diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 3037cd03..bf61ada4 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ before_script:
   - apk add ttf-hack font-noto-emoji
 
 debug-x64:
-  image: alpine:latest
+  image: alpine:edge
   stage: build
   script:
     - mkdir -p bld/debug
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ debug-x64:
       junit: bld/debug/meson-logs/testlog.junit.xml
 
 release-x64:
-  image: alpine:latest
+  image: alpine:edge
   stage: build
   script:
     - mkdir -p bld/release
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ release-x64:
       junit: bld/release/meson-logs/testlog.junit.xml
 
 debug-x86:
-  image: i386/alpine:latest
+  image: i386/alpine:edge
   stage: build
   script:
     - mkdir -p bld/debug
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ debug-x86:
       junit: bld/debug/meson-logs/testlog.junit.xml
 
 release-x86:
-  image: i386/alpine:latest
+  image: i386/alpine:edge
   stage: build
   script:
     - mkdir -p bld/release
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ release-x86:
       junit: bld/release/meson-logs/testlog.junit.xml
 
 codespell:
-  image: alpine:latest
+  image: alpine:edge
   stage: build
   script:
     - apk add python3
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c27eb646..c225a576 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@
   (https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/pulls/483)
 * Support for setting the full 256 color palette in foot.ini
   (https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/489)
+* XDG activation support, will be used by `[bell].urgent` when
+  available (falling back to coloring the window margins red when
+  unavailable) (https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/487).
 
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index c36d7644..0c48929a 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ wscanner_prog = find_program(
 
 wl_proto_headers = []
 wl_proto_src = []
-foreach prot : [
+wl_proto_xml = [
   wayland_protocols_datadir + '/stable/xdg-shell/xdg-shell.xml',
   wayland_protocols_datadir + '/unstable/xdg-decoration/xdg-decoration-unstable-v1.xml',
   wayland_protocols_datadir + '/unstable/xdg-output/xdg-output-unstable-v1.xml',
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@ foreach prot : [
   wayland_protocols_datadir + '/unstable/text-input/text-input-unstable-v3.xml',
   ]
 
+if wayland_protocols.version().version_compare('>=1.21')
+  add_project_arguments('-DHAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION', language: 'c')
+  wl_proto_xml += [wayland_protocols_datadir + '/staging/xdg-activation/xdg-activation-v1.xml']
+endif
+
+foreach prot : wl_proto_xml
   wl_proto_headers += custom_target(
     prot.underscorify() + '-client-header',
     output: '@BASENAME@.h',
diff --git a/pgo/pgo.c b/pgo/pgo.c
index ec8a7883..c1620b04 100644
--- a/pgo/pgo.c
+++ b/pgo/pgo.c
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ wayl_win_init(struct terminal *term)
 }
 
 void wayl_win_destroy(struct wl_window *win) {}
+bool wayl_win_set_urgent(struct wl_window *win) { return true; }
 
 bool
 spawn(struct reaper *reaper, const char *cwd, char *const argv[],
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index f3513a08..a9712789 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -2632,16 +2632,24 @@ term_bell(struct terminal *term)
 
     if (!term->kbd_focus) {
         if (term->conf->bell.urgent) {
-            /* There's no 'urgency' hint in Wayland - we just paint the
-             * margins red */
-            term->render.urgency = true;
-            term_damage_margins(term);
+            if (!wayl_win_set_urgent(term->window)) {
+                /*
+                 * Urgency (xdg-activation) is relatively new in
+                 * Wayland. Fallback to our old, “faked”, urgency -
+                 * rendering our window margins in red
+                 */
+                term->render.urgency = true;
+                term_damage_margins(term);
+            }
         }
+
         if (term->conf->bell.notify)
             notify_notify(term, "Bell", "Bell in terminal");
     }
 
-    if ((term->conf->bell.command.argv != NULL) && (!term->kbd_focus || term->conf->bell.command_focused)) {
+    if ((term->conf->bell.command.argv != NULL) &&
+        (!term->kbd_focus || term->conf->bell.command_focused))
+    {
         int devnull = open("/dev/null", O_RDONLY);
         spawn(term->reaper, NULL, term->conf->bell.command.argv, devnull, -1, -1);
 
diff --git a/wayland.c b/wayland.c
index 102b29c5..24d22359 100644
--- a/wayland.c
+++ b/wayland.c
@@ -12,13 +12,9 @@
 
 #include <wayland-client.h>
 #include <wayland-cursor.h>
-#include <xdg-shell.h>
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon-compose.h>
 
 #include <tllist.h>
-#include <xdg-output-unstable-v1.h>
-#include <xdg-decoration-unstable-v1.h>
-#include <text-input-unstable-v3.h>
 
 #define LOG_MODULE "wayland"
 #define LOG_ENABLE_DBG 0
@@ -630,7 +626,7 @@ xdg_toplevel_close(void *data, struct xdg_toplevel *xdg_toplevel)
 
 static const struct xdg_toplevel_listener xdg_toplevel_listener = {
     .configure = &xdg_toplevel_configure,
-    .close = &xdg_toplevel_close,
+    /*.close = */&xdg_toplevel_close,  /* epoll-shim defines a macro ‘close’... */
 };
 
 static void
@@ -989,6 +985,17 @@ handle_global(void *data, struct wl_registry *registry,
         }
     }
 
+#if defined(HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION)
+    else if (strcmp(interface, xdg_activation_v1_interface.name) == 0) {
+        const uint32_t required = 1;
+        if (!verify_iface_version(interface, version, required))
+            return;
+
+        wayl->xdg_activation = wl_registry_bind(
+            wayl->registry, name, &xdg_activation_v1_interface, required);
+    }
+#endif
+
 #if defined(FOOT_IME_ENABLED) && FOOT_IME_ENABLED
     else if (strcmp(interface, zwp_text_input_manager_v3_interface.name) == 0) {
         const uint32_t required = 1;
@@ -1187,6 +1194,16 @@ wayl_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm)
     if (wayl->primary_selection_device_manager == NULL)
         LOG_WARN("no primary selection available");
 
