diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatTabWidget.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatTabWidget.cpp
index 0e9bdb857..ec52ed40e 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatTabWidget.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatTabWidget.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "ui_ChatTabWidget.h"
 #include "ChatDialog.h"
 #include "gui/common/StatusDefs.h"
+#include "rshare.h"
 
 #define IMAGE_WINDOW         ":/images/rstray3.png"
 #define IMAGE_TYPING         ":/images/typing.png"
@@ -35,12 +36,20 @@ ChatTabWidget::ChatTabWidget(QWidget *parent) :
 {
 	ui->setupUi(this);
 
-    connect(this, SIGNAL(tabCloseRequested(int)), this, SLOT(tabClose(int)));
-    connect(this, SIGNAL(currentChanged(int)), this, SLOT(tabChanged(int)));
+	mEmptyIcon = NULL;
+
+	connect(this, SIGNAL(tabCloseRequested(int)), this, SLOT(tabClose(int)));
+	connect(this, SIGNAL(currentChanged(int)), this, SLOT(tabChanged(int)));
+
+	connect(rApp, SIGNAL(blink(bool)), this, SLOT(blink(bool)));
 }
 
 ChatTabWidget::~ChatTabWidget()
 {
+	if (mEmptyIcon) {
+		delete(mEmptyIcon);
+	}
+
 	delete ui;
 }
 
@@ -91,12 +100,16 @@ void ChatTabWidget::tabInfoChanged(ChatDialog *dialog)
 	int tab = indexOf(dialog);
 	if (tab >= 0) {
 		if (dialog->isTyping()) {
+			setBlinking(tab, false);
 			setTabIcon(tab, QIcon(IMAGE_TYPING));
 		} else if (dialog->hasNewMessages()) {
 			setTabIcon(tab, QIcon(IMAGE_CHAT));
+			setBlinking(tab, true);
 		} else if (dialog->hasPeerStatus()) {
+			setBlinking(tab, false);
 			setTabIcon(tab, QIcon(StatusDefs::imageIM(dialog->getPeerStatus())));
 		} else {
+			setBlinking(tab, false);
 			setTabIcon(tab, QIcon());
 		}
 	}
@@ -143,3 +156,39 @@ void ChatTabWidget::getInfo(bool &isTyping, bool &hasNewMessage, QIcon *icon)
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+void ChatTabWidget::setBlinking(int tab, bool blink)
+{
+	QIcon icon = tabBar()->tabData(tab).value<QIcon>();
+
+	if (blink) {
+		/* save current icon */
+		tabBar()->setTabData(tab, tabIcon(tab));
+	} else {
+		if (!icon.isNull()) {
+			/* reset icon */
+			setTabIcon(tab, icon);
+
+			/* remove icon */
+			tabBar()->setTabData(tab, QVariant());
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+void ChatTabWidget::blink(bool on)
+{
+	int tabCount = tabBar()->count();
+	for (int tab = 0; tab < tabCount; ++tab) {
+		QIcon icon = tabBar()->tabData(tab).value<QIcon>();
+
+		if (!icon.isNull()) {
+			if (mEmptyIcon == NULL) {
+				/* create empty icon */
+				QPixmap pixmap(16, 16);
+				pixmap.fill(Qt::transparent);
+				mEmptyIcon = new QIcon(pixmap);
+			}
+			tabBar()->setTabIcon(tab, on ? icon : *mEmptyIcon);
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatTabWidget.h b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatTabWidget.h
index 0ebede47c..aa9b1bb9e 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatTabWidget.h
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatTabWidget.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ public:
 	void removeDialog(ChatDialog *dialog);
 
 	void getInfo(bool &isTyping, bool &hasNewMessage, QIcon *icon);
+	void setBlinking(int tab, bool blink);
 
 signals:
 	void tabChanged(ChatDialog *dialog);
@@ -54,8 +55,11 @@ private slots:
 	void tabChanged(int tab);
 	void tabInfoChanged(ChatDialog *dialog);
 	void dialogClose(ChatDialog *dialog);
+	void blink(bool on);
 
 private:
+	QIcon *mEmptyIcon;
+
 	Ui::ChatTabWidget *ui;
 };
 
