diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index 8eb6f81d77cb..e15177541182 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
         '!js/register.js'
       ],
       res: [
-        'audio/**',
         'images/**/*',
         'fonts/*',
       ]
diff --git a/audio/NewMessage.mp3 b/audio/NewMessage.mp3
deleted file mode 100644
index 93beaf7a3122..000000000000
Binary files a/audio/NewMessage.mp3 and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/background.html b/background.html
index ade360ddbca3..c9c0196bd08f 100644
--- a/background.html
+++ b/background.html
@@ -606,10 +606,12 @@
         </div>
       </div>
       <br />
+      {{ #isAudioNotificationSupported }}
       <div class='audio-notification-setting'>
         <input type='checkbox' name='audio-notification' id='audio-notification'/>
         <label for='audio-notification'>{{ audioNotificationDescription }}</label>
       </div>
+      {{ /isAudioNotificationSupported }}
     </div>
   </script>
   <script type='text/x-tmpl-mustache' id='syncSettings'>
diff --git a/js/modules/os.js b/js/modules/os.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d0266bc969b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/modules/os.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/* eslint-env node */
+
+exports.isMacOS = () =>
+  process.platform === 'darwin';
+
+exports.isLinux = () =>
+  process.platform === 'linux';
+
+exports.isWindows = () =>
+  process.platform === 'win32';
diff --git a/js/modules/types/settings.js b/js/modules/types/settings.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ac5a60fe4531
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/modules/types/settings.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+const OS = require('../os');
+
+exports.isAudioNotificationSupported = () =>
+  !OS.isLinux();
diff --git a/js/notifications.js b/js/notifications.js
index e89dddb97119..f2e67138bdee 100644
--- a/js/notifications.js
+++ b/js/notifications.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 ;(function() {
     'use strict';
     window.Whisper = window.Whisper || {};
+    const { Settings } = window.Signal.Types;
 
     var SETTINGS = {
         OFF     : 'off',
@@ -13,11 +14,9 @@
         MESSAGE : 'message'
     };
 
-    var enabled = false;
-    var sound = new Audio('audio/NewMessage.mp3');
-
     Whisper.Notifications = new (Backbone.Collection.extend({
         initialize: function() {
+            this.isEnabled = false;
             this.on('add', this.update);
             this.on('remove', this.onRemove);
         },
@@ -27,15 +26,25 @@
         },
         update: function() {
             const isFocused = window.isFocused();
+            const isAudioNotificationEnabled = storage.get('audio-notification') || false;
+            const isAudioNotificationSupported = Settings.isAudioNotificationSupported();
+            const shouldPlayNotificationSound = isAudioNotificationSupported &&
+                isAudioNotificationEnabled;
+            const numNotifications = this.length;
             console.log(
-                'updating notifications - count:', this.length,
-                'focused:', isFocused,
-                'enabled:', enabled
+                'Update notifications:',
+                'isFocused:', isFocused,
+                'isEnabled:', this.isEnabled,
+                'numNotifications:', numNotifications,
+                'shouldPlayNotificationSound:', shouldPlayNotificationSound
             );
-            if (!enabled) {
-                return; // wait til we are re-enabled
+
+            if (!this.isEnabled) {
+                return;
             }
-            if (this.length === 0) {
+
+            const hasNotifications = numNotifications > 0;
+            if (!hasNotifications) {
                 return;
             }
 
@@ -45,11 +54,6 @@
                 return;
             }
 
-            var audioNotification = storage.get('audio-notification') || false;
-            if (audioNotification) {
-                sound.play();
-            }
-
             var setting = storage.get('notification-setting') || 'message';
             if (setting === SETTINGS.OFF) {
                 return;
@@ -61,9 +65,13 @@
             var message;
             var iconUrl;
 
+            // NOTE: i18n has more complex rules for pluralization than just
+            // distinguishing between zero (0) and other (non-zero),
+            // e.g. Russian:
+            // http://docs.translatehouse.org/projects/localization-guide/en/latest/l10n/pluralforms.html
             var newMessageCount = [
-                this.length,
-                this.length === 1 ? i18n('newMessage') : i18n('newMessages')
+                numNotifications,
+                numNotifications === 1 ? i18n('newMessage') : i18n('newMessages')
             ].join(' ');
 
