diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 6c8532b1..6c99143a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -226,6 +226,31 @@ dependencies = [
  "pin-project-lite",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "async-executor"
+version = "1.13.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "497c00e0fd83a72a79a39fcbd8e3e2f055d6f6c7e025f3b3d91f4f8e76527fb8"
+dependencies = [
+ "async-task",
+ "concurrent-queue",
+ "fastrand",
+ "futures-lite",
+ "pin-project-lite",
+ "slab",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "async-fs"
+version = "2.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8034a681df4aed8b8edbd7fbe472401ecf009251c8b40556b304567052e294c5"
+dependencies = [
+ "async-lock",
+ "blocking",
+ "futures-lite",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "async-io"
 version = "2.6.0"
@@ -3948,6 +3973,7 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "rio-notifier"
 version = "0.3.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "block2 0.5.1",
  "objc-rs 0.3.1",
  "objc2 0.5.2",
  "objc2-foundation 0.2.2",
@@ -6197,8 +6223,13 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "bb97012beadd29e654708a0fdb4c84bc046f537aecfde2c3ee0a9e4b4d48c725"
 dependencies = [
  "async-broadcast",
+ "async-executor",
+ "async-fs",
+ "async-io",
+ "async-lock",
  "async-process",
  "async-recursion",
+ "async-task",
  "async-trait",
  "blocking",
  "enumflags2",
diff --git a/frontends/rioterm/src/application.rs b/frontends/rioterm/src/application.rs
index 3f8ba365..bb61f1be 100644
--- a/frontends/rioterm/src/application.rs
+++ b/frontends/rioterm/src/application.rs
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ impl Application<'_> {
             event_loop.set_use_native_quit_dialog(config.window.macos_use_quit_dialog);
         }
 
+        rio_notifier::request_authorization();
+
         Application {
             config,
             event_proxy,
diff --git a/rio-notifier/Cargo.toml b/rio-notifier/Cargo.toml
index 18ef9ffa..388aab06 100644
--- a/rio-notifier/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rio-notifier/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ rust-version.workspace = true
 
 [target.'cfg(target_os = "macos")'.dependencies]
 objc = { workspace = true }
+block2 = "0.5.1"
 objc2 = "0.5.2"
 objc2-foundation = { version = "0.2.2", features = ["NSString"] }
 objc2-user-notifications = { version = "0.2.2", features = [
diff --git a/rio-notifier/src/lib.rs b/rio-notifier/src/lib.rs
index 7677890b..c4fd813d 100644
--- a/rio-notifier/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rio-notifier/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+/// Request notification authorization from the OS.
+/// On macOS this triggers the permission prompt on first call.
+/// No-op on other platforms.
+pub fn request_authorization() {
+    #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+    platform::request_authorization();
+}
+
 /// Send a desktop notification using the platform's native API.
 ///
 /// - **macOS**: `UNUserNotificationCenter` (requires app bundle with identifier).
@@ -20,12 +28,37 @@ pub fn send_notification(title: &str, body: &str) {
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 mod platform {
+    use block2::RcBlock;
     use objc::runtime::Object;
     use objc::{class, msg_send, sel, sel_impl};
-    use objc2_foundation::NSString;
+    use objc2::runtime::Bool;
+    use objc2_foundation::{NSError, NSString};
     use objc2_user_notifications::{
-        UNMutableNotificationContent, UNNotificationRequest, UNUserNotificationCenter,
+        UNAuthorizationOptions, UNMutableNotificationContent, UNNotificationRequest,
+        UNUserNotificationCenter,
     };
+    use std::sync::Once;
+
+    pub(crate) fn request_authorization() {
+        static INIT: Once = Once::new();
+        INIT.call_once(|| unsafe {
+            let bundle: *mut Object = msg_send![class!(NSBundle), mainBundle];
+            if bundle.is_null() {
+                return;
+            }
+            let bundle_id: *mut Object = msg_send![bundle, bundleIdentifier];
+            if bundle_id.is_null() {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            let center = UNUserNotificationCenter::currentNotificationCenter();
+            center.requestAuthorizationWithOptions_completionHandler(
+                UNAuthorizationOptions::UNAuthorizationOptionAlert
+                    | UNAuthorizationOptions::UNAuthorizationOptionSound,
+                &RcBlock::new(|_ok: Bool, _err: *mut NSError| {}),
+            );
+        });
+    }
 
     pub fn notify(title: &str, body: &str) {
         unsafe {