diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp b/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp
index 7df2170f..5465c83d 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #include "call_audio_engine.h"
 #include "radio_audio_engine.h"
 #include "ptt_hotkey_manager.h"
+#include "message_notification.h"
 
 extern "C" {
 #include "../../lib/audio_compressor.h"
@@ -92,9 +93,9 @@ static void saveLastChannelId(const QString& channelId) {
     postUiStateKv("last_channel_id", channelId);
 }
 
-static void onMsgReceivedCallback(const char* ch_id, int ch_id_len, uint64_t author) {
+static void onMsgReceivedCallback(const char* ch_id, int ch_id_len, uint64_t author, int initial_sync) {
     if (s_mainWindow)
-        s_mainWindow->onMessageReceived(ch_id, ch_id_len, author);
+        s_mainWindow->onMessageReceived(ch_id, ch_id_len, author, initial_sync != 0);
 }
 
 static void onChannelUpdatedCallback(const char* ch_id, int ch_id_len) {
@@ -181,6 +182,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent, DbManager* db, const QString& cfgPath,
 
 MainWindow::~MainWindow() {
     s_mainWindow = nullptr;
+    if (m_messageNotification) m_messageNotification->dismiss("shutdown");
     delete AvatarManager::instance();
     delete GroupAvatarManager::instance();
     gui_bridge_set_group_avatar_result_cb(nullptr);
@@ -799,6 +801,7 @@ void MainWindow::onMessageLinkActivated(const QString& link) {
 
 void MainWindow::onDmMsgReceived(const QString& convId, quint64 author) {
     QString key = QStringLiteral("dm:") + convId;
+    showIncomingMessageNotification(key, author);
     if (m_currentChannelId == key) {
         m_messageList->refresh();
         return;
@@ -813,6 +816,18 @@ void MainWindow::setupTray() {
     m_trayIcon->setIcon(QIcon(":/icons/app_icon.png"));
     m_trayIcon->setToolTip("vibechat");
 
+    m_messageNotification = new MessageNotification(this);
+    connect(m_messageNotification, &MessageNotification::activated, this, [this](const QString& target) {
+        if (isMinimized()) setWindowState(windowState() & ~Qt::WindowMinimized);
+        show();
+        raise();
+        activateWindow();
+        reloadChannels();
+        m_channelList->selectChannel(target);
+        if (m_currentChannelId != target) GUI_WARN("notification: target no longer available target=%s", qPrintable(target));
+        else GUI_INFO("notification: opened chat target=%s", qPrintable(target));
+    });
+
     m_trayMenu = new QMenu(this);
     QAction *settingsAction = m_trayMenu->addAction(QCoreApplication::translate("ChatGui", "Settings"));
     connect(settingsAction, &QAction::triggered, this, &MainWindow::showSettings);
@@ -837,6 +852,30 @@ void MainWindow::setupTray() {
     m_trayIcon->show();
 }
 
+void MainWindow::showIncomingMessageNotification(const QString& target, quint64 author) {
+    if (!m_db || !m_db->isOpen() || !m_messageNotification) {
+        GUI_WARN("notification: GUI not ready target=%s author=%llu", qPrintable(target), (unsigned long long)author);
+        return;
+    }
+    if (author == m_db->myNodeId() || isActiveWindow()) {
+        GUI_DEBUG("notification: skipped target=%s own=%d window_active=%d",
+                  qPrintable(target), int(author == m_db->myNodeId()), int(isActiveWindow()));
+        return;
+    }
+    QString channel;
+    if (target.startsWith(QStringLiteral("dm:"))) channel = QCoreApplication::translate("ChatGui", "Direct messages");
+    else {
+        for (const auto& row : m_db->getChannels()) {
+            if (row.channelId == target) { channel = row.name.isEmpty() ? target : row.name; break; }
+        }
+        if (channel.isEmpty()) {
+            GUI_WARN("notification: channel no longer available target=%s", qPrintable(target));
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+    m_messageNotification->showMessage(target, m_db->getDisplayName(author), channel, m_trayIcon->geometry());
+}
+
 void MainWindow::closeEvent(QCloseEvent *event) {
     DEBUG_DEBUG(DEBUG_CATEGORY_GENERAL, "MainWindow: closeEvent — hiding to tray");
     saveWindowGeometry();
@@ -848,6 +887,7 @@ void MainWindow::closeEvent(QCloseEvent *event) {
 
