diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 015ccf9..8b3fe14 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -153,9 +153,23 @@ if (WITH_X11 AND NOT x11_FOUND)
 	message (FATAL_ERROR "Some X11 libraries were not found")
 endif ()
 
+pkg_check_modules (canberra libcanberra)
+set (canberra_SATISFIED FALSE)
+if (WITH_X11 AND canberra_FOUND)
+	set (canberra_SATISFIED TRUE)
+endif ()
+option (WITH_CANBERRA "Build xF with libcanberra sound support"
+	"${canberra_SATISFIED}")
+if (WITH_CANBERRA AND NOT WITH_X11)
+	message (FATAL_ERROR "libcanberra support requires X11 support")
+elseif (WITH_CANBERRA AND NOT canberra_FOUND)
+	message (FATAL_ERROR "libcanberra not found")
+endif ()
+
 # Generate a configuration file
 set (HAVE_LUA "${WITH_LUA}")
 set (HAVE_X11 "${WITH_X11}")
+set (HAVE_CANBERRA "${WITH_CANBERRA}")
 
 include (GNUInstallDirs)
 set (project_config ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/config.h)
@@ -214,6 +228,11 @@ if (WITH_XF)
 		target_link_directories (xF PRIVATE ${x11_LIBRARY_DIRS})
 		target_link_libraries (xF PRIVATE ${x11_LIBRARIES})
 	endif ()
+	if (WITH_CANBERRA)
+		target_include_directories (xF PRIVATE ${canberra_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+		target_link_directories (xF PRIVATE ${canberra_LIBRARY_DIRS})
+		target_link_libraries (xF PRIVATE ${canberra_LIBRARIES})
+	endif ()
 	add_threads (xF)
 endif ()
 
diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index 833987a..2a22b7d 100644
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ Build-only dependencies: CMake, pkg-config, awk, liberty (included),
 Common runtime dependencies: openssl +
 Additionally for 'xC': any curses, lua >= 5.3 (optional), termo (included) +
 Additionally for 'xF': ncursesw, libunistring, termo (included),
- x11 + xft + libpng (X11)
+ x11 + xft + libpng (X11), libcanberra (X11, optional)
 
  $ git clone --recursive https://git.janouch.name/p/xK.git
  $ mkdir xK/build
diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
index 85d85ba..95ecddd 100644
--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 #cmakedefine HAVE_LUA
 #cmakedefine HAVE_X11
+#cmakedefine HAVE_CANBERRA
 
 #cmakedefine01 ICONV_ACCEPTS_TRANSLIT
 
diff --git a/xF.c b/xF.c
index a517983..2a2005c 100644
--- a/xF.c
+++ b/xF.c
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
 #include "xC-proto.c"
 
 #include <locale.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_CANBERRA
+#include <canberra.h>
+#endif  // HAVE_CANBERRA
 
 #ifdef HAVE_X11
 #define LIBERTY_XUI_WANT_X11
@@ -517,6 +520,9 @@ static struct
 
 	bool inserting_attribute;           ///< M-m awaits an attribute selector
 	struct app_backend backend;
+#ifdef HAVE_CANBERRA
+	ca_context *canberra;               ///< X11 event sound context
+#endif  // HAVE_CANBERRA
 }
 g;
 
@@ -1415,7 +1421,13 @@ relay_process_buffer_line (struct buffer *b,
 	if (m->is_highlight || (!visible && !m->is_unimportant
 		&& b->kind == RELAY_BUFFER_KIND_PRIVATE_MESSAGE))
 	{
-		g_xui.ui->beep ();
+#ifdef HAVE_CANBERRA
+		if (g_xui.ui != &x11_ui || !g.canberra
+		 || ca_context_play (g.canberra, 0,
+				CA_PROP_EVENT_ID, "message-new-instant", NULL))
+#endif  // HAVE_CANBERRA
+			g_xui.ui->beep ();
+
 		xui_request_attention ();
 		if (!visible)
 			b->highlighted = true;
@@ -2275,7 +2287,16 @@ app_select_backend (void)
 	g.backend.make_editor = tui_make_editor;
 #ifdef HAVE_X11
 	if (g_xui.ui == &x11_ui)
+	{
 		g.backend.make_editor = x11_make_editor;
+#ifdef HAVE_CANBERRA
+		if (!ca_context_create (&g.canberra))
+			ca_context_change_props (g.canberra,
+				CA_PROP_APPLICATION_NAME, PROGRAM_NAME,
+				CA_PROP_APPLICATION_ID, PROGRAM_NAME,
+				CA_PROP_APPLICATION_ICON_NAME, PROGRAM_NAME, NULL);
+#endif  // HAVE_CANBERRA
+	}
 #endif  // HAVE_X11
 }
 
@@ -4458,14 +4479,19 @@ app_free_context (void)
 	free (g.relay.session_id);
 	regex_free (g.link_re);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CANBERRA
+	if (g.canberra)
+		(void) ca_context_destroy (g.canberra);
+#endif  // HAVE_CANBERRA
 	free (g.keys);
+
 	app_editor_free ();
 	if (g.editor_filename)
 		(void) unlink (g.editor_filename);
 	free (g.editor_filename);
 	free (g.editor_running_for);
-	poller_free (&g.poller);
 
+	poller_free (&g.poller);
 	str_map_free (&g.config);
 }