diff --git a/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/x11/window.rs b/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/x11/window.rs
index 4fde66f06c..94037067e7 100644
--- a/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/x11/window.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/x11/window.rs
@@ -389,6 +389,39 @@ where
         .with_context(failure_context)
 }
 
+/// Sets or clears the ICCCM WM_HINTS urgency flag, preserving the other hints.
+///
+/// Clearing when the flag isn't set is skipped: writing it back would create a
+/// WM_HINTS property on windows that never requested attention, and would add an
+/// X round trip to every window state change.
+fn set_wm_hints_urgency(xcb: &XCBConnection, x_window: xproto::Window, urgent: bool) {
+    let mut hints = WmHints::new();
+    match WmHints::get(xcb, x_window) {
+        Ok(cookie) => match cookie.reply() {
+            Ok(Some(existing_hints)) => hints = existing_hints,
+            Ok(None) => {}
+            Err(error) => {
+                log::debug!("failed to read X11 WM_HINTS before setting urgency: {error}")
+            }
+        },
+        Err(error) => {
+            log::debug!("failed to request X11 WM_HINTS before setting urgency: {error}")
+        }
+    }
+
+    if !urgent && !hints.urgent {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    hints.urgent = urgent;
+    check_reply(
+        || "X11 ChangeProperty for WM_HINTS urgency failed.",
+        hints.set(xcb, x_window),
+    )
+    .log_err();
+    xcb_flush(xcb);
+}
+
 /// Convert X11 connection errors to `anyhow::Error` and panic for unrecoverable errors.
 pub(crate) fn handle_connection_error(err: ConnectionError) -> anyhow::Error {
     match err {
@@ -1080,6 +1113,7 @@ impl X11WindowStatePtr {
             .chunks_exact(4)
             .map(|chunk| u32::from_ne_bytes([chunk[0], chunk[1], chunk[2], chunk[3]]));
 
+        let was_active = state.active;
         state.active = false;
         state.fullscreen = false;
         state.maximized_vertical = false;
@@ -1100,6 +1134,12 @@ impl X11WindowStatePtr {
             }
         }
 
+        // The urgency hint has no withdrawal signal of its own; ICCCM leaves that to
+        // the client, and focus is the conventional means for the user to zero it.
+        if state.active && !was_active {
+            set_wm_hints_urgency(&self.xcb, self.x_window, false);
+        }
+
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -1497,26 +1537,7 @@ impl PlatformWindow for X11Window {
             return;
         }
 
-        let mut hints = WmHints::new();
-        match WmHints::get(&*self.0.xcb, self.0.x_window) {
-            Ok(cookie) => match cookie.reply() {
-                Ok(Some(existing_hints)) => hints = existing_hints,
-                Ok(None) => {}
-                Err(error) => {
-                    log::debug!("failed to read X11 WM_HINTS before setting urgency: {error}")
-                }
-            },
-            Err(error) => {
-                log::debug!("failed to request X11 WM_HINTS before setting urgency: {error}")
-            }
-        }
-        hints.urgent = true;
-        check_reply(
-            || "X11 ChangeProperty for WM_HINTS urgency failed.",
-            hints.set(&*self.0.xcb, self.0.x_window),
-        )
-        .log_err();
-        xcb_flush(&self.0.xcb);
+        set_wm_hints_urgency(&self.0.xcb, self.0.x_window, true);
     }
 
     fn is_active(&self) -> bool {