diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index ff1d7eae..d2fc6a43 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+Version 0.10.0
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Released: 2026-01-28
+
+Features:
+  * [#711] Add macOS menu bar status item (NSStatusItem) with system tray icon.
+
 Version 0.9.4
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Released: 2025-02-17
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ecd63778..f26caacf 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -17,8 +17,13 @@ endif
 if (cc.has_argument('-Wno-c99-designator'))
   add_project_arguments('-Wno-c99-designator', language : 'cpp')
 endif
-if host_machine.system() == 'darwin' and get_option('werror')
-  add_project_arguments('-U_LIBCPP_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS', language: 'cpp')
+if host_machine.system() == 'darwin'
+  add_languages('objcpp')
+  add_project_arguments('-DGLIB_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED=GLIB_VERSION_2_70', language : 'objcpp')
+  if get_option('werror')
+    add_project_arguments('-U_LIBCPP_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS', language: 'cpp')
+    add_project_arguments('-U_LIBCPP_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS', language: 'objcpp')
+  endif
 endif
 
 so_version = 2
diff --git a/src/iptux/AppIndicatorMac.mm b/src/iptux/AppIndicatorMac.mm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8704f6f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/iptux/AppIndicatorMac.mm
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+
+#include "config.h"
+#include "AppIndicator.h"
+
+#include <glib/gi18n.h>
+#include <gtk/gtk.h>
+
+#import <Cocoa/Cocoa.h>
+
+// Objective-C helper class for NSStatusItem callbacks.
+// Must be at global scope (Objective-C declarations cannot appear inside a C++
+// namespace).
+@interface IptuxStatusItemHelper : NSObject {
+  GActionGroup* actionGroup_;
+  iptux::IptuxAppIndicator* owner_;
+}
+- (instancetype)initWithActionGroup:(GActionGroup*)actionGroup
+                              owner:(iptux::IptuxAppIndicator*)owner;
+- (void)openMainWindow:(id)sender;
+- (void)openPreferences:(id)sender;
+- (void)quit:(id)sender;
+- (void)statusItemClicked:(id)sender;
+@end
+
+@implementation IptuxStatusItemHelper
+- (instancetype)initWithActionGroup:(GActionGroup*)actionGroup
+                              owner:(iptux::IptuxAppIndicator*)owner {
+  self = [super init];
+  if (self) {
+    actionGroup_ = actionGroup;
+    owner_ = owner;
+  }
+  return self;
+}
+
+- (void)openMainWindow:(id)sender {
+  (void)sender;
+  g_action_group_activate_action(actionGroup_, "open_main_window", NULL);
+}
+
+- (void)openPreferences:(id)sender {
+  (void)sender;
+  g_action_group_activate_action(actionGroup_, "preferences", NULL);
+}
+
+- (void)quit:(id)sender {
+  (void)sender;
+  g_action_group_activate_action(actionGroup_, "quit", NULL);
+}
+
+- (void)statusItemClicked:(id)sender {
+  (void)sender;
+  owner_->sigActivateMainWindow.emit();
+}
+@end
+
+static NSImage* pixbufToNSImage(GdkPixbuf* pixbuf) {
+  int width = gdk_pixbuf_get_width(pixbuf);
+  int height = gdk_pixbuf_get_height(pixbuf);
+  int stride = gdk_pixbuf_get_rowstride(pixbuf);
+  gboolean hasAlpha = gdk_pixbuf_get_has_alpha(pixbuf);
+  const guchar* pixels = gdk_pixbuf_get_pixels(pixbuf);
+
+  int bitsPerSample = 8;
+  int channels = hasAlpha ? 4 : 3;
+
+  NSBitmapImageRep* rep = [[NSBitmapImageRep alloc]
+      initWithBitmapDataPlanes:NULL
+                    pixelsWide:width
+                    pixelsHigh:height
+                 bitsPerSample:bitsPerSample
+               samplesPerPixel:channels
+                      hasAlpha:hasAlpha
+                      isPlanar:NO
+                colorSpaceName:NSDeviceRGBColorSpace
+                   bytesPerRow:stride
+                  bitsPerPixel:bitsPerSample * channels];
+
+  memcpy([rep bitmapData], pixels, height * stride);
+
+  NSImage* image = [[NSImage alloc] initWithSize:NSMakeSize(width, height)];
