diff --git a/src/client.rs b/src/client.rs
index bdd475b..5bf2dfd 100644
--- a/src/client.rs
+++ b/src/client.rs
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ pub fn main(cli_cmd: cli::ClientCommand) -> io::Result<()> {
 
     // TODO: support passing multiple IDs in protocol
     let result: ClientResult<()> = match cli_cmd {
-        cli::ClientCommand::Start(StartArgs { durations }) => {
-            start(&mut conn, durations).inspect_err(|err| eprintln!("{err}"))
+        cli::ClientCommand::Start(StartArgs { durations, message }) => {
+            start(&mut conn, durations, message).inspect_err(|err| eprintln!("{err}"))
         }
         cli::ClientCommand::NextDue => next_due(&mut conn).inspect_err(|err| eprintln!("{err}")),
         cli::ClientCommand::Ls => ls(&mut conn),
@@ -119,9 +119,13 @@ pub fn main(cli_cmd: cli::ClientCommand) -> io::Result<()> {
 // Command handler functions
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-fn start(conn: &mut DaemonConnection, durations: Vec<Duration>) -> ClientResult<()> {
+fn start(
+    conn: &mut DaemonConnection,
+    durations: Vec<Duration>,
+    message: Option<String>,
+) -> ClientResult<()> {
     let dur: Duration = durations.iter().sum();
-    let StartTimerResponse::Ok { id } = conn.add_timer(dur)?;
+    let StartTimerResponse::Ok { id } = conn.add_timer(dur, message)?;
 
     let dur_string = dur.format_colon_separated();
     println!("Timer {id} created for {dur_string}.");
diff --git a/src/client/daemon_connection.rs b/src/client/daemon_connection.rs
index 2b9ae93..3c7a37b 100644
--- a/src/client/daemon_connection.rs
+++ b/src/client/daemon_connection.rs
@@ -21,8 +21,12 @@ impl DaemonConnection {
         Ok(Self { read, write })
     }
 
-    pub fn add_timer(&mut self, duration: Duration) -> io::Result<StartTimerResponse> {
-        self.send(Command::StartTimer { duration })?;
+    pub fn add_timer(
+        &mut self,
+        duration: Duration,
+        message: Option<String>,
+    ) -> io::Result<StartTimerResponse> {
+        self.send(Command::StartTimer { duration, message })?;
         self.recv::<StartTimerResponse>()
     }
 
diff --git a/src/client/ui.rs b/src/client/ui.rs
index 8c80cc4..6c1c09f 100644
--- a/src/client/ui.rs
+++ b/src/client/ui.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ struct TableConfig<'a> {
     status_column_width: usize,
     id_column_width: usize,
     remaining_column_width: usize,
+    message_column_width: usize,
     gap: &'a str,
 }
 
+// TODO this needs a complete rework
 pub fn ls(mut timers: Vec<TimerInfo>) -> impl Display {
     if timers.len() == 0 {
         return "There are currently no timers.\n".to_owned();
@@ -61,11 +63,22 @@ pub fn ls(mut timers: Vec<TimerInfo>) -> impl Display {
         widest_remaining_duration.max(remaining_header.len())
     };
 
+    let message_header = "Message";
+    let message_column_width = {
+        let widest_message = timers
+            .iter()
+            .map(|ti| ti.message.as_ref().map(|s| s.len()).unwrap_or(0))
+            .max()
+            .expect("timers.len() != 0");
+        widest_message.max(message_header.len())
+    };
+
     let gap = "  ";
     let table_config = TableConfig {
         status_column_width,
         id_column_width,
         remaining_column_width,
+        message_column_width,
         gap,
     };
 
@@ -73,13 +86,15 @@ pub fn ls(mut timers: Vec<TimerInfo>) -> impl Display {
     // so we have to pre-pad
     let id_header_padded = format!("{:<id_column_width$}", id_header);
     let remaining_header_padded = format!("{:<remaining_column_width$}", remaining_header);
+    let message_header_padded = format!("{:<message_column_width$}", message_header);
 
     // Header
     write!(
         output,
-        "{status_header}{gap}{}{gap}{}\n",
+        "{status_header}{gap}{}{gap}{}{gap}{}\n",
         id_header_padded.underlined(),
         remaining_header_padded.underlined(),
+        message_header_padded.underlined(),
     )
     .unwrap();
 
