *const c_char;
     }
 }
+
+/// Returns the overlay name.
+/// The result lifetime is "as long as the C copy lives"
+pub fn get_overlay(manager: c::Manager) -> Option<String> {
+    let raw_str = unsafe {
+        c::eekboard_context_service_get_overlay(manager)
+    };
+    // this string is generated from Rust, should never be invalid
+    util::c::as_str(&raw_str).unwrap()
+        .map(String::from)
+}
diff --git a/src/popover.rs b/src/popover.rs
index 70d53ff1..4f0f20ab 100644
--- a/src/popover.rs
+++ b/src/popover.rs
@@ -152,14 +152,14 @@ enum LayoutId {
         name: String,
     },
     /// Only affects what this input method presents
-    Local(&'static str),
+    Local(String),
 }
 
 impl LayoutId {
     fn get_name(&self) -> &str {
         match &self {
             LayoutId::System { kind: _, name } => name.as_str(),
-            LayoutId::Local(name) => name,
+            LayoutId::Local(name) => name.as_str(),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ fn set_visible_layout(
     match layout_id {
         LayoutId::System { kind, name } => set_layout(kind, name),
         LayoutId::Local(name) => {
-            let name = CString::new(name).unwrap();
+            let name = CString::new(name.as_str()).unwrap();
             let name_ptr = name.as_ptr();
             unsafe {
                 manager::c::eekboard_context_service_set_overlay(
@@ -183,6 +183,17 @@ fn set_visible_layout(
     }
 }
 
+/// Takes into account first any overlays, then system layouts from the list
+fn get_current_layout(
+    manager: manager::c::Manager,
+    system_layouts: &Vec<LayoutId>,
+) -> Option<LayoutId> {
+    match manager::get_overlay(manager) {
+        Some(name) => Some(LayoutId::Local(name)),
+        None => system_layouts.get(0).map(LayoutId::clone),
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn show(
     window: EekGtkKeyboard,
     position: Bounds,
@@ -192,7 +203,7 @@ pub fn show(
     let window = unsafe { gtk::Widget::from_glib_none(window.0) };
 
     let overlay_layouts = resources::get_overlays().into_iter()
-        .map(|name| LayoutId::Local(name));
+        .map(|name| LayoutId::Local(name.to_string()));
 
     let settings = gio::Settings::new("org.gnome.desktop.input-sources");
     let inputs = settings.get_value("sources").unwrap();
@@ -279,10 +290,10 @@ pub fn show(
         height: position.width.floor() as i32,
     });
 
-    if let Some(current_layout) = system_layouts.get(0) {
+    if let Some(current_layout) = get_current_layout(manager, &system_layouts) {
         let current_name_variant = choices.iter()
             .find(
-                |(_id, layout)| layout == current_layout
+                |(_id, layout)| layout == &current_layout
             ).unwrap()
             .0.to_variant();
 
diff --git a/src/util.rs b/src/util.rs
index 1553fd19..55a4373f 100644
--- a/src/util.rs
+++ b/src/util.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ pub mod c {
     
     use std::borrow::ToOwned;
     
+    // The lifetime on input limits the existence of the result
     pub fn as_str(s: &*const c_char) -> Result<Option<&str>, Utf8Error> {
         if s.is_null() {
             Ok(None)