diff --git a/background.html b/background.html
index c215ab2736..2507aab720 100644
--- a/background.html
+++ b/background.html
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/components.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/libtextsecure.js"></script>
 
+  <script type="text/javascript" src="js/notifications.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/database.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/libphonenumber-util.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/models/messages.js"></script>
diff --git a/js/background.js b/js/background.js
index 441cc22440..621751232e 100644
--- a/js/background.js
+++ b/js/background.js
@@ -115,12 +115,12 @@
                             e.args.push(message.id);
                             message.save({ errors : [e] }).then(function() {
                                 extension.trigger('message', message);
-                                openConversation(conversation.id);
+                                notifyConversation(message);
                             });
                         } else if (e.message === 'Bad MAC') {
                             message.save({ errors : [ _.pick(e, ['name', 'message'])]}).then(function() {
                                 extension.trigger('message', message);
-                                openConversation(conversation.id);
+                                notifyConversation(message);
                             });
                         } else {
                             console.log(e);
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
                 conversation.save().then(function() {
                     message.save().then(function() {
                         extension.trigger('message', message); // notify frontend listeners
-                        openConversation(conversation.id);
+                        notifyConversation(message);
                     });
                 });
             });
diff --git a/js/models/conversations.js b/js/models/conversations.js
index 817042344f..629552a062 100644
--- a/js/models/conversations.js
+++ b/js/models/conversations.js
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
         this.messageCollection = new Whisper.MessageCollection([], {
             conversation: this
         });
+
+        this.on('change:avatar', this.updateAvatarUrl);
     },
 
     validate: function(attributes, options) {
@@ -190,6 +192,28 @@
     },
     isPrivate: function() {
         return this.get('type') === 'private';
+    },
+
+    updateAvatarUrl: function() {
+        if (this.avatarUrl) {
+            URL.revokeObjectURL(this.avatarUrl);
+            this.avatarUrl = null;
+        }
+        var avatar = this.get('avatar');
+        if (avatar) {
+            this.avatarUrl = URL.createObjectURL(
+                new Blob([avatar.data], {type: avatar.contentType})
+            );
+        } else {
+            this.avatarUrl = null;
+        }
+    },
+
+    getAvatarUrl: function() {
+        if (this.avatarUrl === undefined) {
+            this.updateAvatarUrl();
+        }
+        return this.avatarUrl || '/images/default.png';
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/js/notifications.js b/js/notifications.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..599d8e2efc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/notifications.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/* vim: ts=4:sw=4
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+;(function() {
+    'use strict';
+    window.Whisper = window.Whisper || {};
+
+    Whisper.Notifications = {
+      isEnabled: function(callback) {
+        return Notification.permission === 'granted' &&
+              !localStorage.getItem('disable-notifications');
+      },
+      enable: function(callback) {
+        localStorage.removeItem('disable-notifications');
+        Notification.requestPermission(function(status) {
+            callback(status);
+        });
+      },
+      disable: function() {
+        localStorage.setItem('disable-notifications', true);
+      }
+    };
+
+})();
diff --git a/js/options.js b/js/options.js
index 74753dbf04..56d63e360c 100644
--- a/js/options.js
+++ b/js/options.js
@@ -15,6 +15,26 @@
  */
 ;(function() {
     'use strict';
+    $('.notifications .on button').click(function() {
+        Whisper.Notifications.disable();
+        initOptions();
+    });
+
+    $('.notifications .off button').click(function() {
+        Whisper.Notifications.enable(initOptions);
+        initOptions();
+    });
+
+    function initOptions() {
+        if (Whisper.Notifications.isEnabled()) {
+            $('.notifications .on').show();
+            $('.notifications .off').hide();
+        } else {
+            $('.notifications .on').hide();
+            $('.notifications .off').show();
+        }
+    }
+
     $(function() {
         if (textsecure.registration.isDone()) {
             $('#complete-number').text(
@@ -23,6 +43,7 @@
                 )[0]
             );//TODO: no
             $('#setup-complete').show().addClass('in');
+            initOptions();
         } else {
             $('#init-setup').show().addClass('in');
             $('#status').text("Connecting...");
@@ -55,6 +76,7 @@
                                 textsecure.registration.done();
                                 $('#init-setup').hide();
                                 $('#setup-complete').show().addClass('in');
+                                initOptions();
                             }
                         });
                     } else
diff --git a/js/panel_controller.js b/js/panel_controller.js
index 79bcd11737..dcfd684a31 100644
--- a/js/panel_controller.js
+++ b/js/panel_controller.js
@@ -41,9 +41,32 @@
         windowMap.remove('windowId', windowId);
     }
 
-    window.openConversation = function openConversation (modelId) {
+    function getConversation(modelId) {
         var conversation = window.inbox.get(modelId) || {id: modelId};
         conversation = conversations.add(conversation);
+        return conversation;
+    }
+
+    window.notifyConversation = function(message) {
+        if (Whisper.Notifications.isEnabled()) {
+            var conversation = getConversation(message.get('conversationId'));
+            conversation.fetch().then(function() {
+                var notification = new Notification(conversation.getTitle(), {
+                    body: message.get('body'),
+                    icon: conversation.getAvatarUrl(),
+                    tag: conversation.id
+                });
+                notification.onclick = function() {
+                    openConversation(conversation.id);
+                };
+            });
+        } else {
+            openConversation(message.get('conversationId'));
+        }
+    };
+
+    window.openConversation = function openConversation (modelId) {
+        var conversation = getConversation(modelId);
         conversation.fetch().then(function() {
             conversation.fetchContacts();
         });
diff --git a/options.html b/options.html
index e0ba36c7e6..2e7b793cb3 100644
--- a/options.html
+++ b/options.html
@@ -93,12 +93,17 @@
     </header>
     <div class='container'>
       <h3>You are registered on TextSecure with number <span id="complete-number"></span></h3>
+      <div class='notifications'>
+        <span class='on'>Desktop notifcations are enabled. <button class='disable'>Turn off Notifications</button></span>
+        <span class='off'>Desktop notifcations are not enabled. <button class='enable'>Turn on Notifications</button></span>
+      </div>
     </div>
   </div>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/components.js"></script>
 
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/libtextsecure.js"></script>
 
+  <script type="text/javascript" src="js/notifications.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/database.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/libphonenumber-util.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/models/messages.js"></script>