@@ -116,10 +131,12 @@ fn timers_table_row(output: &mut impl Write, timer_info: &TimerInfo, table_confi
         status_column_width,
         id_column_width,
         remaining_column_width,
+        message_column_width,
         gap,
     } = table_config;
+    let message: &str = timer_info.message.as_deref().unwrap_or("");
     write!(output,
-        "{play_pause:>status_column_width$}{gap}{:>id_column_width$}{gap}{remaining:>remaining_column_width$}\n",
+        "{play_pause:>status_column_width$}{gap}{:>id_column_width$}{gap}{remaining:>remaining_column_width$}{gap}{message:<message_column_width$}\n",
         // need the string conversion first for the padding to work
         id.to_string(),
     ).unwrap();
diff --git a/src/daemon/ctx.rs b/src/daemon/ctx.rs
index 38f17ca..fcd7449 100644
--- a/src/daemon/ctx.rs
+++ b/src/daemon/ctx.rs
@@ -176,15 +176,21 @@ impl DaemonCtx {
     }
 
     pub async fn do_notification(&self, timer_id: TimerId) {
-        let initial_duration = match self.timers.entry(timer_id) {
+        let (initial_duration, message) = match self.timers.entry(timer_id) {
             dashmap::Entry::Vacant(_) => {
                 log::error!("Bug: do_notification called for nonexistent timer {timer_id}");
                 return;
             }
-            dashmap::Entry::Occupied(occupied_entry) => occupied_entry.get().initial_duration,
+            dashmap::Entry::Occupied(occupied_entry) => {
+                let timer = occupied_entry.get();
+                (timer.initial_duration, timer.message.clone())
+            }
         };
+
+        let summary: &str = message.as_deref().unwrap_or("Time's up!");
+
         let notification = Notification::new()
-            .summary("Time's up!")
+            .summary(summary)
             .body(&format!(
                 "Timer {timer_id} set for {} has elapsed",
                 initial_duration.format_colon_separated()
@@ -227,8 +233,13 @@ impl DaemonCtx {
         });
     }
 
-    pub async fn start_timer(&self, now: Instant, duration: Duration) -> TimerId {
-        let id = self._start_timer(now, duration);
+    pub async fn start_timer(
+        &self,
+        now: Instant,
+        duration: Duration,
+        message: Option<String>,
+    ) -> TimerId {
+        let id = self._start_timer(now, duration, message);
         log::info!(
             "Started timer {} for {}",
             id,
@@ -242,10 +253,10 @@ impl DaemonCtx {
     }
 
     /// Helper for start_timer() and again()
-    fn _start_timer(&self, now: Instant, duration: Duration) -> TimerId {
+    fn _start_timer(&self, now: Instant, duration: Duration, message: Option<String>) -> TimerId {
         let vacant = self.timers.first_vacant_entry();
         let id = *vacant.key();
-        vacant.insert(Timer::new_running(now, duration));
+        vacant.insert(Timer::new_running(now, duration, message));
         self.refresh_next_due.notify_one();
         id
     }
@@ -356,7 +367,13 @@ impl DaemonCtx {
         let last_started = { *self.last_started.read().await };
         match last_started {
             Some(duration) => {
-                let id = self._start_timer(now, duration);
+                let id = self._start_timer(
+                    now, duration,
+                    // TODO: we need to store all details about the most recently
+                    // started timer, (perhaps as another field in `Timers`) so
+                    // that `again` can re-use the same message
+                    None,
+                );
                 log::info!(
                     "Restarted most recent timer duration {} with new id {}",
                     duration.format_colon_separated(),
diff --git a/src/daemon/handle_client.rs b/src/daemon/handle_client.rs
index 61edebc..3f94582 100644
--- a/src/daemon/handle_client.rs
+++ b/src/daemon/handle_client.rs
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ async fn handle_command(cmd: Command, ctx: &DaemonCtx) -> Response {
     let now = Instant::now();
     match cmd {
         Command::List => ListResponse::ok(ctx.get_timerinfo_for_client(now)).into(),
-        Command::StartTimer { duration } => {
-            StartTimerResponse::ok(ctx.start_timer(now, duration).await).into()
+        Command::StartTimer { duration, message } => {
+            StartTimerResponse::ok(ctx.start_timer(now, duration, message).await).into()
         }
         Command::PauseTimer(id) => ctx.pause_timer(id, now).into(),
         Command::ResumeTimer(id) => ctx.resume_timer(id, now).into(),
diff --git a/src/sand/cli.rs b/src/sand/cli.rs
index 50b938a..55c1908 100644
--- a/src/sand/cli.rs
+++ b/src/sand/cli.rs
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ impl Cli {
 
