diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1563aed1..13e82dbe 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@ means foot can be PGO:d in e.g. sandboxed build scripts. See
 * OSC 777;notify: desktop notifications. Use in combination with the
   new **notify** option in `foot.ini`
   (https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/224).
+* **bell** option can now be set to `notify`, in which case a desktop
+  notification is emitted when foot receives `BEL` in an unfocused
+  window.
 
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 8ec72918..085c9f7e 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -483,14 +483,17 @@ parse_section_main(const char *key, const char *value, struct config *conf,
 
     else if (strcmp(key, "bell") == 0) {
         if (strcmp(value, "set-urgency") == 0)
-            conf->bell_is_urgent = true;
+            conf->bell_action = BELL_ACTION_URGENT;
+        else if (strcmp(value, "notify") == 0)
+            conf->bell_action = BELL_ACTION_NOTIFY;
         else if (strcmp(value, "none") == 0)
-            conf->bell_is_urgent = false;
+            conf->bell_action = BELL_ACTION_NONE;
         else {
             LOG_AND_NOTIFY_ERR(
                 "%s:%d: [default]: bell: "
-                "expected either 'set-urgency' or 'none'", path, lineno);
-            conf->bell_is_urgent = false;
+                "expected either 'set-urgency', 'notify' or 'none'",
+                path, lineno);
+            conf->bell_action = BELL_ACTION_NONE;
             return false;
         }
     }
@@ -1945,7 +1948,7 @@ config_load(struct config *conf, const char *conf_path,
         .pad_x = 2,
         .pad_y = 2,
         .bold_in_bright = false,
-        .bell_is_urgent = false,
+        .bell_action = BELL_ACTION_NONE,
         .startup_mode = STARTUP_WINDOWED,
         .fonts = {tll_init(), tll_init(), tll_init(), tll_init()},
         .dpi_aware = true,  /* Use DPI by default, not scale factor */
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 0a089912..9e5e8b4e 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ struct config {
     unsigned pad_y;
 
     bool bold_in_bright;
-    bool bell_is_urgent;
+    enum {
+        BELL_ACTION_NONE,
+        BELL_ACTION_URGENT,
+        BELL_ACTION_NOTIFY,
+    } bell_action;
 
     enum { STARTUP_WINDOWED, STARTUP_MAXIMIZED, STARTUP_FULLSCREEN } startup_mode;
 
diff --git a/csi.c b/csi.c
index 232f7b1d..eaa527a0 100644
--- a/csi.c
+++ b/csi.c
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ decset_decrst(struct terminal *term, unsigned param, bool enable)
         break;
 
     case 1042:
-        term->bell_is_urgent = enable;
+        term->bell_action_enabled = enable;
         break;
 
 #if 0
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ xtsave(struct terminal *term, unsigned param)
     case 1034: term->xtsave.meta_eight_bit = term->meta.eight_bit; break;
     case 1035: term->xtsave.num_lock_modifier = term->num_lock_modifier; break;
     case 1036: term->xtsave.meta_esc_prefix = term->meta.esc_prefix; break;
-    case 1042: term->xtsave.bell_is_urgent = term->bell_is_urgent; break;
+    case 1042: term->xtsave.bell_action_enabled = term->bell_action_enabled; break;
     case 1049: term->xtsave.alt_screen = term->grid == &term->alt; break;
     case 2004: term->xtsave.bracketed_paste = term->bracketed_paste; break;
     case 27127: term->xtsave.modify_escape_key = term->modify_escape_key; break;
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ xtrestore(struct terminal *term, unsigned param)
     case 1034: enable = term->xtsave.meta_eight_bit; break;
     case 1035: enable = term->xtsave.num_lock_modifier; break;
     case 1036: enable = term->xtsave.meta_esc_prefix; break;
-    case 1042: enable = term->xtsave.bell_is_urgent; break;
+    case 1042: enable = term->xtsave.bell_action_enabled; break;
     case 1049: enable = term->xtsave.alt_screen; break;
     case 2004: enable = term->xtsave.bracketed_paste; break;
     case 27127: enable = term->xtsave.modify_escape_key; break;
diff --git a/doc/foot.ini.5.scd b/doc/foot.ini.5.scd
index 9c3430cd..8397b118 100644
--- a/doc/foot.ini.5.scd
+++ b/doc/foot.ini.5.scd
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ in this order:
 
 *bell*
 	Action to perform when receiving a *BEL* character. Can be set to
-	either *set-urgency* or *none*.
+	either *set-urgency*, *notify* or *none*.
 	
 	When set to *set-urgency*, the margins will be painted in red
 	whenever *BEL* is received while the window does *not* have
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ in this order:
 	_Note_: expect this feature to be *replaced* with proper
 	compositor urgency support once/if that gets implemented.
 	
+	When set to *notify*, foot will emit a desktop notification (see
+	the *notify* option).
+	
 	When set to *none*, no special action is taken when receiving *BEL*.
 	
 	Default: _none_.
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index a626b88d..e9ccbcd0 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "extract.h"
 #include "grid.h"
 #include "ime.h"
+#include "notify.h"
 #include "quirks.h"
 #include "reaper.h"
 #include "render.h"
@@ -1091,7 +1092,7 @@ term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct reaper *reaper,
             .eight_bit = true,
         },
         .num_lock_modifier = true,
-        .bell_is_urgent = conf->bell_is_urgent,
+        .bell_action_enabled = true,
         .tab_stops = tll_init(),
         .wl = wayl,
         .render = {
@@ -1532,6 +1533,8 @@ term_reset(struct terminal *term, bool hard)
     term->bracketed_paste = false;
     term->focus_events = false;
     term->modify_escape_key = false;
+    term->num_lock_modifier = true;
+    term->bell_action_enabled = true;
     term->mouse_tracking = MOUSE_NONE;
     term->mouse_reporting = MOUSE_NORMAL;
     term->charsets.selected = 0;
@@ -2512,12 +2515,24 @@ term_flash(struct terminal *term, unsigned duration_ms)
 void
 term_bell(struct terminal *term)
 {
-    if (term->kbd_focus || !term->bell_is_urgent)
+    if (term->kbd_focus || !term->bell_action_enabled)
         return;
 
-    /* There's no 'urgency' hint in Wayland - we just paint the margins red */
-    term->render.urgency = true;
-    term_damage_margins(term);
+    switch (term->conf->bell_action) {
+    case BELL_ACTION_NONE:
+        break;
+
+    case BELL_ACTION_URGENT:
+        /* There's no 'urgency' hint in Wayland - we just paint the
+         * margins red */
+        term->render.urgency = true;
+        term_damage_margins(term);
+        break;
+
+    case BELL_ACTION_NOTIFY:
+        notify_notify(term, "Bell", "Bell in terminal");
+        break;
+    }
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/terminal.h b/terminal.h
index 07723e1e..0b0e2685 100644
--- a/terminal.h
+++ b/terminal.h
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ struct terminal {
     } meta;
 
     bool num_lock_modifier;
-    bool bell_is_urgent;
+    bool bell_action_enabled;
 
     /* Saved DECSET modes - we save the SET state */
     struct {
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ struct terminal {
         uint32_t meta_eight_bit:1;
         uint32_t meta_esc_prefix:1;
         uint32_t num_lock_modifier:1;
-        uint32_t bell_is_urgent:1;
+        uint32_t bell_action_enabled:1;
         uint32_t alt_screen:1;
         uint32_t modify_escape_key:1;
         uint32_t ime:1;