diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 option(ENABLE_GLIBC_BACK_COMPAT "Enable Glibc compatibility features" OFF)
 option(ENABLE_QRCODE "Enable QR code display" ON)
 option(ENABLE_UPNP "Enable UPnP support" ON)
+option(ENABLE_NOTIFICATIONS "Enable desktop notifications" ON)
 option(START_WITH_UPNP "Make UPnP the default to map ports" OFF)
 
 # Allow usage of sanitizers by setting ECM_ENABLE_SANITIZERS
diff --git a/src/config/CMakeLists.txt b/src/config/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/config/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/config/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -222,5 +222,9 @@
 	set(USE_UPNP ${START_WITH_UPNP} CACHE INTERNAL "UPnP is enabled")
 endif()
 
+if(ENABLE_NOTIFICATIONS)
+	set(USE_DBUS 1)
+endif()
+
 # Generate the config
 configure_file(bitcoin-config.h.cmake.in bitcoin-config.h ESCAPE_QUOTES)
diff --git a/src/config/bitcoin-config.h.cmake.in b/src/config/bitcoin-config.h.cmake.in
--- a/src/config/bitcoin-config.h.cmake.in
+++ b/src/config/bitcoin-config.h.cmake.in
@@ -75,4 +75,7 @@
 #cmakedefine01 USE_UPNP
 #endif
 
+/* Define if QtDBus support should be enabled */
+#cmakedefine USE_DBUS 1
+
 #endif // BITCOIN_BITCOIN_CONFIG_H
diff --git a/src/qt/CMakeLists.txt b/src/qt/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/qt/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/qt/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
 find_brew_prefix(QT5_PREFIX qt5)
 
 set(QT_REQUIRED_COMPONENTS Core Widgets Network Test)
+if(ENABLE_NOTIFICATIONS)
+	list(APPEND QT_REQUIRED_COMPONENTS DBus)
+endif()
+
 find_package(Qt5 COMPONENTS ${QT_REQUIRED_COMPONENTS} REQUIRED HINTS "${QT5_PREFIX}")
 
 # Localisation
@@ -230,6 +234,9 @@
 	OpenSSL::SSL
 	${Protobuf_LIBRARIES}
 )
+if(ENABLE_NOTIFICATIONS)
+	target_link_libraries(bitcoin-qt-base Qt5::DBus)
+endif()
 
 # Wallet
 if(BUILD_BITCOIN_WALLET)