diff --git a/docs/launch.rst b/docs/launch.rst
index 8b8dd6219..2a392f80d 100644
--- a/docs/launch.rst
+++ b/docs/launch.rst
@@ -145,6 +145,10 @@ functions for the events you are interested in, for example:
         # when a title change was requested via escape code from the program
         # running in the terminal
 
+    def on_cmd_startstop(boss: Boss, window: Window, data: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        # called when the shell starts/stops executing a command. Here
+        # data will contain is_start and time.
+
 Every callback is passed a reference to the global ``Boss`` object as well as
 the ``Window`` object the action is occurring on. The ``data`` object is a dict
 that contains event dependent data. Some useful methods and attributes for the
diff --git a/kitty/launch.py b/kitty/launch.py
index a6a514d87..95cc15af8 100644
--- a/kitty/launch.py
+++ b/kitty/launch.py
@@ -398,6 +398,15 @@ def load_watch_modules(watchers: Iterable[str]) -> Optional[Watchers]:
         w = m.get('on_focus_change')
         if callable(w):
             ans.on_focus_change.append(w)
+        w = m.get('on_set_user_var')
+        if callable(w):
+            ans.on_set_user_var.append(w)
+        w = m.get('on_title_change')
+        if callable(w):
+            ans.on_title_change.append(w)
+        w = m.get('on_cmd_startstop')
+        if callable(w):
+            ans.on_cmd_startstop.append(w)
     return ans
 
 
diff --git a/kitty/options/definition.py b/kitty/options/definition.py
index 1594a6060..3058cfb84 100644
--- a/kitty/options/definition.py
+++ b/kitty/options/definition.py
@@ -3149,6 +3149,39 @@
 '''
     )
 
+opt('notify_on_cmd_finish', 'never',
+    choices=('never', 'unfocused', 'invisible', 'always'),
+    long_text='''
+Whether to send a desktop notification when a long-running command finishes
+(needs :opt:`shell_integration`).
+The possible values are:
+
+:code:`never`
+    Never send a notification.
+
+:code:`unfocused`
+    Only send a notification when the window does not have keyboard focus.
+
+:code:`invisible`
+    Only send a notification when the window both is unfocused and not visible
+    to the user, for example, because it is in an inactive tab or its OS window
+    is not currently active.
+
+:code:`always`
+    Always send a notification, even if the window is focused.
+'''
+    )
+
+opt('notify_on_cmd_finish_min_duration', '5.0',
+    option_type="float",
+    long_text='''
+Only send a notification if a command takes more than specified seconds of time.
+It's not recommended to set a value too small, as you probably don't want a
+notification when a command launches a new window and exit immediately (e.g. the
+`code` command from vscode).
+'''
+    )
+
 opt('term', 'xterm-kitty',
     long_text='''
 The value of the :envvar:`TERM` environment variable to set. Changing this can
diff --git a/kitty/options/parse.py b/kitty/options/parse.py
index 752680382..e07040f83 100644
--- a/kitty/options/parse.py
+++ b/kitty/options/parse.py
@@ -1120,6 +1120,17 @@ def narrow_symbols(self, val: str, ans: typing.Dict[str, typing.Any]) -> None:
         for k, v in narrow_symbols(val):
             ans["narrow_symbols"][k] = v
 
+    def notify_on_cmd_finish(self, val: str, ans: typing.Dict[str, typing.Any]) -> None:
+        val = val.lower()
+        if val not in self.choices_for_notify_on_cmd_finish:
+            raise ValueError(f"The value {val} is not a valid choice for notify_on_cmd_finish")
+        ans["notify_on_cmd_finish"] = val
+
+    choices_for_notify_on_cmd_finish = frozenset(('never', 'unfocused', 'invisible', 'always'))
+
+    def notify_on_cmd_finish_min_duration(self, val: str, ans: typing.Dict[str, typing.Any]) -> None:
+        ans['notify_on_cmd_finish_min_duration'] = float(val)
+
     def open_url_with(self, val: str, ans: typing.Dict[str, typing.Any]) -> None:
         ans['open_url_with'] = to_cmdline(val)
 
