diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 95cb8e3..6a3ad8f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+# 1.4.0
+
+**New features**
+
+- optional desktop notifications on errors
+
+**Notable bug fixes**
+
+- the toolArgs option now understands complex patterns (spaces, quotes)
+
 # 1.3.0
 
 **Breaking changes**
diff --git a/RELEASE_TODO.md b/RELEASE_TODO.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 4d3eacc..0000000
--- a/RELEASE_TODO.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-- upgrade version number
-	- in main
-	- in man page
-- update changelog
diff --git a/docs/clipman.1 b/docs/clipman.1
index a7eb745..bdd8ef8 100644
--- a/docs/clipman.1
+++ b/docs/clipman.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clipman 1 1.3.0 ""
+.TH clipman 1 1.4.0 ""
 .SH "NAME"
 clipman
 .SH "SYNOPSIS"
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ Show context-sensitive help (also try --help-long and --help-man).
 \fB--histpath="~/.local/share/clipman.json"\fR
 Path of history file
 .TP
+\fB--notify\fR
+Send desktop notifications on errors
+.TP
 \fB-v, --version\fR
 Show application version.
 .SH "COMMANDS"
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 10c63b0..cd3ce07 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
-	"log"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
@@ -15,11 +14,12 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/alecthomas/kingpin.v2"
 )
 
-const version = "1.3.0"
+const version = "1.4.0"
 
 var (
 	app      = kingpin.New("clipman", "A clipboard manager for Wayland")
 	histpath = app.Flag("histpath", "Path of history file").Default("~/.local/share/clipman.json").String()
+	alert    = app.Flag("notify", "Send desktop notifications on errors").Bool()
 
 	storer    = app.Command("store", "Record clipboard events (run as argument to `wl-paste --watch`)")
 	maxDemon  = storer.Flag("max-items", "history size").Default("15").Int()
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	histfile, history, err := getHistory(*histpath)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
+		smartLog(err.Error(), "critical", *alert)
 	}
 
 	switch action {
@@ -59,18 +59,18 @@ func main() {
 			stdin = append(stdin, scanner.Text())
 		}
 		if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal("Error getting input from stdin.")
+			smartLog("Couldn't get input from stdin.", "critical", *alert)
 		}
 		text := strings.Join(stdin, "\n")
 
 		persist := !*noPersist
 		if err := store(text, history, histfile, *maxDemon, persist); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			smartLog(err.Error(), "critical", *alert)
 		}
 	case "pick":
 		selection, err := selector(history, *maxPicker, *pickTool, "pick", *pickToolArgs)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			smartLog(err.Error(), "normal", *alert)
 		}
 
 		if selection != "" {
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	case "restore":
 		if len(history) == 0 {
-			log.Println("Nothing to restore")
+			fmt.Println("Nothing to restore")
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func main() {
 		// remove all history
 		if *clearAll {
 			if err := wipeAll(histfile); err != nil {
-				log.Fatal(err)
+				smartLog(err.Error(), "normal", *alert)
 			}
 			return
 		}
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func main() {
 
 		selection, err := selector(history, *maxClearer, *clearTool, "clear", *clearToolArgs)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			smartLog(err.Error(), "normal", *alert)
 		}
 
 		if selection == "" {
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func main() {
 			// there was only one possible item we could select, and we selected it,
 			// so wipe everything
 			if err := wipeAll(histfile); err != nil {
-				log.Fatal(err)
+				smartLog(err.Error(), "normal", *alert)
 			}
 			return
 		}
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func main() {
 		}
 
 		if err := write(filter(history, selection), histfile); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			smartLog(err.Error(), "critical", *alert)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -171,12 +171,12 @@ func getHistory(rawPath string) (string, []string, error) {
 func serveTxt(s string) {
 	bin, err := exec.LookPath("wl-copy")
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("couldn't find wl-copy: %v\n", err)
+		smartLog(fmt.Sprintf("couldn't find wl-copy: %v\n", err), "low", *alert)
 	}
 
 	// we mandate the mime type because we know we can only serve text; not doing this leads to weird bugs like #35
 	cmd := exec.Cmd{Path: bin, Args: []string{bin, "-t", "TEXT"}, Stdin: strings.NewReader(s)}
 	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
-		log.Printf("error running wl-copy: %s\n", err)
+		smartLog(fmt.Sprintf("error running wl-copy: %s\n", err), "low", *alert)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/notify.go b/notify.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42d552c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notify.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os/exec"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func smartLog(message, urgency string, alert bool) {
+	if alert {
+		if err := notify(message, urgency); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("failure sending notification: %s\n", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	switch urgency {
+	case "critical", "normal":
+		log.Fatal(message)
+	default:
+		log.Println(message)
+	}
+}
+
+func notify(message string, urgency string) error {
+	var timeout time.Duration
+	switch urgency {
+	// cases accepted by notify-send: low, normal, critical
+	case "critical":
+		timeout = 5 * time.Second
+	case "low":
+		timeout = 2 * time.Second
+	default:
+		timeout = 3 * time.Second
+	}
+
+	// notify-send only accepts milliseconds
+	millisec := fmt.Sprintf("%v", timeout.Seconds()*1000)
+
+	args := []string{"-a", "Clipman", "-u", urgency, "-t", millisec, message}
+
+	return exec.Command("notify-send", args...).Run()
+
+}