diff --git a/profrc.example b/profrc.example
index a8113825..c8909acb 100644
--- a/profrc.example
+++ b/profrc.example
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ typing=true
 typing.current=false
 message.text=true
 room.text=true
+room.offline=true
 
 [alias]
 colour=/color
diff --git a/src/command/cmd_ac.c b/src/command/cmd_ac.c
index 3024ab17..ac4e3726 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_ac.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_ac.c
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ static Autocomplete notify_chat_ac;
 static Autocomplete notify_room_ac;
 static Autocomplete notify_typing_ac;
 static Autocomplete notify_mention_ac;
+static Autocomplete notify_offline_ac;
 static Autocomplete notify_trigger_ac;
 static Autocomplete prefs_ac;
 static Autocomplete sub_ac;
@@ -344,6 +345,7 @@ cmd_ac_init(void)
     autocomplete_add(notify_room_ac, "on");
     autocomplete_add(notify_room_ac, "off");
     autocomplete_add(notify_room_ac, "mention");
+    autocomplete_add(notify_room_ac, "offline");
     autocomplete_add(notify_room_ac, "current");
     autocomplete_add(notify_room_ac, "text");
     autocomplete_add(notify_room_ac, "trigger");
@@ -361,6 +363,10 @@ cmd_ac_init(void)
     autocomplete_add(notify_mention_ac, "word_whole");
     autocomplete_add(notify_mention_ac, "word_part");
 
+    notify_offline_ac = autocomplete_new();
+    autocomplete_add(notify_offline_ac, "on");
+    autocomplete_add(notify_offline_ac, "off");
+
     notify_trigger_ac = autocomplete_new();
     autocomplete_add(notify_trigger_ac, "add");
     autocomplete_add(notify_trigger_ac, "remove");
@@ -2338,6 +2344,11 @@ _notify_autocomplete(ProfWin* window, const char* const input, gboolean previous
         return result;
     }
 
+    result = autocomplete_param_with_ac(input, "/notify room offline", notify_offline_ac, TRUE, previous);
+    if (result) {
+        return result;
+    }
+
     result = autocomplete_param_with_ac(input, "/notify room trigger", notify_trigger_ac, TRUE, previous);
     if (result) {
         return result;
diff --git a/src/command/cmd_defs.c b/src/command/cmd_defs.c
index 281d21c6..e18b3bff 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_defs.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_defs.c
@@ -1436,6 +1436,7 @@ static struct cmd_t command_defs[] = {
               "/notify room mention on|off",
               "/notify room mention case_sensitive|case_insensitive",
               "/notify room mention word_whole|word_part",
+              "/notify room offline on|off",
               "/notify room current on|off",
               "/notify room text on|off",
               "/notify room trigger add <text>",
@@ -1464,6 +1465,7 @@ static struct cmd_t command_defs[] = {
               { "room mention case_insensitive", "Set room mention notifications as case insensitive." },
               { "room mention word_whole", "Set room mention notifications only on whole word match, i.e. when nickname is not part of a larger word." },
               { "room mention word_part", "Set room mention notifications on partial word match, i.e. nickname may be part of a larger word." },
+              { "room offline on|off", "Notifications for chat room messages that were sent while you were offline." },
               { "room current on|off", "Whether to show all chat room messages notifications when the window is focused." },
               { "room text on|off", "Show message text in chat room message notifications." },
               { "room trigger add <text>", "Notify when specified text included in all chat room messages." },
@@ -1483,6 +1485,7 @@ static struct cmd_t command_defs[] = {
               "/notify chat on",
               "/notify chat text on",
               "/notify room mention on",
+              "/notify room offline on",
               "/notify room trigger add beer",
               "/notify room trigger on",
               "/notify room current off",
diff --git a/src/command/cmd_funcs.c b/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
index 15bf5d7c..fccb937e 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
@@ -5775,6 +5775,16 @@ cmd_notify(ProfWin* window, const char* const command, gchar** args)
             } else {
                 cons_show("Usage: /notify room mention on|off");
             }
+        } else if (g_strcmp0(args[1], "offline") == 0) {
+            if (g_strcmp0(args[2], "on") == 0) {
+                cons_show("Room notifications for offline messages enabled.");
+                prefs_set_boolean(PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_OFFLINE, TRUE);
+            } else if (g_strcmp0(args[2], "off") == 0) {
+                cons_show("Room notifications for offline messages disabled.");
+                prefs_set_boolean(PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_OFFLINE, FALSE);
+            } else {
+                cons_show("Usage: /notify room offline on|off");
+            }
         } else if (g_strcmp0(args[1], "current") == 0) {
             if (g_strcmp0(args[2], "on") == 0) {
                 cons_show("Current window chat room message notifications enabled.");
diff --git a/src/config/preferences.c b/src/config/preferences.c
index 2f7a350e..7b261c2c 100644
--- a/src/config/preferences.c
+++ b/src/config/preferences.c
@@ -1828,6 +1828,7 @@ _get_group(preference_t pref)
     case PREF_NOTIFY_CHAT_TEXT:
     case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM:
     case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_MENTION:
+    case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_OFFLINE:
     case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_TRIGGER:
     case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_CURRENT:
     case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_TEXT:
@@ -1964,6 +1965,8 @@ _get_key(preference_t pref)
         return "room.trigger";
     case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_MENTION:
         return "room.mention";
+    case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_OFFLINE:
+        return "room.offline";
     case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_CURRENT:
         return "room.current";
     case PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_TEXT:
diff --git a/src/config/preferences.h b/src/config/preferences.h
index 25fc16ad..761f92bf 100644
--- a/src/config/preferences.h
+++ b/src/config/preferences.h
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ typedef enum {
     PREF_URL_SAVE_CMD,
     PREF_COMPOSE_EDITOR,
     PREF_SILENCE_NON_ROSTER,
+    PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_OFFLINE,
 } preference_t;
 
