diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b11c9db..3cc50ff 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     "@vue/eslint-config-typescript": "^5.0.2",
     "@vue/test-utils": "^2.0.0-0",
     "@wasm-tool/wasm-pack-plugin": "^1.3.1",
-    "electron": "^9.0.0",
+    "electron": "^8.3.3",
     "electron-devtools-installer": "^3.1.0",
     "electron-log": "^4.3.4",
     "eslint": "^6.7.2",
diff --git a/src/images/icon.png b/src/images/icon.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b925c06
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/images/icon.png differ
diff --git a/src/images/icon@2x.png b/src/images/icon@2x.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7bf880c
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/images/icon@2x.png differ
diff --git a/src/images/icon_32x32.png b/src/images/icon_32x32.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7bf880c
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/images/icon_32x32.png differ
diff --git a/src/images/icon_32x32@2x.png b/src/images/icon_32x32@2x.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a9f925
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/images/icon_32x32@2x.png differ
diff --git a/src/init.ts b/src/init.ts
index 637db63..25de81d 100644
--- a/src/init.ts
+++ b/src/init.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { app, protocol } from "electron";
 import createWindow from "./window";
 import main from "./main";
 import { backgroundMitt } from '@/composables/useEmitter';
-import {setWindow, getWindow } from './store';
+import {setWindowOpen, getWindowOpen } from './store';
 
 console.log('Starting Crimata electron app.');
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const isDev = require('electron-is-dev');
 
 // Listen for window creation.
 backgroundMitt.on('window-active', (state: boolean) => {
-    setWindow(state)
+    setWindowOpen(state)
 });
 
 /* Start main process on ready */
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ app.on("window-all-closed", () => {
 
 // When user clicks app icon (re-open)
 app.on("activate", () => {
-    if (!getWindow()) createWindow();
+    if (!getWindowOpen()) createWindow();
 });
 
 // Exit cleanly on request from parent process in development mode.
diff --git a/src/ipc/listeners.ts b/src/ipc/listeners.ts
index f92bead..ef0f965 100644
--- a/src/ipc/listeners.ts
+++ b/src/ipc/listeners.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
-
 import { IpcListener } from "@/composables/useIpcMain"
 import { sendMessage } from '@/session';
 import { updateAppState } from "@/account";
 import { onNavBar } from "@/window";
+import { setWindowFocus } from '@/store';
 
 const CLIENT_MESSAGE_CHANNEL = "post-session-send"
 const APP_MOUNT_CHANNEL = "post-app-mount";
 const NAV_BAR_CHANNEL = "post-nav-bar";
+const POST_WINDOW_FOCUS = 'post-window-focus';
 
 export const messageListener = new IpcListener<Raw | Request>({
     channel: CLIENT_MESSAGE_CHANNEL,
@@ -22,3 +23,8 @@ export const navBarListener = new IpcListener({
     channel: NAV_BAR_CHANNEL,
     listenerCallback: onNavBar
 });
+
+export const windowFocusListener = new IpcListener<FocusPayload>({
+    channel: POST_WINDOW_FOCUS,
+    listenerCallback: ({ isFocused }) => setWindowFocus(isFocused)
+});
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 334a6fe..2cb205c 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -13,8 +13,37 @@ import initIpcMain from "@/ipc/index";
 import  { accountAuth } from "./account";
 import createWindow from "./window";
 
+import { Menu, Tray } from 'electron';
+const nativeImage = require('electron').nativeImage
+import path, {resolve} from 'path';
+
+let tray = null
 export default async function main() {
 
+    // TODO: fix image paths
+    // currently looking in dist-electron directory
+    // should be looking in source
+    console.log(resolve(__dirname, './images', 'icon.png'))
+    console.log(path.join(__dirname, './images/icon.png'))
+    try {
+        const image = nativeImage.createFromPath(resolve(__dirname, 'images', 'icon_16x16.png'));
+        const urlImage = nativeImage.createFromDataURL('https://github.com/vladimiry-playground/electron-quick-start-tray-issue/blob/master/icon.png');
+            console.log(image)
+            console.log(urlImage)
+        tray = new Tray(resolve(__dirname, 'images', 'icon_16x16.png'))
+    } catch(e) {
+        console.log(e)
+    }
+    // const contextMenu = Menu.buildFromTemplate([
+    //   { label: 'Item1', type: 'radio' },
+    //   { label: 'Item2', type: 'radio' },
+    //   { label: 'Item3', type: 'radio', checked: true },
+    //   { label: 'Item4', type: 'radio' }
+    // ])
+    // tray.setToolTip('This is my application.')
+    // tray.setContextMenu(contextMenu)
+
+
     /* initiate controls for frontend to use when needed */
     initIpcMain();
 
