diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 02dcfc2c509..45c00af11bd 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - macOS: Fix a regression in the previous release that caused kitten @ ls to not report the environment variables for the default shell (:iss:`6749`)
 
+- desktop notification protocol: Allow applications sending notifications to specify that the notification should only be displayed if the window is currently unfocused (:iss:`6755`)
+
 0.30.1 [2023-10-05]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/docs/desktop-notifications.rst b/docs/desktop-notifications.rst
index 646256b43a8..e3bbe3a4b3d 100644
--- a/docs/desktop-notifications.rst
+++ b/docs/desktop-notifications.rst
@@ -94,9 +94,9 @@ to display it based on what it does understand.
    revisions.
 
 
-=======  ====================  =========  =================
+=======  ====================  ========== =================
 Key      Value                 Default    Description
-=======  ====================  =========  =================
+=======  ====================  ========== =================
 ``a``    Comma separated list  ``focus``  What action to perform when the
          of ``report``,                   notification is clicked
          ``focus``, with
@@ -113,7 +113,14 @@ Key      Value                 Default    Description
 
 ``p``    One of ``title`` or   ``title``  Whether the payload is the notification title or body. If a
          ``body``.                        notification has no title, the body will be used as title.
-=======  ====================  =========  =================
+
+``o``    One of ``always``,    ``always`` When to honor the notification request. ``unfocused`` means when the window
+         ``unfocused`` or                 the notification is sent on does not have keyboard focus. ``invisible``
+         ``invisible``                    means 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.
+                                          ``always`` is the default and always honors the request.
+=======  ====================  ========== =================
 
 
 .. note::
diff --git a/kitty/notify.py b/kitty/notify.py
index b21067839c4..3ab233674fa 100644
--- a/kitty/notify.py
+++ b/kitty/notify.py
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
 import re
 from base64 import standard_b64decode
 from collections import OrderedDict
+from contextlib import suppress
+from enum import Enum
 from itertools import count
 from typing import Callable, Dict, Optional
 
 from .constants import is_macos, logo_png_file
-from .fast_data_types import get_boss
+from .fast_data_types import current_focused_os_window_id, get_boss
 from .types import run_once
 from .utils import get_custom_window_icon, log_error
 
@@ -67,6 +69,12 @@ def notify_implementation(title: str, body: str, identifier: str) -> None:
     notify(title, body, identifier=identifier)
 
 
+class OnlyWhen(Enum):
+    always = 'always'
+    unfocused = 'unfocused'
+    invisible = 'invisible'
+
+
 class NotificationCommand:
 
     done: bool = True
@@ -74,6 +82,7 @@ class NotificationCommand:
     title: str = ''
     body: str = ''
     actions: str = ''
+    only_when: OnlyWhen = OnlyWhen.always
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         return f'NotificationCommand(identifier={self.identifier!r}, title={self.title!r}, body={self.body!r}, actions={self.actions!r}, done={self.done!r})'
@@ -125,6 +134,9 @@ def parse_osc_99(raw: str) -> NotificationCommand:
                 cmd.done = v != '0'
             elif k == 'a':
                 cmd.actions += f',{v}'
+            elif k == 'o':
+                with suppress(ValueError):
+                    cmd.only_when = OnlyWhen(v)
     if payload_type not in ('body', 'title'):
         log_error(f'Malformed OSC 99: unknown payload type: {payload_type}')
         return NotificationCommand()
@@ -208,6 +220,19 @@ def reset_registry() -> None:
 def notify_with_command(cmd: NotificationCommand, window_id: int, notify_implementation: NotifyImplementation = notify_implementation) -> None:
     title = cmd.title or cmd.body
     body = cmd.body if cmd.title else ''
+    if not title:
+        return
+    if cmd.only_when is not OnlyWhen.always:
+        w = get_boss().window_id_map.get(window_id)
+        if w is None:
+            return
+        boss = get_boss()
+        window_has_keyboard_focus = w.is_active and w.os_window_id == current_focused_os_window_id()
+        if window_has_keyboard_focus:
+            return
+        if cmd.only_when is OnlyWhen.invisible:
+            if w.os_window_id == current_focused_os_window_id() and w.tabref() is boss.active_tab and w.is_visible_in_layout:
+                return  # window is in the active OS window and the active tab and is visible in the tab layout
     if title:
         identifier = f'i{next(id_counter)}'
         notify_implementation(title, body, identifier)