 #[derive(Args, Clone)]
 pub struct StartArgs {
+    /// Message to display when the timer is done
+    #[arg(short, long)]
+    pub message: Option<String>,
+
     #[clap(name = "DURATION", value_parser = sand::duration::parse_duration_component, num_args = 1..)]
     pub durations: Vec<Duration>,
 }
diff --git a/src/sand/message.rs b/src/sand/message.rs
index b27fe68..dbf01ec 100644
--- a/src/sand/message.rs
+++ b/src/sand/message.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@ use crate::sand::timer::{self, PausedTimer, RunningTimer, Timer, TimerId};
 #[serde(rename_all = "lowercase")]
 pub enum Command {
     List,
-    StartTimer { duration: Duration },
+    StartTimer {
+        duration: Duration,
+        message: Option<String>,
+    },
     PauseTimer(TimerId),
     ResumeTimer(TimerId),
     CancelTimer(TimerId),
@@ -112,6 +115,7 @@ pub struct TimerInfo {
     pub id: TimerId,
     pub state: TimerState,
     pub remaining: Duration,
+    pub message: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl TimerInfo {
@@ -128,6 +132,7 @@ impl TimerInfo {
             id,
             state,
             remaining,
+            message: timer.message.clone(),
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/sand/timer.rs b/src/sand/timer.rs
index db967a7..c45382c 100644
--- a/src/sand/timer.rs
+++ b/src/sand/timer.rs
@@ -39,13 +39,15 @@ pub struct RunningTimer {
 pub struct Timer {
     /// The initial duration of the timer. Should not be modified after creation.
     pub initial_duration: Duration,
+    pub message: Option<String>,
     pub state: TimerState,
 }
 
 impl Timer {
-    pub fn new_running(now: Instant, initial_duration: Duration) -> Self {
+    pub fn new_running(now: Instant, initial_duration: Duration, message: Option<String>) -> Self {
         Timer {
             initial_duration,
+            message,
             state: TimerState::Running(RunningTimer {
                 due: now + initial_duration,
             }),
diff --git a/test.py b/test.py
index e20ced9..e0a1c58 100755
--- a/test.py
+++ b/test.py
@@ -155,6 +155,36 @@ def test_add(self, daemon):
         diff = DeepDiff(expected, response, ignore_order=True)
         assert not diff, f"Response shape mismatch:\n{pformat(diff)}"
 
+    def test_add_with_message(self, daemon):
+        msg_and_response(
+            {
+                "starttimer": {
+                    "duration": {"secs": 10 * 60, "nanos": 0},
+                    "message": "Hello, world!",
+                }
+            }
+        )
+        response = msg_and_response("list")
+        expected_shape = {
+            "ok": {
+                "timers": [
+                    {
+                        "id": 1,
+                        "message": "Hello, world!",
+                        "state": "Running",
+                        "remaining": None,
+                    },
+                ]
+            }
+        }
+        diff = DeepDiff(
+            expected_shape,
+            response,
+            exclude_regex_paths=IGNORE_REMAINING,
+            ignore_order=True,
+        )
+        assert not diff, f"Response shape mismatch:\n{pformat(diff)}"
+
     def test_list(self, daemon):
         msg_and_response({"starttimer": {"duration": {"secs": 10 * 60, "nanos": 0}}})
         msg_and_response({"starttimer": {"duration": {"secs": 20 * 60, "nanos": 0}}})
@@ -164,8 +194,8 @@ def test_list(self, daemon):
         expected_shape = {
             "ok": {
                 "timers": [
-                    {"id": 2, "state": "Running", "remaining": None},
-                    {"id": 1, "state": "Running", "remaining": None},
+                    {"id": 2, "message": None, "state": "Running", "remaining": None},
+                    {"id": 1, "message": None, "state": "Running", "remaining": None},
                 ]
             }
         }
@@ -184,7 +214,11 @@ def test_pause_resume(self, daemon):
 
         response = msg_and_response("list")
         expected_shape = {
-            "ok": {"timers": [{"id": 1, "state": "Paused", "remaining": None}]}
+            "ok": {
+                "timers": [
+                    {"id": 1, "message": None, "state": "Paused", "remaining": None}
+                ]
+            }
         }
         diff = DeepDiff(
             expected_shape,
@@ -198,7 +232,11 @@ def test_pause_resume(self, daemon):
 
         response = msg_and_response("list")
         expected_shape = {
-            "ok": {"timers": [{"id": 1, "state": "Running", "remaining": None}]}
+            "ok": {
+                "timers": [
+                    {"id": 1, "message": None, "state": "Running", "remaining": None}
+                ]
+            }
         }
         diff = DeepDiff(
             expected_shape,
@@ -223,7 +261,11 @@ def test_cancel_paused(self, daemon):
 
         response = msg_and_response("list")
         expected_shape = {
-            "ok": {"timers": [{"id": 1, "state": "Paused", "remaining": None}]}
+            "ok": {
+                "timers": [
+                    {"id": 1, "message": None, "state": "Paused", "remaining": None}
+                ]
+            }
         }
         diff = DeepDiff(
             expected_shape,