             var last = this.last();
@@ -78,7 +86,7 @@
                 iconUrl = last.get('iconUrl');
                 break;
               case SETTINGS.MESSAGE:
-                if (this.length === 1) {
+                if (numNotifications === 1) {
                   title = last.get('title');
                 } else {
                   title = newMessageCount;
@@ -92,7 +100,7 @@
                 window.nodeNotifier.notify({
                     title: title,
                     message: message,
-                    sound: false
+                    sound: false,
                 });
                 window.nodeNotifier.on('click', function(notifierObject, options) {
                     last.get('conversationId');
@@ -102,7 +110,7 @@
                     body   : message,
                     icon   : iconUrl,
                     tag    : 'signal',
-                    silent : true
+                    silent : !shouldPlayNotificationSound,
                 });
 
                 notification.onclick = this.onClick.bind(this, last.get('conversationId'));
@@ -122,15 +130,14 @@
             this.reset([]);
         },
         enable: function() {
-            var update = !enabled;
-            enabled = true;
-            if (update) {
+            const needUpdate = !this.isEnabled;
+            this.isEnabled = true;
+            if (needUpdate) {
               this.update();
             }
         },
         disable: function() {
-            enabled = false;
+            this.isEnabled = false;
         },
-
     }))();
 })();
diff --git a/js/views/settings_view.js b/js/views/settings_view.js
index 517d6537b34a..db5dd9ff908b 100644
--- a/js/views/settings_view.js
+++ b/js/views/settings_view.js
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 (function () {
     'use strict';
     window.Whisper = window.Whisper || {};
+    const { OS } = window.Signal;
+    const { Settings } = window.Signal.Types;
 
     var CheckboxView = Whisper.View.extend({
         initialize: function(options) {
@@ -68,11 +70,13 @@
                 name: 'theme-setting',
                 event: 'change-theme'
             });
-            new CheckboxView({
-                el: this.$('.audio-notification-setting'),
-                defaultValue: false,
-                name: 'audio-notification'
-            });
+            if (Settings.isAudioNotificationSupported()) {
+                new CheckboxView({
+                    el: this.$('.audio-notification-setting'),
+                    defaultValue: false,
+                    name: 'audio-notification'
+                });
+            }
             new CheckboxView({
                 el: this.$('.menu-bar-setting'),
                 defaultValue: false,
@@ -100,6 +104,7 @@
               noNameOrMessage: i18n('noNameOrMessage'),
               nameOnly: i18n('nameOnly'),
               audioNotificationDescription: i18n('audioNotificationDescription'),
+              isAudioNotificationSupported: Settings.isAudioNotificationSupported(),
               themeAndroidDark: i18n('themeAndroidDark'),
               hideMenuBar: i18n('hideMenuBar'),
             };
diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 766749abd5d8..a90ed0009794 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -514,9 +514,6 @@ ipc.on('draw-attention', () => {
     app.dock.bounce();
   } else if (process.platform === 'win32') {
     mainWindow.flashFrame(true);
-    setTimeout(() => {
-      mainWindow.flashFrame(false);
-    }, 1000);
   } else if (process.platform === 'linux') {
     mainWindow.flashFrame(true);
   }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e425bf91db9f..822a3f99f89e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
     "mocha-testcheck": "^1.0.0-rc.0",
     "node-sass-import-once": "^1.2.0",
     "nyc": "^11.4.1",
+    "sinon": "^4.4.2",
     "spectron": "^3.8.0",
     "tmp": "^0.0.33"
   },
@@ -194,7 +195,6 @@
       "app/*",
       "preload.js",
       "main.js",
-      "audio/**",
       "images/**",
       "fonts/*",
       "build/assets",
diff --git a/preload.js b/preload.js
index 742082fb081a..9c99e38c0fb4 100644
--- a/preload.js
+++ b/preload.js
@@ -101,10 +101,12 @@
 
   // ES2015+ modules
   window.Signal = window.Signal || {};
+  window.Signal.OS = require('./js/modules/os');
   window.Signal.Types = window.Signal.Types || {};
   window.Signal.Types.Attachment = require('./js/modules/types/attachment');
   window.Signal.Types.Message = require('./js/modules/types/message');
   window.Signal.Types.MIME = require('./js/modules/types/mime');
+  window.Signal.Types.Settings = require('./js/modules/types/settings');
 
