diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index db0babc..0f672d4 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -20,11 +20,12 @@ static const float fullscreen_bg[]         = {0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 1.0}; /* You can al
 static int log_level = WLR_ERROR;
 
 static const Rule rules[] = {
-	/* app_id     title       tags mask     isfloating   monitor */
+	/* app_id     title       tags mask     isfloating   monitor scratchkey */
 	/* examples:
 	{ "Gimp",     NULL,       0,            1,           -1 },
 	*/
-	{ "firefox",  NULL,       1 << 8,       0,           -1 },
+	{ "firefox",  NULL,       1 << 8,       0,           -1,      0  },
+	{ NULL,     "scratchpad", 0,            1,           -1,     's' },
 };
 
 /* layout(s) */
@@ -115,11 +116,16 @@ static const enum libinput_config_tap_button_map button_map = LIBINPUT_CONFIG_TA
 static const char *termcmd[] = { "foot", NULL };
 static const char *menucmd[] = { "bemenu-run", NULL };
 
+/* named scratchpads - First arg only serves to match against key in rules*/
+static const char *scratchpadcmd[] = { "s", "alacritty", "-t", "scratchpad", NULL };
+
 static const Key keys[] = {
 	/* Note that Shift changes certain key codes: c -> C, 2 -> at, etc. */
 	/* modifier                  key                 function        argument */
 	{ MODKEY,                    XKB_KEY_p,          spawn,          {.v = menucmd} },
 	{ MODKEY|WLR_MODIFIER_SHIFT, XKB_KEY_Return,     spawn,          {.v = termcmd} },
+	{ MODKEY,                    XKB_KEY_grave,      togglescratch,  {.v = scratchpadcmd } },
+	{ MODKEY|WLR_MODIFIER_SHIFT, XKB_KEY_grave,      focusortogglescratch, {.v = scratchpadcmd } },
 	{ MODKEY,                    XKB_KEY_j,          focusstack,     {.i = +1} },
 	{ MODKEY,                    XKB_KEY_k,          focusstack,     {.i = -1} },
 	{ MODKEY,                    XKB_KEY_i,          incnmaster,     {.i = +1} },
diff --git a/dwl.c b/dwl.c
index ef27a1d..6b5d55d 100644
--- a/dwl.c
+++ b/dwl.c
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	uint32_t tags;
 	int isfloating, isurgent, isfullscreen;
 	uint32_t resize; /* configure serial of a pending resize */
+	char scratchkey;
 } Client;
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -215,6 +216,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	uint32_t tags;
 	int isfloating;
 	int monitor;
+	const char scratchkey;
 } Rule;
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -307,12 +309,15 @@ static void setpsel(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data);
 static void setsel(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data);
 static void setup(void);
 static void spawn(const Arg *arg);
+static void spawnscratch(const Arg *arg);
 static void startdrag(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data);
 static void tag(const Arg *arg);
 static void tagmon(const Arg *arg);
 static void tile(Monitor *m);
 static void togglefloating(const Arg *arg);
 static void togglefullscreen(const Arg *arg);
+static void togglescratch(const Arg *arg);
+static void focusortogglescratch(const Arg *arg);
 static void toggletag(const Arg *arg);
 static void toggleview(const Arg *arg);
 static void unlocksession(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data);
@@ -424,6 +429,7 @@ applyrules(Client *c)
 	Monitor *mon = selmon, *m;
 
 	c->isfloating = client_is_float_type(c);
+	c->scratchkey = 0;
 	if (!(appid = client_get_appid(c)))
 		appid = broken;
 	if (!(title = client_get_title(c)))
@@ -433,6 +439,7 @@ applyrules(Client *c)
 		if ((!r->title || strstr(title, r->title))
 				&& (!r->id || strstr(appid, r->id))) {
 			c->isfloating = r->isfloating;
+			c->scratchkey = r->scratchkey;
 			newtags |= r->tags;
 			i = 0;
 			wl_list_for_each(m, &mons, link)
@@ -2372,6 +2379,16 @@ spawn(const Arg *arg)
 	}
 }
 
+void spawnscratch(const Arg *arg)
+{
+	if (fork() == 0) {
+		dup2(STDERR_FILENO, STDOUT_FILENO);
+		setsid();
+		execvp(((char **)arg->v)[1], ((char **)arg->v)+1);
+		die("dwl: execvp %s failed:", ((char **)arg->v)[1]);
+	}
+}
+
 void
 startdrag(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 {
@@ -2454,6 +2471,63 @@ togglefullscreen(const Arg *arg)
 		setfullscreen(sel, !sel->isfullscreen);
 }
 
+void
+togglescratch(const Arg *arg)
+{
+	Client *c;
+	unsigned int found = 0;
+
+	/* search for first window that matches the scratchkey */
+	wl_list_for_each(c, &clients, link)
+		if (c->scratchkey == ((char**)arg->v)[0][0]) {
+			found = 1;
+			break;
+		}
+
+	if (found) {
+		c->tags = VISIBLEON(c, selmon) ? 0 : selmon->tagset[selmon->seltags];
+
+		focusclient(c->tags == 0 ? focustop(selmon) : c, 1);
+		arrange(selmon);
+	} else{
+		spawnscratch(arg);
+	}
+}
+
+void
+focusortogglescratch(const Arg *arg)
+{
+	Client *c;
+	unsigned int found = 0;
+
+	/* search for first window that matches the scratchkey */
+	wl_list_for_each(c, &clients, link)
+		if (c->scratchkey == ((char**)arg->v)[0][0]) {
+			found = 1;
+			break;
+		}
+
+	if (found) {
+		if (VISIBLEON(c, selmon)) {
+			if (focustop(selmon) == c) {
+				// hide
+				c->tags = 0;
+				focusclient(focustop(selmon), 1);
+			} else {
+				// focus
+				focusclient(c, 1);
+			}
+		} else {
+			// show
+			c->tags = selmon->tagset[selmon->seltags];
+			focusclient(c, 1);
+		}
+		arrange(selmon);
+	} else{
+		spawnscratch(arg);
+	}
+}
+
 void
 toggletag(const Arg *arg)
 {