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/PopupChatWindow.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/PopupChatWindow.cpp
index 2db434077..dbab1166a 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/PopupChatWindow.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/PopupChatWindow.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 #include "gui/settings/RsharePeerSettings.h"
 #include "gui/common/StatusDefs.h"
 #include "gui/style/RSStyle.h"
-#include"util/misc.h"
+#include "util/misc.h"
+#include "rshare.h"
 
 #include <retroshare/rsmsgs.h>
 #include <retroshare/rsnotify.h>
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ PopupChatWindow::PopupChatWindow(bool tabbed, QWidget *parent, Qt::WFlags flags)
 	tabbedWindow = tabbed;
 	firstShow = true;
 	chatDialog = NULL;
+	mEmptyIcon = NULL;
 
 	ui.tabWidget->setVisible(tabbedWindow);
 
@@ -92,6 +94,8 @@ PopupChatWindow::PopupChatWindow(bool tabbed, QWidget *parent, Qt::WFlags flags)
 	connect(ui.tabWidget, SIGNAL(tabChanged(ChatDialog*)), this, SLOT(tabChanged(ChatDialog*)));
 	connect(ui.tabWidget, SIGNAL(tabClosed(ChatDialog*)), this, SLOT(tabClosed(ChatDialog*)));
 
+	connect(rApp, SIGNAL(blink(bool)), this, SLOT(blink(bool)));
+
 	if (tabbedWindow) {
 		/* signal toggled is called */
 		ui.actionSetOnTop->setChecked(Settings->valueFromGroup("ChatWindow", "OnTop", false).toBool());
@@ -105,6 +109,10 @@ PopupChatWindow::~PopupChatWindow()
 {
 	saveSettings();
 
+	if (mEmptyIcon) {
+		delete(mEmptyIcon);
+	}
+
 	if (this == instance) {
 		instance = NULL;
 	}
@@ -263,10 +271,13 @@ void PopupChatWindow::calculateTitle(ChatDialog *dialog)
 
 	QIcon icon;
 	if (isTyping) {
+		mBlinkIcon = QIcon();
 		icon = QIcon(IMAGE_TYPING);
 	} else if (hasNewMessages) {
 		icon = QIcon(IMAGE_CHAT);
+		mBlinkIcon = icon;
 	} else {
+		mBlinkIcon = QIcon();
 		if (cd && cd->hasPeerStatus()) {
 			icon = QIcon(StatusDefs::imageIM(cd->getPeerStatus()));
 		} else {
@@ -405,3 +416,16 @@ void PopupChatWindow::calculateStyle(ChatDialog *dialog)
 	ui.chatstatusbar->setStyleSheet(statusSheet);
 	ui.chatcentralwidget->setStyleSheet(widgetSheet);
 }
+
+void PopupChatWindow::blink(bool on)
+{
+	if (!mBlinkIcon.isNull()) {
+		if (mEmptyIcon == NULL) {
+			/* create empty icon */
+			QPixmap pixmap(16, 16);
+			pixmap.fill(Qt::transparent);
+			mEmptyIcon = new QIcon(pixmap);
+		}
+		setWindowIcon(on ? mBlinkIcon : *mEmptyIcon);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/PopupChatWindow.h b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/PopupChatWindow.h
index 4beb13387..40cfda860 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/PopupChatWindow.h
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/PopupChatWindow.h
@@ -63,12 +63,15 @@ private slots:
 	void undockTab();
 	void setStyle();
 	void setOnTop();
+	void blink(bool on);
 
 private:
 	bool tabbedWindow;
 	bool firstShow;
 	std::string peerId;
 	ChatDialog *chatDialog;
+	QIcon mBlinkIcon;
+	QIcon *mEmptyIcon;
 
 	ChatDialog *getCurrentDialog();
 	void saveSettings();
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/common/UserNotify.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/common/UserNotify.cpp
index 2dba822bb..d33cb3992 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/common/UserNotify.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/common/UserNotify.cpp
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
 #include <QMenu>
 #include <QToolBar>
 #include <QToolButton>
-#include <QTimer>
 