 typedef struct prof_alias_t
diff --git a/src/event/server_events.c b/src/event/server_events.c
index 4a35302f..620a8b2d 100644
--- a/src/event/server_events.c
+++ b/src/event/server_events.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #include "config/cafile.h"
 #include "config/scripts.h"
 #include "event/client_events.h"
+#include "event/server_events.h"
 #include "event/common.h"
 #include "plugins/plugins.h"
 #include "ui/window_list.h"
@@ -272,6 +273,33 @@ sv_ev_room_subject(const char* const room, const char* const nick, const char* c
 void
 sv_ev_room_history(ProfMessage* message)
 {
+    if (prefs_get_boolean(PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_OFFLINE)) {
+        // check if this message was sent while we were offline.
+        // if so, treat it as a new message rather than a history event.
+        char* account_name = session_get_account_name();
+        char* last_activity = accounts_get_last_activity(account_name);
+        int msg_is_new = 0;
+
+        if (last_activity) {
+            GTimeVal lasttv;
+
+            if (g_time_val_from_iso8601(last_activity, &lasttv)) {
+                GDateTime* lastdt = g_date_time_new_from_timeval_utc(&lasttv);
+                GDateTime* msgdt = message->timestamp;
+                GTimeSpan time_diff = g_date_time_difference(msgdt, lastdt);
+
+                msg_is_new = (time_diff > 0);
+                g_date_time_unref(lastdt);
+            }
+            g_free(last_activity);
+
+            if (msg_is_new) {
+                sv_ev_room_message(message);
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     ProfMucWin* mucwin = wins_get_muc(message->from_jid->barejid);
     if (mucwin) {
         // if this is the first successful connection
diff --git a/src/event/server_events.h b/src/event/server_events.h
index 55818642..53bb27f0 100644
--- a/src/event/server_events.h
+++ b/src/event/server_events.h
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ void sv_ev_delayed_private_message(ProfMessage* message);
 void sv_ev_typing(char* barejid, char* resource);
 void sv_ev_paused(char* barejid, char* resource);
 void sv_ev_inactive(char* barejid, char* resource);
-void sv_ev_activity(char* barejid, char* resource, gboolean send_states);
+void sv_ev_activity(const char* barejid, const char* resource, gboolean send_states);
 void sv_ev_gone(const char* const barejid, const char* const resource);
 void sv_ev_subscription(const char* from, jabber_subscr_t type);
 void sv_ev_message_receipt(const char* const barejid, const char* const id);
diff --git a/src/ui/console.c b/src/ui/console.c
index 170def7c..08ccba17 100644
--- a/src/ui/console.c
+++ b/src/ui/console.c
@@ -1717,6 +1717,11 @@ cons_notify_setting(void)
     else
         cons_show("Room mention (/notify room)         : OFF");
 
+    if (prefs_get_boolean(PREF_NOTIFY_ROOM_OFFLINE))
+        cons_show("Room offline messages (/notify room): ON");
+    else
+        cons_show("Room offline messages (/notify room): OFF");
+
     if (prefs_get_boolean(PREF_NOTIFY_MENTION_CASE_SENSITIVE))
         cons_show("Room mention case (/notify room)    : Case sensitive");
     else