+#if defined(HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION)
+    if (wayl->xdg_activation == NULL && conf->bell.urgent) {
+#else
+    if (conf->bell.urgent) {
+#endif
+        LOG_WARN(
+            "no XDG activation support; "
+            "bell.urgent will fall back to coloring the window margins red");
+    }
+
     if (conf->presentation_timings && wayl->presentation == NULL) {
         LOG_ERR("presentation time interface not implemented by compositor");
         goto out;
@@ -1275,6 +1292,10 @@ wayl_destroy(struct wayland *wayl)
         zwp_text_input_manager_v3_destroy(wayl->text_input_manager);
 #endif
 
+#if defined(HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION)
+    if (wayl->xdg_activation != NULL)
+        xdg_activation_v1_destroy(wayl->xdg_activation);
+#endif
     if (wayl->xdg_output_manager != NULL)
         zxdg_output_manager_v1_destroy(wayl->xdg_output_manager);
     if (wayl->shell != NULL)
@@ -1452,6 +1473,10 @@ wayl_win_destroy(struct wl_window *win)
     wayl_win_subsurface_destroy(&win->scrollback_indicator);
     wayl_win_subsurface_destroy(&win->render_timer);
 
+#if defined(HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION)
+    if (win->xdg_activation_token != NULL)
+        xdg_activation_token_v1_destroy(win->xdg_activation_token);
+#endif
     if (win->frame_callback != NULL)
         wl_callback_destroy(win->frame_callback);
     if (win->xdg_toplevel_decoration != NULL)
@@ -1573,6 +1598,58 @@ wayl_roundtrip(struct wayland *wayl)
     wayl_flush(wayl);
 }
 
+#if defined(HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION)
+static void
+activation_token_done(void *data, struct xdg_activation_token_v1 *xdg_token,
+                      const char *token)
+{
+    struct wl_window *win = data;
+    struct wayland *wayl = win->term->wl;
+
+    LOG_DBG("activation token: %s", token);
+
+    xdg_activation_v1_activate(wayl->xdg_activation, token, win->surface);
+
+    xassert(win->xdg_activation_token == xdg_token);
+    xdg_activation_token_v1_destroy(xdg_token);
+    win->xdg_activation_token = NULL;
+}
+
+static const struct xdg_activation_token_v1_listener activation_token_listener = {
+    .done = &activation_token_done,
+};
+#endif /* HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION */
+
+bool
+wayl_win_set_urgent(struct wl_window *win)
+{
+#if defined(HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION)
+    struct wayland *wayl = win->term->wl;
+
+    if (wayl->xdg_activation == NULL)
+        return false;
+
+    if (win->xdg_activation_token != NULL)
+        return true;
+
+    struct xdg_activation_token_v1 *token =
+        xdg_activation_v1_get_activation_token(wayl->xdg_activation);
+
+    if (token == NULL) {
+        LOG_ERR("failed to retrieve XDG activation token");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    xdg_activation_token_v1_add_listener(token, &activation_token_listener, win);
+    xdg_activation_token_v1_set_surface(token, win->surface);
+    xdg_activation_token_v1_commit(token);
+    win->xdg_activation_token = token;
+    return true;
+#else
+    return false;
+#endif
+}
+
 bool
 wayl_win_subsurface_new_with_custom_parent(
     struct wl_window *win, struct wl_surface *parent,
diff --git a/wayland.h b/wayland.h
index 0b916ccc..4ec09544 100644
--- a/wayland.h
+++ b/wayland.h
@@ -8,8 +8,17 @@
 #include <wayland-client.h>
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
 
-#include <primary-selection-unstable-v1.h>
+/* Wayland protocols */
 #include <presentation-time.h>
+#include <primary-selection-unstable-v1.h>
+#include <text-input-unstable-v3.h>
+#include <xdg-decoration-unstable-v1.h>
+#include <xdg-output-unstable-v1.h>
+#include <xdg-shell.h>
+
+#if defined(HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION)
+ #include <xdg-activation-v1.h>
+#endif
 
 #include <tllist.h>
 
@@ -377,6 +386,9 @@ struct wl_window {
     struct wl_surface *surface;
     struct xdg_surface *xdg_surface;
     struct xdg_toplevel *xdg_toplevel;
+#if defined(HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION)
+    struct xdg_activation_token_v1 *xdg_activation_token;
+#endif
 
     struct zxdg_toplevel_decoration_v1 *xdg_toplevel_decoration;
 
@@ -444,6 +456,10 @@ struct wayland {
     struct wl_data_device_manager *data_device_manager;
     struct zwp_primary_selection_device_manager_v1 *primary_selection_device_manager;
 
+#if defined(HAVE_XDG_ACTIVATION)
+    struct xdg_activation_v1 *xdg_activation;
+#endif
+
     struct wp_presentation *presentation;
     uint32_t presentation_clock_id;
 
@@ -469,6 +485,8 @@ void wayl_roundtrip(struct wayland *wayl);
 struct wl_window *wayl_win_init(struct terminal *term);
 void wayl_win_destroy(struct wl_window *win);
 
+bool wayl_win_set_urgent(struct wl_window *win);
+
 bool wayl_win_subsurface_new(
     struct wl_window *win, struct wl_surf_subsurf *surf);
 bool wayl_win_subsurface_new_with_custom_parent(