diff --git a/src/render/components/messenger.vue b/src/render/components/messenger.vue
index df7dc15..ad41e2e 100644
--- a/src/render/components/messenger.vue
+++ b/src/render/components/messenger.vue
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import ConnectionStatus from "./connectionStatus.vue";
 import { profile } from "@/render/shared/profile";
 import { messages } from "@/render/shared/messages";
 import useScroll from "@/render/composables/useScroll";
-import { postMessage } from "@/render/ipc";
+import { postMessage, postWindowFocus } from "@/render/ipc";
 
 export default defineComponent({
   name: "Messenger",
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
   setup() {
 
     const onFocus = () => {
+        postWindowFocus({ isFocused: true });
         postMessage({
           intent: "focus",
           params: { "focus": true },
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
     }
 
     const onBlur = () => {
+        postWindowFocus({ isFocused: false });
         postMessage({
           intent: "focus",
           params: { "focus": false },
diff --git a/src/render/ipc.ts b/src/render/ipc.ts
index b787831..e6e994c 100644
--- a/src/render/ipc.ts
+++ b/src/render/ipc.ts
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export const postNavBar = (payload: string): void => (
  *
  */
 
-export const postWindowBlur = (payload: { isFocused: boolean }): void => (
+export const postWindowFocus = (payload: { isFocused: boolean }): void => (
     post('post-window-focus', payload)
 );
 
diff --git a/src/session.ts b/src/session.ts
index be6fdd3..f379f88 100644
--- a/src/session.ts
+++ b/src/session.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { config } from "@/config";
 import useWebsockets from "./composables/useWebsockets";
 import { backgroundMitt, ipcEmit } from "@/composables/useEmitter";
 import { Notification } from 'electron';
-import { getWindow } from './store';
+import { getWindowFocus, getWindowOpen } from './store';
 
 function showNotification (options: {
     title: string;
@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@ const onMessageCallback = (payload: string) => {
         const body = message.body as Update;
         uiState.update(body);
 
+        const isFocused = getWindowFocus();
+        const isOpen = getWindowOpen();
         // show notification if window is not active
-        if (!getWindow()) {
+        if (!isFocused || !isOpen) {
             if (body.name === "add") {
                 const data = body.data as Message;
                 showNotification({
@@ -77,7 +79,7 @@ export const updateAppUI = (): void => {
     uiState.emit();
 }
 
-export function sendMessage<Message>(message: Raw | Request): void {
+export function sendMessage(message: Raw | Request): void {
     send(message);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/store.ts b/src/store.ts
index 8ac280e..eab4cc7 100644
--- a/src/store.ts
+++ b/src/store.ts
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@ const schema = {
 	token: {
 		type: 'string',
 	},
-    window: {
-        type: 'boolean'
-    }
 };
 
 const store = new Store({
@@ -32,14 +29,19 @@ export const clearToken = (): void => {
 /*
  * Window state management
 * */
-export const setWindow = (state: boolean): void => {
-    store.set("window", state);
+export const setWindowOpen = (state: boolean): void => {
+    store.set("window.isOpen", state);
 }
 
-export const getWindow = (): boolean | undefined => {
-    return store.get("window");
+export const getWindowOpen = (): boolean | undefined => {
+    return store.get("window.isOpen");
 }
 
-export const clearWindow = (): void => {
-    store.delete("window");
+export const setWindowFocus = (state: boolean): void => {
+    store.set("window.isFocused", state);
 }
+
+export const getWindowFocus = (): boolean | undefined => {
+    return store.get("window.isFocused");
+}
+
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index ba36056..51d1c68 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -125,3 +125,7 @@ interface IpcRendererEvent<T> {
   payload: T | null;
 }
 
+interface FocusPayload {
+    isFocused: boolean;
+}
+
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index e79f19f..55fa251 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -5077,10 +5077,10 @@ electron-updater@^4.3.8:
     lodash.isequal "^4.5.0"
     semver "^7.3.4"
 
-electron@^9.0.0:
-  version "9.3.3"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/electron/-/electron-9.3.3.tgz#99a6619d5df68f97697a5d1d82ef3a8a63fcdf36"
-  integrity sha512-xghKeUY1qgnEcJ5w2rXo/toH+8NT2Dktx2aAxBNPV7CIJr3mejJJAPwLbycwtddzr37tgKxHeHlc8ivfKtMkJQ==
+electron@^8.3.3:
+  version "8.5.5"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/electron/-/electron-8.5.5.tgz#17b12bd70139c0099f750fc5de0d480bf03acb96"
+  integrity sha512-e355H+tRDial0m+X2v+l+0SnaATAPw4sNjv9qmdk/6MJz/glteVJwVJEnxTjPfEELIJSChrBWDBVpjdDvoBF4Q==
   dependencies:
     "@electron/get" "^1.0.1"
     "@types/node" "^12.0.12"