   // We pull this in last, because the native module involved appears to be sensitive to
   //   /tmp mounted as noexec on Linux.
diff --git a/test/modules/types/settings_test.js b/test/modules/types/settings_test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1ae99996b862
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/modules/types/settings_test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+const sinon = require('sinon');
+const { assert } = require('chai');
+
+const Settings = require('../../../js/modules/types/settings');
+
+
+describe('Settings', () => {
+  const sandbox = sinon.createSandbox();
+
+  describe('isAudioNotificationSupported', () => {
+    context('on macOS', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        sandbox.stub(process, 'platform').value('darwin');
+      });
+
+      afterEach(() => {
+        sandbox.restore();
+      });
+
+      it('should return true', () => {
+        assert.isTrue(Settings.isAudioNotificationSupported());
+      });
+    });
+
+    context('on Windows', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        sandbox.stub(process, 'platform').value('win32');
+      });
+
+      afterEach(() => {
+        sandbox.restore();
+      });
+
+      it('should return true', () => {
+        assert.isTrue(Settings.isAudioNotificationSupported());
+      });
+    });
+
+    context('on Linux', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        sandbox.stub(process, 'platform').value('linux');
+      });
+
+      afterEach(() => {
+        sandbox.restore();
+      });
+
+      it('should return false', () => {
+        assert.isFalse(Settings.isAudioNotificationSupported());
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 187a8426a6f9..1892de8cb928 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@
     "7zip-bin-mac" "~1.0.1"
     "7zip-bin-win" "~2.2.0"
 
+"@sinonjs/formatio@^2.0.0":
+  version "2.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@sinonjs/formatio/-/formatio-2.0.0.tgz#84db7e9eb5531df18a8c5e0bfb6e449e55e654b2"
+  dependencies:
+    samsam "1.3.0"
+
 "@types/node@^8.0.24":
   version "8.9.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@types/node/-/node-8.9.4.tgz#dfd327582a06c114eb6e0441fa3d6fab35edad48"
@@ -1228,6 +1234,10 @@ diff@3.3.1:
   version "3.3.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/diff/-/diff-3.3.1.tgz#aa8567a6eed03c531fc89d3f711cd0e5259dec75"
 
+diff@^3.1.0:
+  version "3.4.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/diff/-/diff-3.4.0.tgz#b1d85507daf3964828de54b37d0d73ba67dda56c"
+
 dmg-builder@4.1.1:
   version "4.1.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/dmg-builder/-/dmg-builder-4.1.1.tgz#a12214eb3eb3cba0addccfd129f1981c9805045c"
@@ -2452,6 +2462,10 @@ has-flag@^2.0.0:
   version "2.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/has-flag/-/has-flag-2.0.0.tgz#e8207af1cc7b30d446cc70b734b5e8be18f88d51"
 
+has-flag@^3.0.0:
+  version "3.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/has-flag/-/has-flag-3.0.0.tgz#b5d454dc2199ae225699f3467e5a07f3b955bafd"
+
 has-unicode@^2.0.0:
   version "2.0.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/has-unicode/-/has-unicode-2.0.1.tgz#e0e6fe6a28cf51138855e086d1691e771de2a8b9"
@@ -3088,6 +3102,10 @@ jsprim@^1.2.2:
     json-schema "0.2.3"
     verror "1.3.6"
 
+just-extend@^1.1.27:
+  version "1.1.27"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/just-extend/-/just-extend-1.1.27.tgz#ec6e79410ff914e472652abfa0e603c03d60e905"
+
 kew@^0.7.0:
   version "0.7.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/kew/-/kew-0.7.0.tgz#79d93d2d33363d6fdd2970b335d9141ad591d79b"
@@ -3207,6 +3225,10 @@ lodash.defaults@^4.0.1:
   version "4.2.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash.defaults/-/lodash.defaults-4.2.0.tgz#d09178716ffea4dde9e5fb7b37f6f0802274580c"
 
+lodash.get@^4.4.2:
+  version "4.4.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash.get/-/lodash.get-4.4.2.tgz#2d177f652fa31e939b4438d5341499dfa3825e99"
+
 lodash.isarray@^4.0.0:
   version "4.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash.isarray/-/lodash.isarray-4.0.0.tgz#2aca496b28c4ca6d726715313590c02e6ea34403"
@@ -3255,6 +3277,10 @@ lodash@~4.6.1:
   version "4.6.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash/-/lodash-4.6.1.tgz#df00c1164ad236b183cfc3887a5e8d38cc63cbbc"
 
+lolex@^2.2.0, lolex@^2.3.2:
+  version "2.3.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lolex/-/lolex-2.3.2.tgz#85f9450425103bf9e7a60668ea25dc43274ca807"
+
 longest@^1.0.1:
   version "1.0.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/longest/-/longest-1.0.1.tgz#30a0b2da38f73770e8294a0d22e6625ed77d0097"
@@ -3521,6 +3547,16 @@ netmask@^1.0.6:
   version "1.0.6"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/netmask/-/netmask-1.0.6.tgz#20297e89d86f6f6400f250d9f4f6b4c1945fcd35"
 
