diff --git a/scarf/scarf/Core/Services/ChatNotificationService.swift b/scarf/scarf/Core/Services/ChatNotificationService.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3d7d47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scarf/scarf/Core/Services/ChatNotificationService.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import Foundation
+import UserNotifications
+import os
+#if canImport(AppKit)
+import AppKit
+#endif
+
+/// Posts a "Hermes finished responding" local notification when an
+/// agent prompt completes while Scarf is not in the foreground
+/// (issue #64). Users can switch to other work and learn when their
+/// prompt has landed without polling the chat pane.
+///
+/// Authorization is requested lazily on first use. The user's global
+/// toggle (`scarf.chat.notifyOnComplete`, default on) gates posting,
+/// and notifications are suppressed when `NSApp.isActive` so users
+/// who happen to be looking at the chat aren't pinged for nothing.
+@MainActor
+final class ChatNotificationService {
+    static let shared = ChatNotificationService()
+
+    private let logger = Logger(subsystem: "com.scarf", category: "ChatNotifications")
+    private let center = UNUserNotificationCenter.current()
+    private var hasRequestedAuthorization = false
+    private var isAuthorized = false
+
+    /// AppStorage-shared key for the "notify on completion" toggle.
+    /// Default true; the toggle lives under Settings → Display.
+    static let toggleKey = "scarf.chat.notifyOnComplete"
+
+    private init() {}
+
+    /// Post a local notification announcing prompt completion. Quietly
+    /// no-ops when:
+    ///   - The user has disabled the toggle.
+    ///   - Scarf is the foreground app (the in-chat status indicator
+    ///     is sufficient).
+    ///   - The system has not yet granted (or has denied) notification
+    ///     authorization.
+    /// `preview` is the first line of the assistant's reply, truncated
+    /// to a sensible length for the lock-screen / notification center.
+    func postPromptCompleted(sessionTitle: String?, preview: String) {
+        let enabled = UserDefaults.standard.object(forKey: Self.toggleKey) as? Bool ?? true
+        guard enabled else { return }
+
+        #if canImport(AppKit)
+        if NSApp?.isActive == true { return }
+        #endif
+
+        Task { [weak self] in
+            guard let self else { return }
+            let granted = await self.ensureAuthorized()
+            guard granted else { return }
+
+            let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
+            content.title = sessionTitle?.isEmpty == false
+                ? "Hermes finished — \(sessionTitle ?? "")"
+                : "Hermes finished responding"
+            content.body = Self.trimmedPreview(preview)
+            content.sound = .default
+
+            let request = UNNotificationRequest(
+                identifier: UUID().uuidString,
+                content: content,
+                trigger: nil
+            )
+            do {
+                try await self.center.add(request)
+            } catch {
+                self.logger.warning("Notification post failed: \(error.localizedDescription, privacy: .public)")
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private func ensureAuthorized() async -> Bool {
+        if isAuthorized { return true }
+        if hasRequestedAuthorization {
+            // Already asked once this run; respect the current settings.
+            let settings = await center.notificationSettings()
+            isAuthorized = settings.authorizationStatus == .authorized
+            return isAuthorized
+        }
+        hasRequestedAuthorization = true
+        do {
+            let granted = try await center.requestAuthorization(options: [.alert, .sound])
+            isAuthorized = granted
+            return granted
+        } catch {
+            logger.warning("Notification authorization failed: \(error.localizedDescription, privacy: .public)")
+            return false
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// First non-empty line, capped at ~140 chars so the notification
+    /// surface stays readable on every macOS notification style.
+    static func trimmedPreview(_ raw: String) -> String {
+        let firstLine = raw
+            .split(whereSeparator: \.isNewline)
+            .first
+            .map(String.init) ?? raw
+        let trimmed = firstLine.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+        if trimmed.count <= 140 { return trimmed }
+        let prefix = trimmed.prefix(140).trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+        return prefix + "…"
+    }
+}
diff --git a/scarf/scarf/Features/Chat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift b/scarf/scarf/Features/Chat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
index 854f2c2..443fee6 100644
--- a/scarf/scarf/Features/Chat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
+++ b/scarf/scarf/Features/Chat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
@@ -415,6 +415,21 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
                 )
                 // Re-fetch session from DB to pick up cost/token data Hermes may have written
                 await richChatViewModel.refreshSessionFromDB()
+                // Issue #64 — notify the user that Hermes has
+                // finished if Scarf isn't the foreground app. The
+                // notifier handles the foreground/disabled gating;
+                // we just hand it the latest assistant text and
+                // session title for the body line.
+                if !isSteer {
+                    let preview = richChatViewModel.messages
+                        .last(where: { $0.isAssistant })?
+                        .content ?? ""
+                    let title = richChatViewModel.currentSession?.title
+                    ChatNotificationService.shared.postPromptCompleted(
+                        sessionTitle: title,
+                        preview: preview
+                    )
+                }
             } catch is CancellationError {
                 acpStatus = "Cancelled"
             } catch {
diff --git a/scarf/scarf/Features/Settings/Views/Tabs/DisplayTab.swift b/scarf/scarf/Features/Settings/Views/Tabs/DisplayTab.swift
index 226feae..34c79a5 100644
--- a/scarf/scarf/Features/Settings/Views/Tabs/DisplayTab.swift
+++ b/scarf/scarf/Features/Settings/Views/Tabs/DisplayTab.swift
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ struct DisplayTab: View {
     private var showSessionsList: Bool = true
     @AppStorage(ChatDensityKeys.showInspector)
     private var showInspector: Bool = true
+    /// Background-completion notifications (issue #64). Default on so
+    /// users new to Scarf get the async-aware UX out of the box.
+    @AppStorage(ChatNotificationService.toggleKey)
+    private var notifyOnComplete: Bool = true
 
     var body: some View {
         SettingsSection(title: "Chat density", icon: "rectangle.compress.vertical") {
@@ -64,6 +68,7 @@ struct DisplayTab: View {
 
         SettingsSection(title: "Feedback", icon: "bell") {
             ToggleRow(label: "Bell on Complete", isOn: viewModel.config.display.bellOnComplete) { viewModel.setBellOnComplete($0) }
+            ToggleRow(label: "Notify when Hermes finishes", isOn: notifyOnComplete) { notifyOnComplete = $0 }
         }
     }
 }