+  [image addRepresentation:rep];
+  [rep release];
+
+  return [image autorelease];
+}
+
+static NSImage* loadIcon(const char* iconName, int size) {
+  auto theme = gtk_icon_theme_get_default();
+  GError* error = nullptr;
+  auto pixbuf = gtk_icon_theme_load_icon(theme, iconName, size,
+                                         GtkIconLookupFlags(0), &error);
+  if (!pixbuf) {
+    g_warning("Couldn't load icon %s: %s", iconName, error->message);
+    g_error_free(error);
+    return nil;
+  }
+  NSImage* image = pixbufToNSImage(pixbuf);
+  [image retain];
+  g_object_unref(pixbuf);
+
+  // Resize for menu bar (typically 18x18 points)
+  [image setSize:NSMakeSize(18, 18)];
+  return image;
+}
+
+namespace iptux {
+
+class IptuxAppIndicatorPrivate {
+ public:
+  IptuxAppIndicatorPrivate() {}
+  ~IptuxAppIndicatorPrivate() {
+    if (statusItem) {
+      [[NSStatusBar systemStatusBar] removeStatusItem:statusItem];
+      [statusItem release];
+    }
+    if (helper) {
+      [helper release];
+    }
+    if (normalIcon) {
+      [normalIcon release];
+    }
+    if (attentionIcon) {
+      [attentionIcon release];
+    }
+  }
+
+  NSStatusItem* statusItem = nil;
+  IptuxStatusItemHelper* helper = nil;
+  NSImage* normalIcon = nil;
+  NSImage* attentionIcon = nil;
+};
+
+IptuxAppIndicator::IptuxAppIndicator(GActionGroup* action_group) {
+  this->priv = std::make_shared<IptuxAppIndicatorPrivate>();
+
+  priv->helper = [[IptuxStatusItemHelper alloc] initWithActionGroup:action_group
+                                                              owner:this];
+
+  // Load icons
+  priv->normalIcon = loadIcon("iptux-icon", 64);
+  priv->attentionIcon = loadIcon("iptux-attention", 64);
+
+  // Create status item
+  priv->statusItem =
+      [[[NSStatusBar systemStatusBar] statusItemWithLength:NSVariableStatusItemLength] retain];
+
+  if (priv->normalIcon) {
+    priv->statusItem.button.image = priv->normalIcon;
+  }
+  priv->statusItem.button.toolTip = @"Iptux";
+
+  // Build the menu
+  NSMenu* menu = [[NSMenu alloc] init];
+
+  NSMenuItem* openItem =
+      [[NSMenuItem alloc] initWithTitle:[NSString stringWithUTF8String:_("Open Iptux")]
+                                 action:@selector(openMainWindow:)
+                          keyEquivalent:@""];
+  openItem.target = priv->helper;
+  [menu addItem:openItem];
+  [openItem release];
+
+  [menu addItem:[NSMenuItem separatorItem]];
+
+  NSMenuItem* prefsItem =
+      [[NSMenuItem alloc] initWithTitle:[NSString stringWithUTF8String:_("Preferences")]
+                                 action:@selector(openPreferences:)
+                          keyEquivalent:@""];
+  prefsItem.target = priv->helper;
+  [menu addItem:prefsItem];
+  [prefsItem release];
+
+  NSMenuItem* quitItem =
+      [[NSMenuItem alloc] initWithTitle:[NSString stringWithUTF8String:_("Quit")]
+                                 action:@selector(quit:)
+                          keyEquivalent:@""];
+  quitItem.target = priv->helper;
+  [menu addItem:quitItem];
+  [quitItem release];
+
+  priv->statusItem.menu = menu;
+  [menu release];
+}
+
+void IptuxAppIndicator::SetUnreadCount(int count) {
+  if (!priv->statusItem) return;
+
+  if (count > 0 && priv->attentionIcon) {
+    priv->statusItem.button.image = priv->attentionIcon;
+  } else if (priv->normalIcon) {
+    priv->statusItem.button.image = priv->normalIcon;
+  }
+}
+
+}  // namespace iptux
diff --git a/src/iptux/meson.build b/src/iptux/meson.build
index a790d312..7dfd04d9 100644
--- a/src/iptux/meson.build
+++ b/src/iptux/meson.build
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ sources = files([
 ])
 dependencies = [gtk_dep, jsoncpp_dep, sigc_dep]
 
-if appindicator_dep.found()
+if host_machine.system() == 'darwin'
+    sources += ['AppIndicatorMac.mm']
+    dependencies += [dependency('appleframeworks', modules: ['Cocoa'])]
+elif appindicator_dep.found()
     sources += ['AppIndicator.cpp']
     dependencies += [appindicator_dep]
 else