diff --git a/config.in b/config.in
index fbd952353..628e9f1ec 100644
--- a/config.in
+++ b/config.in
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ set $down j
 set $up k
 set $right l
 # Your preferred terminal emulator
-set $term urxvt
+set $term swayterm
 # Your preferred application launcher
 # Note: it's recommended that you pass the final command to sway
 set $menu dmenu_path | dmenu | xargs swaymsg exec
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 766bf012f..e4a240b4c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ add_project_arguments(
 cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
 
 is_freebsd = host_machine.system().startswith('freebsd')
+bindir = get_option('bindir')
 datadir = get_option('datadir')
 sysconfdir = get_option('sysconfdir')
 prefix = get_option('prefix')
@@ -187,6 +188,8 @@ install_data(
 	install_dir: datadir + '/wayland-sessions'
 )
 
+install_data('swayterm', install_dir: bindir)
+
 if get_option('default-wallpaper')
 	wallpaper_files = files(
 		'assets/Sway_Wallpaper_Blue_768x1024.png',
diff --git a/swayterm b/swayterm
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..1a550fb14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swayterm
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# This file is in the public domain. It is based on i3-sensible-terminal.
+#
+# Find a terminal emulator among the list of known ones. Prefer user
+# default ($TERMINAL), system default (x-terminal-emulator on Debian)
+# then Wayland-native with few dependencies.
+#
+# See also https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/xdg/2015-October/013583.html
+
+KNOWN_TERMINALS='
+	alacritty
+	sakura
+	termite
+	termit
+	tilix
+	kitty
+	cool-retro-term
+	qterminal
+	roxterm
+	xfce4-terminal
+	pantheon-terminal
+	terminology
+	gnome-terminal
+	mate-terminal
+	konsole
+	aminal
+	evilvte
+	mlterm
+	lxterminal
+	lilyterm
+	terminator
+	hyper
+	mrxvt
+	urxvt
+	xterm
+	st
+	Eterm
+	rxvt
+	aterm
+'
+
+for command in "$TERMINAL" x-terminal-emulator $KNOWN_TERMINALS; do
+    if hash "$command" 2>/dev/null; then
+        exec "$command" "$@"
+    fi
+done
+
+swaynag -m "${0##*/} could not find a terminal emulator. Please, \
+either install one, define \$TERMINAL or adjust Sway config."