diff --git a/src/core/window-private.h b/src/core/window-private.h
index c08880696..b2694a9e3 100644
--- a/src/core/window-private.h
+++ b/src/core/window-private.h
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ struct _MetaWindow
   /* Whether we're fullscreen */
   guint fullscreen : 1;
 
+  /* Whether the urgent flag of WM_HINTS is set */
+  guint wm_hints_urgent : 1;
+
   /* Area to cover when in fullscreen mode.  If _NET_WM_FULLSCREEN_MONITORS has
    * been overridden (via a client message), the window will cover the union of
    * these monitors.  If not, this is the single monitor which the window's
diff --git a/src/core/window-props.c b/src/core/window-props.c
index 7047b467b..4e145022f 100644
--- a/src/core/window-props.c
+++ b/src/core/window-props.c
@@ -1350,8 +1350,10 @@ reload_wm_hints (MetaWindow    *window,
                  gboolean       initial)
 {
   Window old_group_leader;
-  
+  gboolean old_urgent;
+
   old_group_leader = window->xgroup_leader;
+  old_urgent = window->wm_hints_urgent;
   
   /* Fill in defaults */
   window->input = TRUE;
@@ -1359,7 +1361,8 @@ reload_wm_hints (MetaWindow    *window,
   window->xgroup_leader = None;
   window->wm_hints_pixmap = None;
   window->wm_hints_mask = None;
-  
+  window->wm_hints_urgent = FALSE;
+
   if (value->type != META_PROP_VALUE_INVALID)
     {
       const XWMHints *hints = value->v.wm_hints;
@@ -1378,7 +1381,10 @@ reload_wm_hints (MetaWindow    *window,
 
       if (hints->flags & IconMaskHint)
         window->wm_hints_mask = hints->icon_mask;
-      
+
+      if (hints->flags & XUrgencyHint)
+        window->wm_hints_urgent = TRUE;
+
       meta_verbose ("Read WM_HINTS input: %d iconic: %d group leader: 0x%lx pixmap: 0x%lx mask: 0x%lx\n",
                     window->input, window->initially_iconic,
                     window->xgroup_leader,
@@ -1394,6 +1400,12 @@ reload_wm_hints (MetaWindow    *window,
       meta_window_group_leader_changed (window);
     }
 
+  /*
+   * Do not emit urgency notification on the inital property load
+   */
+  if (!initial && (window->wm_hints_urgent != old_urgent))
+    g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (window), "urgent");
+
   meta_icon_cache_property_changed (&window->icon_cache,
                                     window->display,
                                     XA_WM_HINTS);
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index 0175e6eb2..4b8397711 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ enum {
   PROP_FULLSCREEN,
   PROP_WINDOW_TYPE,
   PROP_USER_TIME,
-  PROP_DEMANDS_ATTENTION
+  PROP_DEMANDS_ATTENTION,
+  PROP_URGENT
 };
 
 enum
@@ -212,6 +213,9 @@ meta_window_get_property(GObject         *object,
     case PROP_DEMANDS_ATTENTION:
       g_value_set_boolean (value, win->wm_state_demands_attention);
       break;
+    case PROP_URGENT:
+      g_value_set_boolean (value, win->wm_hints_urgent);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
       break;
@@ -308,6 +312,14 @@ meta_window_class_init (MetaWindowClass *klass)
                                                          FALSE,
                                                          G_PARAM_READABLE));
 
+  g_object_class_install_property (object_class,
+                                   PROP_URGENT,
+                                   g_param_spec_boolean ("urgent",
+                                                         "Urgent",
+                                                         "Whether the urgent flag of WM_HINTS is set",
+                                                         FALSE,
+                                                         G_PARAM_READABLE));
+
   window_signals[WORKSPACE_CHANGED] =
     g_signal_new ("workspace-changed",
                   G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (object_class),
@@ -700,6 +712,7 @@ meta_window_new_with_attrs (MetaDisplay       *display,
   meta_icon_cache_init (&window->icon_cache);
   window->wm_hints_pixmap = None;
   window->wm_hints_mask = None;
+  window->wm_hints_urgent = FALSE;
 
   window->frame = NULL;
   window->has_focus = FALSE;