diff --git a/piker/ui/_notify.py b/piker/ui/_notify.py
index 4a33dabb..8cc45e89 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_notify.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_notify.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ async def notify_from_ems_status_msg(
                 # TODO: add in standard fill/exec info that maybe we
                 # pack in a broker independent way?
                 f"'{msg.pformat()}'",
-            ],           
+            ],
             capture_stdout=True,
             capture_stderr=True,
             check=False,
@@ -104,4 +104,6 @@ async def notify_from_ems_status_msg(
         log.runtime(result)
 
     except FileNotFoundError:
-        log.warn('Tried to send a notification but \'notify-send\' not present')
+        log.warn(
+            'Tried to send a notification but \'notify-send\' not present'
+        )
diff --git a/piker/ui/order_mode.py b/piker/ui/order_mode.py
index ec789d66..578babc2 100644
--- a/piker/ui/order_mode.py
+++ b/piker/ui/order_mode.py
@@ -973,6 +973,12 @@ async def process_trade_msg(
     client: OrderClient,
     msg: dict,
 
+    # emit linux DE notification?
+    # XXX: currently my experience with `dunst` is that this
+    # is horrible slow and clunky and invasive and noisy so i'm
+    # disabling it for now until we find a better UX solution..
+    do_notify: bool = False,
+
 ) -> tuple[Dialog, Status]:
 
     fmsg = pformat(msg)
@@ -1092,7 +1098,8 @@ async def process_trade_msg(
             )
             mode.lines.remove_line(uuid=oid)
             msg.req = req
-            await notify_from_ems_status_msg(msg)
+            if do_notify:
+                await notify_from_ems_status_msg(msg)
 
         # response to completed 'dialog' for order request
         case Status(
@@ -1101,7 +1108,8 @@ async def process_trade_msg(
             req=req,
         ):
             msg.req = Order(**req)
-            await notify_from_ems_status_msg(msg)
+            if do_notify:
+                await notify_from_ems_status_msg(msg)
             mode.lines.remove_line(uuid=oid)
 
         # each clearing tick is responded individually