 #include "UserNotify.h"
+#include "rshare.h"
 
 UserNotify::UserNotify(QObject *parent) :
 	QObject(parent)
@@ -36,10 +36,7 @@ UserNotify::UserNotify(QObject *parent) :
 	mNewCount = 0;
 	mLastBlinking = false;
 
-	mTimer = new QTimer(this);
-	mTimer->setInterval(500);
-
-	connect(mTimer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(timer()));
+	connect(rApp, SIGNAL(blink(bool)), this, SLOT(blink(bool)));
 }
 
 void UserNotify::initialize(QToolBar *mainToolBar, QAction *mainAction)
@@ -109,11 +106,7 @@ void UserNotify::updateIcon()
 		if (count) {
 			mTrayIcon->setToolTip("RetroShare\n" + getTrayMessage(count > 1).arg(count));
 			mTrayIcon->show();
-			if (!mTimer->isActive()) {
-				mTimer->start();
-			}
 		} else {
-			mTimer->stop();
 			mTrayIcon->hide();
 		}
 	}
@@ -152,18 +145,14 @@ void UserNotify::trayIconClicked(QSystemTrayIcon::ActivationReason e)
 	}
 }
 
-void UserNotify::timer()
+void UserNotify::blink(bool on)
 {
 	bool blinking = isBlinking();
 
 	if (mTrayIcon) {
 		if (blinking) {
 			/* blink icon */
-			if (mTrayIcon->icon().isNull()) {
-				mTrayIcon->setIcon(getIcon());
-			} else {
-				mTrayIcon->setIcon(QIcon());
-			}
+			mTrayIcon->setIcon(on ? getIcon() : QIcon());
 		} else {
 			if (mLastBlinking) {
 				/* reset icon */
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/common/UserNotify.h b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/common/UserNotify.h
index b6bffdef9..0598a8de6 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/common/UserNotify.h
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/common/UserNotify.h
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 class QToolBar;
 class QToolButton;
 class QAction;
-class QTimer;
 
 class UserNotify : public QObject
 {
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@ public slots:
 
 private slots:
 	void trayIconClicked(QSystemTrayIcon::ActivationReason e = QSystemTrayIcon::Trigger);
-	void timer();
+	void blink(bool on);
 
 private:
 	virtual QIcon getIcon() { return QIcon(); }
@@ -72,7 +71,6 @@ private:
 	QAction *mNotifyIcon;
 	unsigned int mNewCount;
 	QString mButtonText;
-	QTimer *mTimer;
 	bool mLastBlinking;
 };
 
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/rshare.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/rshare.cpp
index 50e887ad2..7b03dd03f 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/rshare.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/rshare.cpp
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ Rshare::Rshare(QStringList args, int &argc, char **argv, const QString &dir)
 
 #endif
 
+  mBlink = true;
+  QTimer *timer = new QTimer(this);
+  timer->setInterval(500);
+  connect(timer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(blinkTimer()));
+  timer->start();
 
   /* Read in all our command-line arguments. */
   parseArguments(args);
@@ -527,3 +532,9 @@ Rshare::createShortcut(const QKeySequence &key, QWidget *sender,
   QShortcut *s = new QShortcut(key, sender);
   connect(s, SIGNAL(activated()), receiver, slot);
 }
+
+void Rshare::blinkTimer()
+{
+    mBlink = !mBlink;
+    emit blink(mBlink);
+}
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/rshare.h b/retroshare-gui/src/rshare.h
index d75751302..b3a866c76 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/rshare.h
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/rshare.h
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ signals:
   void running();
   /** Signals that the application needs to shutdown now. */
   void shutdown();
+  /** Global blink timer */
+  void blink(bool on);
 
 protected:
 #if defined(Q_OS_WIN)
@@ -142,7 +144,7 @@ private slots:
    * will emit the running() signal to indicate that the application's event
    * loop is running. */
   void onEventLoopStarted();
-  
+  void blinkTimer();
 
 private:
   /** Catches debugging messages from Qt and sends them to 
@@ -162,7 +164,7 @@ private:
 
   static bool    useConfigDir;
   static QString configDir;
-
+  bool mBlink;
 };
 
 #endif