diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,13 +22,17 @@
 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(ENABLE_WERROR "Promote some compiler warnings to errors" OFF)
 option(START_WITH_UPNP "Make UPnP the default to map ports" OFF)
 option(ENABLE_CLANG_TIDY "Enable clang-tidy checks for Bitcoin ABC" OFF)
 option(ENABLE_PROFILING "Select the profiling tool to use" OFF)
 option(USE_LD_GOLD "Try to use gold as a linker if available" ON)
 
+if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Linux")
+	set(DEFAULT_ENABLE_DBUS_NOTIFICATIONS ON)
+endif()
+option(ENABLE_DBUS_NOTIFICATIONS "Enable DBus desktop notifications. Linux only." ${DEFAULT_ENABLE_DBUS_NOTIFICATIONS})
+
 # If ccache is available, then use it.
 find_program(CCACHE ccache)
 if(CCACHE)
diff --git a/src/config/CMakeLists.txt b/src/config/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/config/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/config/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@
 	set(USE_UPNP ${START_WITH_UPNP} CACHE INTERNAL "UPnP is enabled")
 endif()
 
-if(ENABLE_NOTIFICATIONS)
+if(ENABLE_DBUS_NOTIFICATIONS)
 	set(USE_DBUS 1)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/qt/CMakeLists.txt b/src/qt/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/qt/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/qt/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 find_brew_prefix(QT5_PREFIX qt5)
 
 set(QT_REQUIRED_COMPONENTS Core Widgets Network Test)
-if(ENABLE_NOTIFICATIONS)
+if(ENABLE_DBUS_NOTIFICATIONS)
 	list(APPEND QT_REQUIRED_COMPONENTS DBus)
 endif()
 
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@
 	Qt5::Widgets
 	Qt5::Network
 )
-if(ENABLE_NOTIFICATIONS)
+if(ENABLE_DBUS_NOTIFICATIONS)
 	target_link_libraries(bitcoin-qt-base Qt5::DBus)
 endif()