diff --git a/API.txt b/API.txt
index caeaf90..371cdfd 100644
--- a/API.txt
+++ b/API.txt
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
-function hud.register(name, def)
+hud.register(name, def)
 	-- name: statbar name (health, air, hunger, armor already used by default)
 	-- def: <HUD item definition> (see below)
 
 hud.change_item(player, name, def)
 	-- player: player object
-	-- name: statbar name (health, air, hunger, armor already used by default)
+	-- name: statbar name
 	-- def: table containing new values
 		-- currently supported: number, text and offset
 
+hud.swap_statbar(player, name1, name2) -- swaps position and offset of statbar with name1 with statbar with name2
+	-- player: player object
+	-- name1: statbar name
+	-- name2: statbar name
+
 hud.remove_item(player, name)
 
 HUD item definition
diff --git a/api.lua b/api.lua
index c40d857..c4a7ba4 100644
--- a/api.lua
+++ b/api.lua
@@ -66,6 +66,55 @@ function hud.register(name, def)
 	return true
 end
 
+-- swaps stabar positions
+function hud.swap_statbar(player, item1, item2)
+	if not player or not item1 or not item2 then
+		throw_error("Not enough parameters given to swap statbars")
+		return false
+	end
+
+	local def1 = items[item1] or nil
+	local def2 = items[item2] or nil
+
+	if not def1 or not def2 then
+		throw_error("Can't swap statbars. Given statbars are not correct")
+		return false
+	end
+
+	local pos_swap = false
+	local p_name = player:get_player_name()
+	local elem1 = hud_id[p_name.."_"..item1]
+	local elem2 = hud_id[p_name.."_"..item2]
+
+	player:hud_change(elem2.id, "offset", def1.offset)
+	player:hud_change(elem1.id, "offset", def2.offset)
+
+	if def1.position.x ~= def2.position.x or def1.position.y ~= def2.position.y then
+		player:hud_change(elem2.id, "position", def1.position)
+		player:hud_change(elem1.id, "position", def2.position)
+		pos_swap = true
+	end
+
+	-- do the items have backgrounds? if so, swap them aswell
+	local bg1 = hud_id[p_name.."_"..item1.."_bg"] or nil
+	local bg2 = hud_id[p_name.."_"..item2.."_bg"] or nil
+	if bg1 ~= nil and bg1.id then
+		player:hud_change(bg1.id, "offset", def2.offset)
+		if pos_swap == true then
+			player:hud_change(bg1.id, "position", def2.position)
+		end	
+	end
+	if bg2 ~= nil and bg2.id then
+		player:hud_change(bg2.id, "offset", def1.offset)
+		if pos_swap == true then
+			player:hud_change(bg2.id, "position", def1.position)
+		end	
+	end
+
+	return true
+
+end
+
 function hud.change_item(player, name, def)
 	if not player or not player:is_player() or not name or not def then
 		throw_error("Not enough parameters given to change HUD item")
@@ -106,6 +155,7 @@ function hud.change_item(player, name, def)
 				if bg and bg.max and bg.max < 1 and def.max and def.max > bg.max then
 					player:hud_change(bg.id, "number", def.max)
 					bg.max = def.max
+					bg.number = def.max
 				end	
 			end
 		end
@@ -119,27 +169,9 @@ function hud.change_item(player, name, def)
 
 	if def.offset and elem.offset then
 		if def.item_name and def.offset == "item" then
-			local i_name2 = player:get_player_name().."_"..def.item_name
-			local elem2 = hud_id[i_name2]
-			if elem2 then
-				local p2 = elem2.offset
-				local p1 = elem.offset
-				player:hud_change(elem2.id, "offset", p1)
-				player:hud_change(elem.id, "offset", p2)
-				elem2.offset = p1
-				elem.offset = p2
-				if elem.background then
-					local elem3 = hud_id[i_name.."_bg"]
-					if elem3 and elem3.offset then
-						player:hud_change(elem3.id, "offset", p2)
-						elem3.offset = p2
-						local elem4 = hud_id[i_name2.."_bg"]
-						if elem4 and elem4.offset then
-							player:hud_change(elem4.id, "offset", p1)
-							elem4.offset = p1
-						end
-					end
-				end
+			-- for legacy reasons
+			if def.item_name then
+				hud.swap_statbar(player, name, def.item_name)
 			end
 		else
 			player:hud_change(elem.id, "offset", def.offset)
@@ -190,7 +222,7 @@ minetest.register_on_joinplayer(function(player)
 	hud_flags.breathbar = false
 	player:hud_set_flags(hud_flags)
 