diff --git a/kitty/options/types.py b/kitty/options/types.py
index 6af13d6a1..41b80c118 100644
--- a/kitty/options/types.py
+++ b/kitty/options/types.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 choices_for_linux_display_server = typing.Literal['auto', 'wayland', 'x11']
 choices_for_macos_colorspace = typing.Literal['srgb', 'default', 'displayp3']
 choices_for_macos_show_window_title_in = typing.Literal['all', 'menubar', 'none', 'window']
+choices_for_notify_on_cmd_finish = typing.Literal['never', 'unfocused', 'invisible', 'always']
 choices_for_placement_strategy = typing.Literal['center', 'top-left']
 choices_for_pointer_shape_when_dragging = choices_for_default_pointer_shape
 choices_for_pointer_shape_when_grabbed = choices_for_default_pointer_shape
@@ -386,6 +387,8 @@
  'mouse_hide_wait',
  'mouse_map',
  'narrow_symbols',
+ 'notify_on_cmd_finish',
+ 'notify_on_cmd_finish_min_duration',
  'open_url_with',
  'paste_actions',
  'placement_strategy',
@@ -545,6 +548,8 @@ class Options:
     mark3_background: Color = Color(242, 116, 188)
     mark3_foreground: Color = Color(0, 0, 0)
     mouse_hide_wait: float = 0.0 if is_macos else 3.0
+    notify_on_cmd_finish: choices_for_notify_on_cmd_finish = 'never'
+    notify_on_cmd_finish_min_duration: float = 5.0
     open_url_with: typing.List[str] = ['default']
     paste_actions: typing.FrozenSet[str] = frozenset({'confirm', 'quote-urls-at-prompt'})
     placement_strategy: choices_for_placement_strategy = 'center'
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 4ddda5104..baf78ca7e 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -2216,9 +2216,12 @@ shell_prompt_marking(Screen *self, PyObject *data) {
                 }
                 if (PyErr_Occurred()) PyErr_Print();
                 self->linebuf->line_attrs[self->cursor->y].prompt_kind = pk;
+                if (pk == PROMPT_START)
+                    CALLBACK("cmd_output_marking", "i", 0);
             } break;
             case 'C':
                 self->linebuf->line_attrs[self->cursor->y].prompt_kind = OUTPUT_START;
+                CALLBACK("cmd_output_marking", "i", 1);
                 break;
         }
     }
diff --git a/kitty/window.py b/kitty/window.py
index 75502ba06..68460e9c0 100644
--- a/kitty/window.py
+++ b/kitty/window.py
@@ -83,7 +83,9 @@
 from .keys import keyboard_mode_name, mod_mask
 from .notify import (
     NotificationCommand,
+    OnlyWhen,
     handle_notification_cmd,
+    notify_with_command,
     sanitize_identifier_pat,
 )
 from .options.types import Options
@@ -259,6 +261,7 @@ class Watchers:
     on_focus_change: List[Watcher]
     on_set_user_var: List[Watcher]
     on_title_change: List[Watcher]
+    on_cmd_startstop: List[Watcher]
 
     def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.on_resize = []
@@ -266,6 +269,7 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.on_focus_change = []
         self.on_set_user_var = []
         self.on_title_change = []
+        self.on_cmd_startstop = []
 
     def add(self, others: 'Watchers') -> None:
         def merge(base: List[Watcher], other: List[Watcher]) -> None:
@@ -277,10 +281,11 @@ def merge(base: List[Watcher], other: List[Watcher]) -> None:
         merge(self.on_focus_change, others.on_focus_change)
         merge(self.on_set_user_var, others.on_set_user_var)
         merge(self.on_title_change, others.on_title_change)
+        merge(self.on_cmd_startstop, others.on_cmd_startstop)
 
     def clear(self) -> None:
         del self.on_close[:], self.on_resize[:], self.on_focus_change[:]
-        del self.on_set_user_var[:], self.on_title_change[:]
+        del self.on_set_user_var[:], self.on_title_change[:], self.on_cmd_startstop[:]
 
     def copy(self) -> 'Watchers':
         ans = Watchers()
@@ -289,11 +294,13 @@ def copy(self) -> 'Watchers':
         ans.on_focus_change = self.on_focus_change[:]
         ans.on_set_user_var = self.on_set_user_var[:]
         ans.on_title_change = self.on_title_change[:]
+        ans.on_cmd_startstop = self.on_cmd_startstop[:]
         return ans
 
     @property
     def has_watchers(self) -> bool:
-        return bool(self.on_close or self.on_resize or self.on_focus_change)
+        return bool(self.on_close or self.on_resize or self.on_focus_change
+                    or self.on_set_user_var or self.on_title_change or self.on_cmd_startstop)
 
 
 def call_watchers(windowref: Callable[[], Optional['Window']], which: str, data: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
@@ -536,6 +543,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.current_mouse_event_button = 0
         self.current_clipboard_read_ask: Optional[bool] = None
         self.prev_osc99_cmd = NotificationCommand()
+        self.last_cmd_output_start_time = 0
         self.actions_on_close: List[Callable[['Window'], None]] = []
         self.actions_on_focus_change: List[Callable[['Window', bool], None]] = []
         self.actions_on_removal: List[Callable[['Window'], None]] = []
@@ -1315,6 +1323,33 @@ def manipulate_title_stack(self, pop: bool, title: str, icon: Any) -> None:
             else:
                 if self.child_title:
                     self.title_stack.append(self.child_title)
+
+    def cmd_output_marking(self, is_start: int) -> None:
+        if is_start:
+            start_time = monotonic()
+            self.last_cmd_output_start_time = start_time
+
+            self.call_watchers(self.watchers.on_cmd_startstop, {"is_start": True, "time": start_time})
+        else:
+            if self.last_cmd_output_start_time > 0:
+                end_time = monotonic()
+                last_cmd_output_duration = end_time - self.last_cmd_output_start_time
+                self.last_cmd_output_start_time = 0
+
+                self.call_watchers(self.watchers.on_cmd_startstop, {"is_start": False, "time": end_time})
+
+                opts = get_options()
+                mode = opts.notify_on_cmd_finish
+                if mode == 'never':
+                    return
+
+                if last_cmd_output_duration >= opts.notify_on_cmd_finish_min_duration:
+                    cmd = NotificationCommand()
+                    cmd.title = 'kitty'
+                    cmd.body = 'Command finished in a background window.\nClick to focus.'
+                    cmd.actions = 'focus'
+                    cmd.only_when = OnlyWhen(mode)
+                    notify_with_command(cmd, self.id)
     # }}}
 
     # mouse actions {{{