diff --git a/contrib/laptop_status.c b/contrib/laptop_status.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d10054b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/laptop_status.c
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#include <signal.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <time.h>
+
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+
+#if !defined(__linux__)
+#error This program uses Linux-specific sysfs features
+#endif
+
+/* Simple sway status_command for laptops. Prints the date and the current
+ * battery status. Warns using swaynag when the battery drops to an unreasonable
+ * level. For every percentage point demise below that level, renags.
+ *
+ * Should compile without arguments with any reasonable Linux compiler.
+ * It should be easy to modify the battery status handling code for other
+ * systems
+ *
+ * example installation and configuration:
+ *      cc laptop_status.c -o ~/.local/bin/laptop-status
+ *      sed -i 's/status_command.+/status_command ~/.local/bin/laptop-status' \
+ *          ~/.config/sway/config'
+ */
+
+static const char *cap_file = "/sys/class/power_supply/BAT0/capacity";
+static const char *stat_file = "/sys/class/power_supply/BAT0/status";
+static const int bat_warn_below = 10;
+
+int main(void)
+{
+    setvbuf(stdout, NULL, _IOLBF, 0);
+    int status = open(stat_file, O_RDONLY);
+    int cap = open(cap_file, O_RDONLY);
+    if (cap < 0 || status < 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "no battery found\n");
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
+
+    char timestamp[128] = {0}, bat_status[32] = {0}, bat_capacity[32] = {0};
+
+    int nagged = 0;
+    pid_t nag = 0;
+    for (;;) {
+        pread(cap, bat_capacity, sizeof bat_capacity - 1, 0);
+        pread(status, bat_status, sizeof bat_status - 1, 0);
+        bool discharging = !!strstr(bat_status, "Discharging");
+        int percent = (int)strtol(bat_capacity, NULL, 10);
+        if (discharging && percent < bat_warn_below) {
+            if (!nagged || percent < nagged) {
+                char msg[64];
+                snprintf(msg, sizeof msg, "battery is low (%d%%)", percent);
+                char *cmd[] = {"swaynag", "-m", msg, NULL};
+                if (!(nag = fork())) {
+                    execvp(cmd[0], cmd);
+                }
+            }
+            nagged = percent;
+        } else if (nag) {
+            kill(nag, SIGINT);
+            nag = 0;
+        }
+        time_t now = time(NULL);
+        strftime(timestamp, sizeof timestamp - 1, "%c", localtime(&now));
+        printf(
+            "%s [% 3d%%]%s\n",
+            timestamp,
+            percent,
+            strstr(bat_status, "Discharging") ? " " : "+"
+        );
+        sleep(1);
+    }
+}