-	-- now add the backgrounds (e.g. for statbars)
+	-- now add the backgrounds for statbars
 	for _,item in pairs(sb_bg) do
 		add_hud_item(player, _.."_bg", item)
 	end
diff --git a/builtin.lua b/builtin.lua
index 057189c..dfdb707 100644
--- a/builtin.lua
+++ b/builtin.lua
@@ -44,70 +44,70 @@ end
 
 if damage_enabled then
     hud.register("health", {
-	hud_elem_type = "statbar",
-	position = HUD_HEALTH_POS,
-	size = HUD_SB_SIZE,
-	text = "hud_heart_fg.png",
-	number = 20,
-	alignment = {x = -1, y = -1},
-	offset = HUD_HEALTH_OFFSET,
-	background = "hud_heart_bg.png",
-	events = {
-		 {
-			type = "damage",
-			func = function(player)
-				hud.change_item(player, "health", {number = player:get_hp()})
-			end
-		 }
-	},
+		hud_elem_type = "statbar",
+		position = HUD_HEALTH_POS,
+		size = HUD_SB_SIZE,
+		text = "hud_heart_fg.png",
+		number = 20,
+		alignment = {x = -1, y = -1},
+		offset = HUD_HEALTH_OFFSET,
+		background = "hud_heart_bg.png",
+		events = {
+			{
+				type = "damage",
+				func = function(player)
+					hud.change_item(player, "health", {number = player:get_hp()})
+				end
+		 	}
+		},
     })
 
     hud.register("air", {
-	hud_elem_type = "statbar",
-	position = HUD_AIR_POS,
-	size = HUD_SB_SIZE,
-	text = "hud_air_fg.png",
-	number = 0,
-	alignment = {x = -1, y = -1},
-	offset = HUD_AIR_OFFSET,
-	background = nil,
-	events = {
-		 {
-			type = "breath",
-			func = function(player)
-				local air = player:get_breath()
-				if air > 10 then
-					air = 0
+		hud_elem_type = "statbar",
+		position = HUD_AIR_POS,
+		size = HUD_SB_SIZE,
+		text = "hud_air_fg.png",
+		number = 0,
+		alignment = {x = -1, y = -1},
+		offset = HUD_AIR_OFFSET,
+		background = nil,
+		events = {
+			{
+				type = "breath",
+				func = function(player)
+					local air = player:get_breath()
+					if air > 10 then
+						air = 0
+					end
+					hud.change_item(player, "air", {number = air * 2})
 				end
-				hud.change_item(player, "air", {number = air * 2})
-			end
-		 }
-	},
+		 	}
+		},
     })
 
     hud.register("armor", {
-	hud_elem_type = "statbar",
-	position = HUD_ARMOR_POS,
-	size = HUD_SB_SIZE,
-	text = "hud_armor_fg.png",
-	number = 0,
-	alignment = {x = -1, y = -1},
-	offset = HUD_ARMOR_OFFSET,
-	background = "hud_armor_bg.png",
-	autohide_bg = true,
-	max = 20,
+		hud_elem_type = "statbar",
+		position = HUD_ARMOR_POS,
+		size = HUD_SB_SIZE,
+		text = "hud_armor_fg.png",
+		number = 0,
+		alignment = {x = -1, y = -1},
+		offset = HUD_ARMOR_OFFSET,
+		background = "hud_armor_bg.png",
+		autohide_bg = true,
+		max = 20,
     })
 
     hud.register("hunger", {
-	hud_elem_type = "statbar",
-	position = HUD_HUNGER_POS,
-	size = HUD_SB_SIZE,
-	text = "hud_hunger_fg.png",
-	number = 0,
-	alignment = {x = -1, y = -1},
-	offset = HUD_HUNGER_OFFSET,
-	background = "hud_hunger_bg.png",
-	max = 0,
+		hud_elem_type = "statbar",
+		position = HUD_HUNGER_POS,
+		size = HUD_SB_SIZE,
+		text = "hud_hunger_fg.png",
+		number = 0,
+		alignment = {x = -1, y = -1},
+		offset = HUD_HUNGER_OFFSET,
+		background = "hud_hunger_bg.png",
+		max = 0,
     })
 else
 	hud.show_armor = false