diff --git a/plugins/bgnotify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh b/plugins/bgnotify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh
index 459f5214..0b050a95 100755
--- a/plugins/bgnotify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh
+++ b/plugins/bgnotify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh
@@ -24,27 +24,44 @@ currentWindowId () {
   if hash osascript 2>/dev/null; then #osx
     osascript -e 'tell application (path to frontmost application as text) to id of front window' 2&> /dev/null || echo "0"
   elif (hash notify-send 2>/dev/null || hash kdialog 2>/dev/null); then #ubuntu!
-    xprop -root 2> /dev/null | awk '/NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW/{print $5;exit} END{exit !$5}' || echo "0"
+    xprop -root 2> /dev/null | awk '/NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW/{printf "%s",$5;exit} END{exit !$5}' || echo -n "0"
+    if [ -n "$TMUX" ]; then
+        tmux list-panes 2> /dev/null | awk '/(active)/{printf "_%s",$7;exit} END{exit !$7}' || true
+    fi
+    echo
   else
     echo $EPOCHSECONDS #fallback for windows
   fi
 }
 
 bgnotify () { ## args: (title, subtitle)
-  if hash terminal-notifier 2>/dev/null; then #osx
-    [[ "$TERM_PROGRAM" == 'iTerm.app' ]] && term_id='com.googlecode.iterm2';
-    [[ "$TERM_PROGRAM" == 'Apple_Terminal' ]] && term_id='com.apple.terminal';
-    ## now call terminal-notifier, (hopefully with $term_id!)
-    [ -z "$term_id" ] && terminal-notifier -message "$2" -title "$1" >/dev/null ||
-    terminal-notifier -message "$2" -title "$1" -activate "$term_id" -sender "$term_id" >/dev/null
-  elif hash growlnotify 2>/dev/null; then #osx growl
-    growlnotify -m "$1" "$2"
-  elif hash notify-send 2>/dev/null; then #ubuntu gnome!
-    notify-send "$1" "$2"
-  elif hash kdialog 2>/dev/null; then #ubuntu kde!
-    kdialog  -title "$1" --passivepopup  "$2" 5
-  elif hash notifu 2>/dev/null; then #cygwyn support!
-    notifu /m "$2" /p "$1"
+  if [ -z "$SSH_CLIENT" ] && [ -z "$SSH_TTY" ]; then
+    ## options for local connections:
+    if hash terminal-notifier 2>/dev/null; then #osx
+      [[ "$TERM_PROGRAM" == 'iTerm.app' ]] && term_id='com.googlecode.iterm2';
+      [[ "$TERM_PROGRAM" == 'Apple_Terminal' ]] && term_id='com.apple.terminal';
+      ## now call terminal-notifier, (hopefully with $term_id!)
+      [ -z "$term_id" ] && terminal-notifier -message "$2" -title "$1" >/dev/null ||
+      terminal-notifier -message "$2" -title "$1" -activate "$term_id" -sender "$term_id" >/dev/null
+      return
+    elif hash growlnotify 2>/dev/null; then #osx growl
+      growlnotify -m "$1" "$2"
+      return
+    elif hash notify-send 2>/dev/null; then #ubuntu gnome!
+      notify-send "$1" "$2"
+      return
+    elif hash kdialog 2>/dev/null; then #ubuntu kde!
+      kdialog  -title "$1" --passivepopup  "$2" 5
+      return
+    elif hash notifu 2>/dev/null; then #cygwyn support!
+      notifu /m "$2" /p "$1"
+      return
+    fi
+  fi
+  ## use tmux in non-local connections,
+  ## or when it's the only available option
+  if [ -n "$TMUX" ]; then
+    tmux display-message "$1" "$2"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -70,8 +87,8 @@ bgnotify_end() {
   bgnotify_timestamp=0 #reset it to 0!
 }
 
-## only enable if a local (non-ssh) connection
-if [ -z "$SSH_CLIENT" ] && [ -z "$SSH_TTY" ]; then
+## only enable if a local (non-ssh) connection and no tmux
+if [ -z "${SSH_CLIENT}${SSH_TTY}" ] || [ -n "$TMUX" ]; then
   add-zsh-hook preexec bgnotify_begin
   add-zsh-hook precmd bgnotify_end
 fi