 void MainWindow::requestShutdown() {
     DEBUG_DEBUG(DEBUG_CATEGORY_GENERAL, "MainWindow: requestShutdown — saving geometry and stopping node");
+    if (m_messageNotification) m_messageNotification->dismiss("shutdown");
     saveWindowGeometry();
     if (m_node) m_node->requestStop();
 }
@@ -951,8 +991,9 @@ void MainWindow::openImage(const QString& filePath) {
     m_imageViewer->showFullScreen();
 }
 
-void MainWindow::onMessageReceived(const char* ch_id, int ch_id_len, uint64_t author) {
+void MainWindow::onMessageReceived(const char* ch_id, int ch_id_len, uint64_t author, bool initialSync) {
     QString cid = QString::fromUtf8(ch_id, ch_id_len);
+    if (!initialSync) showIncomingMessageNotification(cid, author);
     if (m_db && author != m_db->myNodeId()
         && m_db->getUiStateInt(QStringLiteral("ch_%1_sound_on_message").arg(cid), 1))
         SoundManager::instance()->play("msg_incoming");
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.h b/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.h
index baa62592..691750b0 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.h
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class ImageViewerWindow;
 class CallWindow;
 class CallAudioEngine;
 class MemberFileBrowser;
+class MessageNotification;
 
 struct AutoPlayItem {
     QString channelId;
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ private slots:
     void autoPlayTimerTick();
 
 public:
-    void onMessageReceived(const char* ch_id, int ch_id_len, uint64_t author);
+    void onMessageReceived(const char* ch_id, int ch_id_len, uint64_t author, bool initialSync);
     void onMemberList(const QString& chId, int count, const uint8_t* data, int dataLen);
     void onMemberUpdated(const QString& chId, const uint8_t* data);
     void onMemberRemoved(const QString& chId, uint64_t nodeId);
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ private:
     void saveWindowGeometry();
     void restoreWindowGeometry();
     void setupTray();
+    void showIncomingMessageNotification(const QString& target, quint64 author);
     void setupNode();
     void setupMessaging();
     void setupSoundFromConfig();
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ private:
     QSplitter       *m_splitter = nullptr;
     QSystemTrayIcon *m_trayIcon;
     QMenu           *m_trayMenu;
+    MessageNotification* m_messageNotification = nullptr;
     DbManager       *m_db;
     UtunNode        *m_node = nullptr;
     QString          m_cfgPath;
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/transport/gui_bridge_impl.cpp b/tools/chatgui/transport/gui_bridge_impl.cpp
index be3ed5c9..1c59d09b 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/transport/gui_bridge_impl.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/transport/gui_bridge_impl.cpp
@@ -123,13 +123,14 @@ void GuiBridgeReceiver::processPost(int eventType, QByteArray data) {
     case GUI_EVT_MSG_RECEIVED:
         if (dlen >= 2) {
             uint8_t chLen = d[0];
-            if (dlen >= 1 + chLen + 8) {
+            if (chLen && dlen == 1 + chLen + 9 && d[1 + chLen + 8] <= 1) {
                 uint64_t author = 0;
                 memcpy(&author, d + 1 + chLen, 8);
+                const int initialSync = d[1 + chLen + 8];
                 QString chId = QString::fromUtf8((const char*)d + 1, chLen);
-                DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CHAT_SYNC, "gui_bridge: MSG_RECEIVED ch=%s author=%llu",
-                           qPrintable(chId), (unsigned long long)author);
-                if (g_msg_received_cb) g_msg_received_cb((const char*)d + 1, chLen, author);
+                DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CHAT_SYNC, "gui_bridge: MSG_RECEIVED ch=%s author=%llu initial_sync=%d",
+                           qPrintable(chId), (unsigned long long)author, initialSync);
+                if (g_msg_received_cb) g_msg_received_cb((const char*)d + 1, chLen, author, initialSync);
             } else {
                 DEBUG_WARN(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CHAT, "gui_bridge: MSG_RECEIVED invalid data length %d", dlen);
             }