+nise@^1.2.0:
+  version "1.2.6"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/nise/-/nise-1.2.6.tgz#42b054981a5c869d6c447be5776cc6f137f00ac5"
+  dependencies:
+    "@sinonjs/formatio" "^2.0.0"
+    just-extend "^1.1.27"
+    lolex "^2.3.2"
+    path-to-regexp "^1.7.0"
+    text-encoding "^0.6.4"
+
 "node-fetch@https://github.com/scottnonnenberg/node-fetch.git#3e5f51e08c647ee5f20c43b15cf2d352d61c36b4":
   version "1.7.3"
   resolved "https://github.com/scottnonnenberg/node-fetch.git#3e5f51e08c647ee5f20c43b15cf2d352d61c36b4"
@@ -3896,6 +3932,12 @@ path-parse@^1.0.5:
   version "1.0.5"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/path-parse/-/path-parse-1.0.5.tgz#3c1adf871ea9cd6c9431b6ea2bd74a0ff055c4c1"
 
+path-to-regexp@^1.7.0:
+  version "1.7.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/path-to-regexp/-/path-to-regexp-1.7.0.tgz#59fde0f435badacba103a84e9d3bc64e96b9937d"
+  dependencies:
+    isarray "0.0.1"
+
 path-type@^1.0.0:
   version "1.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/path-type/-/path-type-1.1.0.tgz#59c44f7ee491da704da415da5a4070ba4f8fe441"
@@ -4464,6 +4506,10 @@ safe-json-stringify@~1:
   version "1.0.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/safe-json-stringify/-/safe-json-stringify-1.0.4.tgz#81a098f447e4bbc3ff3312a243521bc060ef5911"
 
+samsam@1.3.0:
+  version "1.3.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/samsam/-/samsam-1.3.0.tgz#8d1d9350e25622da30de3e44ba692b5221ab7c50"
+
 sanitize-filename@^1.6.1:
   version "1.6.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/sanitize-filename/-/sanitize-filename-1.6.1.tgz#612da1c96473fa02dccda92dcd5b4ab164a6772a"
@@ -4556,6 +4602,18 @@ single-line-log@^1.1.2:
   dependencies:
     string-width "^1.0.1"
 
+sinon@^4.4.2:
+  version "4.4.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/sinon/-/sinon-4.4.2.tgz#c4c41d4bd346e1d33594daec2d5df0548334fc65"
+  dependencies:
+    "@sinonjs/formatio" "^2.0.0"
+    diff "^3.1.0"
+    lodash.get "^4.4.2"
+    lolex "^2.2.0"
+    nise "^1.2.0"
+    supports-color "^5.1.0"
+    type-detect "^4.0.5"
+
 slice-ansi@1.0.0:
   version "1.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/slice-ansi/-/slice-ansi-1.0.0.tgz#044f1a49d8842ff307aad6b505ed178bd950134d"
@@ -4871,6 +4929,12 @@ supports-color@^3.1.2:
   dependencies:
     has-flag "^1.0.0"
 
+supports-color@^5.1.0:
+  version "5.2.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/supports-color/-/supports-color-5.2.0.tgz#b0d5333b1184dd3666cbe5aa0b45c5ac7ac17a4a"
+  dependencies:
+    has-flag "^3.0.0"
+
 supports-color@~5.0.0:
   version "5.0.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/supports-color/-/supports-color-5.0.1.tgz#1c5331f22250c84202805b2f17adf16699f3a39a"
@@ -4943,6 +5007,10 @@ testcheck@^1.0.0-rc, testcheck@^1.0.0-rc.2:
   version "1.0.0-rc.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/testcheck/-/testcheck-1.0.0-rc.2.tgz#11356a25b84575efe0b0857451e85b5fa74ee4e4"
 
+text-encoding@^0.6.4:
+  version "0.6.4"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/text-encoding/-/text-encoding-0.6.4.tgz#e399a982257a276dae428bb92845cb71bdc26d19"
+
 text-table@~0.2.0:
   version "0.2.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/text-table/-/text-table-0.2.0.tgz#7f5ee823ae805207c00af2df4a84ec3fcfa570b4"
@@ -5085,6 +5153,10 @@ type-detect@^4.0.0:
   version "4.0.5"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/type-detect/-/type-detect-4.0.5.tgz#d70e5bc81db6de2a381bcaca0c6e0cbdc7635de2"
 
+type-detect@^4.0.5:
+  version "4.0.8"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/type-detect/-/type-detect-4.0.8.tgz#7646fb5f18871cfbb7749e69bd39a6388eb7450c"
+
 type-is@~1.6.10:
   version "1.6.15"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/type-is/-/type-is-1.6.15.tgz#cab10fb4909e441c82842eafe1ad646c81804410"