diff --git a/include/modules/xworkspaces.hpp b/include/modules/xworkspaces.hpp
index e1f52426..2d5447db 100644
--- a/include/modules/xworkspaces.hpp
+++ b/include/modules/xworkspaces.hpp
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ namespace modules {
     void rebuild_clientlist();
     void rebuild_desktops();
     void rebuild_desktop_states();
+    void set_desktop_urgent(xcb_window_t window);
 
     bool input(string&& cmd);
 
diff --git a/include/x11/atoms.hpp b/include/x11/atoms.hpp
index 169dd12a..94aa806e 100644
--- a/include/x11/atoms.hpp
+++ b/include/x11/atoms.hpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ struct cached_atom {
   xcb_atom_t* atom;
 };
 
-extern cached_atom ATOMS[35];
+extern cached_atom ATOMS[36];
 
 extern xcb_atom_t _NET_SUPPORTED;
 extern xcb_atom_t _NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP;
@@ -45,3 +45,4 @@ extern xcb_atom_t _XSETROOT_ID;
 extern xcb_atom_t ESETROOT_PMAP_ID;
 extern xcb_atom_t _COMPTON_SHADOW;
 extern xcb_atom_t _NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY;
+extern xcb_atom_t WM_HINTS;
diff --git a/include/x11/ewmh.hpp b/include/x11/ewmh.hpp
index 8591da9c..bced1347 100644
--- a/include/x11/ewmh.hpp
+++ b/include/x11/ewmh.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
   xcb_window_t get_active_window(int screen = 0);
 
   void change_current_desktop(unsigned int desktop);
+  unsigned int get_desktop_from_window(xcb_window_t window);
 
   void set_wm_window_type(xcb_window_t win, vector<xcb_atom_t> types);
 
diff --git a/include/x11/icccm.hpp b/include/x11/icccm.hpp
index 4f85eb83..d27bbb93 100644
--- a/include/x11/icccm.hpp
+++ b/include/x11/icccm.hpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ namespace icccm_util {
 
   void set_wm_name(xcb_connection_t* c, xcb_window_t w, const char* wmname, size_t l, const char* wmclass, size_t l2);
   void set_wm_protocols(xcb_connection_t* c, xcb_window_t w, vector<xcb_atom_t> flags);
+  bool get_wm_urgency(xcb_connection_t* c, xcb_window_t w);
 }
 
 POLYBAR_NS_END
diff --git a/src/modules/xworkspaces.cpp b/src/modules/xworkspaces.cpp
index dfaf4141..7401eb5b 100644
--- a/src/modules/xworkspaces.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/xworkspaces.cpp
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ namespace modules {
     } else if (evt->atom == m_ewmh->_NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP) {
       m_current_desktop = ewmh_util::get_current_desktop();
       rebuild_desktop_states();
+    } else if (evt->atom == WM_HINTS) {
+      if (icccm_util::get_wm_urgency(m_connection, evt->window)) {
+        set_desktop_urgent(evt->window);
+      }
     } else {
       return;
     }
@@ -133,6 +137,8 @@ namespace modules {
       std::set_difference(
           clients.begin(), clients.end(), m_clientlist.begin(), m_clientlist.end(), back_inserter(diff));
       for (auto&& win : diff) {
+        // listen for wm_hint (urgency) changes
+        m_connection.ensure_event_mask(win, XCB_EVENT_MASK_PROPERTY_CHANGE);
         // track window
         m_clientlist.emplace_back(win);
       }
@@ -215,6 +221,31 @@ namespace modules {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Find window and set corresponding desktop to urgent
+   */
+  void xworkspaces_module::set_desktop_urgent(xcb_window_t window) {
+    auto desk = ewmh_util::get_desktop_from_window(window);
+    if(desk == m_current_desktop)
+      // ignore if current desktop is urgent
+      return;
+    for (auto&& v : m_viewports) {
+      for (auto&& d : v->desktops) {
+        if (d->index == desk && d->state != desktop_state::URGENT) {
+          d->state = desktop_state::URGENT;
+
+          d->label = m_labels.at(d->state)->clone();
+          d->label->reset_tokens();
+          d->label->replace_token("%index%", to_string(d->index - d->offset + 1));
+          d->label->replace_token("%name%", m_desktop_names[d->index]);
+          d->label->replace_token("%icon%", m_icons->get(m_desktop_names[d->index], DEFAULT_ICON)->get());
+          return;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+  }
+
   /**
    * Fetch and parse data
    */
diff --git a/src/x11/atoms.cpp b/src/x11/atoms.cpp
index 5fd98560..3145783f 100644
--- a/src/x11/atoms.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/atoms.cpp
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ xcb_atom_t _XSETROOT_ID;
 xcb_atom_t ESETROOT_PMAP_ID;
 xcb_atom_t _COMPTON_SHADOW;
 xcb_atom_t _NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY;
+xcb_atom_t WM_HINTS;
 
 // clang-format off
-cached_atom ATOMS[35] = {
+cached_atom ATOMS[36] = {
   {"_NET_SUPPORTED", sizeof("_NET_SUPPORTED") - 1, &_NET_SUPPORTED},
   {"_NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP", sizeof("_NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP") - 1, &_NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP},
   {"_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW", sizeof("_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW") - 1, &_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW},
@@ -76,5 +77,6 @@ cached_atom ATOMS[35] = {
   {"ESETROOT_PMAP_ID", sizeof("ESETROOT_PMAP_ID") - 1, &ESETROOT_PMAP_ID},
   {"_COMPTON_SHADOW", sizeof("_COMPTON_SHADOW") - 1, &_COMPTON_SHADOW},
   {"_NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY", sizeof("_NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY") - 1, &_NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY},
+  {"WM_HINTS", sizeof("WM_HINTS") - 1, &WM_HINTS},
 };
 // clang-format on
diff --git a/src/x11/ewmh.cpp b/src/x11/ewmh.cpp
index 0d0f7972..1c4fb2f6 100644
--- a/src/x11/ewmh.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/ewmh.cpp
@@ -112,6 +112,13 @@ namespace ewmh_util {
     xcb_flush(conn->connection);
   }
 
+  unsigned int get_desktop_from_window(xcb_window_t window) {
+    auto conn = initialize().get();
+    unsigned int desktop = XCB_NONE;
+    xcb_ewmh_get_wm_desktop_reply(conn, xcb_ewmh_get_wm_desktop(conn, window), &desktop, nullptr);
+    return desktop;
+  }
+
   void set_wm_window_type(xcb_window_t win, vector<xcb_atom_t> types) {
     auto conn = initialize().get();
     xcb_ewmh_set_wm_window_type(conn, win, types.size(), types.data());
diff --git a/src/x11/icccm.cpp b/src/x11/icccm.cpp
index 2bb12f47..a6e292ee 100644
--- a/src/x11/icccm.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/icccm.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ namespace icccm_util {
   void set_wm_protocols(xcb_connection_t* c, xcb_window_t w, vector<xcb_atom_t> flags) {
     xcb_icccm_set_wm_protocols(c, w, WM_PROTOCOLS, flags.size(), flags.data());
   }
+
+  bool get_wm_urgency(xcb_connection_t* c, xcb_window_t w) {
+    xcb_icccm_wm_hints_t hints;
+    if (xcb_icccm_get_wm_hints_reply(c, xcb_icccm_get_wm_hints(c, w), &hints, NULL)) {
+      if(xcb_icccm_wm_hints_get_urgency(&hints) == XCB_ICCCM_WM_HINT_X_URGENCY)
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
 }
 
 POLYBAR_NS_END