diff --git a/src/Bar.cpp b/src/Bar.cpp
index c6aaf1b..d4982fa 100644
--- a/src/Bar.cpp
+++ b/src/Bar.cpp
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ namespace Bar
                 if (RuntimeConfig::Get().hasBlueZ)
                     WidgetBluetooth(*right);
 #endif
-                if (Config::Get().networkWidget)
+                if (Config::Get().networkWidget && RuntimeConfig::Get().hasNet)
                     WidgetNetwork(*right);
 
                 WidgetSensors(*right);
diff --git a/src/Config.h b/src/Config.h
index fe3c03b..ab11249 100644
--- a/src/Config.h
+++ b/src/Config.h
@@ -57,5 +57,7 @@ public:
     bool hasBlueZ = false;
 #endif
 
+    bool hasNet = true;
+
     static RuntimeConfig& Get();
 };
diff --git a/src/System.cpp b/src/System.cpp
index fd427d7..61e42cd 100644
--- a/src/System.cpp
+++ b/src/System.cpp
@@ -467,10 +467,23 @@ namespace System
     }
 #endif
 
+    void CheckNetwork()
+    {
+        std::ifstream bytes("/sys/class/net/" + Config::Get().networkAdapter + "/statistics/tx_bytes");
+        if (!bytes.is_open())
+        {
+            LOG("Cannot open network device! Disabling Network widget.");
+            RuntimeConfig::Get().hasNet = false;
+        }
+    }
+
     double GetNetworkBpsCommon(double dt, uint64_t& prevBytes, const std::string& deviceFile)
     {
+        if (!RuntimeConfig::Get().hasNet)
+        {
+            return 0.f;
+        }
         std::ifstream bytes(deviceFile);
-        ASSERT(bytes.is_open(), "Couldn't open " << deviceFile);
         std::string bytesStr;
         std::getline(bytes, bytesStr);
 
@@ -563,6 +576,8 @@ namespace System
 #endif
 
         PulseAudio::Init();
+
+        CheckNetwork();
     }
     void FreeResources()
     {