diff --git a/src/stats/StatsManager.ts b/src/stats/StatsManager.ts
index 0e6b4d6..3b78cc4 100644
--- a/src/stats/StatsManager.ts
+++ b/src/stats/StatsManager.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   getWordCount,
   getCitationCount,
   getFootnoteCount,
+  cleanComments,
 } from "../utils/StatUtils";
 
 export default class StatsManager {
@@ -108,6 +109,9 @@ export default class StatsManager {
   }
 
   public async change(text: string) {
+    if (this.plugin.settings.countComments) {
+      text = cleanComments(text);
+    }
     const fileName = this.workspace.getActiveFile().path;
     const currentWords = getWordCount(text);
     const currentCharacters = getCharacterCount(text);
diff --git a/src/status/StatusBar.ts b/src/status/StatusBar.ts
index 79c156d..1892a5f 100644
--- a/src/status/StatusBar.ts
+++ b/src/status/StatusBar.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   getCitationCount,
   getFootnoteCount,
   getPageCount,
+  cleanComments,
 } from "src/utils/StatUtils";
 import { debounce } from "obsidian";
 
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ export default class StatusBar {
     );
 
     this.statusBarEl.classList.add("mod-clickable");
-    this.statusBarEl.setAttribute("aria-label", "Coming Soon");
+    this.statusBarEl.setAttribute("aria-label", "!!!");
     this.statusBarEl.setAttribute("aria-label-position", "top");
     this.statusBarEl.addEventListener("click", (ev: MouseEvent) =>
       this.onClick(ev)
@@ -44,6 +45,10 @@ export default class StatusBar {
     const sb = this.plugin.settings.statusBar;
     let display = "";
 
+    if (!this.plugin.settings.countComments) {
+      text = cleanComments(text);
+    }
+
     for (let i = 0; i < sb.length; i++) {
       const sbItem = sb[i];