diff --git a/plugins/bgnotify/README.md b/plugins/bgnotify/README.md
index b154916d6..83e5c1ddf 100644
--- a/plugins/bgnotify/README.md
+++ b/plugins/bgnotify/README.md
@@ -1,20 +1,32 @@
-# bgnotify zsh plugin
+# zsh-background-notify
 
 cross-platform background notifications for long running commands! Supports OSX and Ubuntu linux.
 
-Standalone homepage: [t413/zsh-background-notify](https://github.com/t413/zsh-background-notify)
-
+![screenshot 2014-11-08 14 15 12](https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/326829/4965780/19fa3eac-6795-11e4-8ed6-0355711123a9.png)
 ----------------------------------
 
+## Do you use `oh-my-zsh`?
+
+RobbyRussel [merged](https://github.com/robbyrussell/oh-my-zsh/pull/3301) (and [tweeted](https://twitter.com/ohmyzsh/status/569566134984265729) about it) this plugin to the main-line oh-my-zsh. If that's what you're running then just add 'bgnotify' to your `.zshrc` plugins list and you're all set!
+
+## Do you use `Prezto`?
+
+I do too! [Prezto](https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto) rocks-- and works great with bg-notify! (although there's no included plugin (yet?)).
+
 ## How to use!
 
-Just add bgnotify to your plugins list in your `.zshrc`
+1. Clone the repository:
+  * `git clone https://github.com/t413/zsh-background-notify.git ~/.zsh-background-notify`
+2. And add one line your `.zshrc`:
+  * `source $HOME/.zsh-background-notify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh`
+3. Done!
+
+## Requirements:
 
 - On OS X you'll need [terminal-notifer](https://github.com/alloy/terminal-notifier)
   * `brew install terminal-notifier` (or `gem install terminal-notifier`)
 - On ubuntu you're already all set!
-- On windows you can use [notifu](http://www.paralint.com/projects/notifu/) or the Cygwin Ports libnotify package
-
+- On windows you can use [notifu](http://www.paralint.com/projects/notifu/) or the Cygwin Ports `libnotify` package
 
 ## Screenshots
 
@@ -36,19 +48,35 @@ Just add bgnotify to your plugins list in your `.zshrc`
 One can configure a few things:
 
 - `bgnotify_threshold` sets the notification threshold time (default 6 seconds)
-- `function bgnotify_formatted` lets you change the notification
+- `function notify_formatted` lets you change the notification
 
 Use these by adding a function definition before the your call to source. Example:
 
 ~~~ sh
 bgnotify_threshold=4  ## set your own notification threshold
 
-function bgnotify_formatted {
+function notify_formatted {
   ## $1=exit_status, $2=command, $3=elapsed_time
   [ $1 -eq 0 ] && title="Holy Smokes Batman!" || title="Holy Graf Zeppelin!"
   bgnotify "$title -- after $3 s" "$2";
 }
 
-plugins=(git bgnotify)  ## add to plugins list
-source $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh  ## existing source call
+source $HOME/.zsh/zsh-background-notify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh
 ~~~
+
+
+## How it works
+
+In zsh you can add a user-hook `preexec` that runs before executing a command and `precmd` that runs just before re-prompting. Timing the difference between them gives you execution time!
+
+To check if you're in the background we can use xprop to find the NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW in ubuntu and osascript to run a simple apple script to get the same thing (although slower).
+
+
+## Alternatives:
+
+I like linking.. So here are a few similar alternatives to this script. Most are platform-specific and buggy in some way. (Sure is great to use one script on all of your systems!)
+
+- This [reddit post](http://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1pooe6/zsh_tip_notify_after_long_processes/)
+- [zsh-notify](https://github.com/marzocchi/zsh-notify) plugin for Mac OS X
+- [dotzsh notify](https://github.com/dotphiles/dotzsh/tree/master/modules/notify)
+- [zbell](https://gist.github.com/jpouellet/5278239)
diff --git a/plugins/bgnotify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh b/plugins/bgnotify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh
index b70b42f98..f6dd3886c 100755
--- a/plugins/bgnotify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh
+++ b/plugins/bgnotify/bgnotify.plugin.zsh
@@ -11,31 +11,38 @@ autoload -Uz add-zsh-hook || { print "can't add zsh hook!"; return }
 
 ## definitions ##
 
-if ! (type bgnotify_formatted | grep -q 'function'); then
-  function bgnotify_formatted {
-    ## exit_status, command, elapsed_time
-    [ $1 -eq 0 ] && title="#win (took $3 s)" || title="#fail (took $3 s)"
-    bgnotify "$title" "$2"
+if ! (type bgnotify_formatted | grep -q 'function'); then ## allow custom function override
+  function bgnotify_formatted { ## args: (exit_status, command, elapsed_seconds)
+    elapsed="$(( $3 % 60 ))s"
+    (( $3 >= 60 )) && elapsed="$((( $3 % 3600) / 60 ))m $elapsed"
+    (( $3 >= 3600 )) && elapsed="$(( $3 / 3600 ))h $elapsed"
+    [ $1 -eq 0 ] && bgnotify "#win (took $elapsed)" "$2" || bgnotify "#fail (took $elapsed)" "$2"
   }
 fi
 
 currentWindowId () {
   if hash osascript 2>/dev/null; then #osx
     osascript -e 'tell application (path to frontmost application as text) to id of front window' 2&> /dev/null || echo "0"
-  elif hash notify-send 2>/dev/null; then #ubuntu!
-    xprop -root | awk '/NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW/ { print $5; exit }'
+  elif (hash notify-send 2>/dev/null || hash kdialog 2>/dev/null); then #ubuntu!
+    xprop -root 2> /dev/null | awk '/NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW/{print $5;exit} END{exit !$5}' || echo "0"
   else
     echo $EPOCHSECONDS #fallback for windows
   fi
 }
 
-bgnotify () {
+bgnotify () { ## args: (title, subtitle)
   if hash terminal-notifier 2>/dev/null; then #osx
-    terminal-notifier -message "$2" -title "$1"
+    [[ "$TERM_PROGRAM" == 'iTerm.app' ]] && term_id='com.googlecode.iterm2' ||
+    [[ "$TERM_PROGRAM" == 'Apple_Terminal' ]] && term_id='com.apple.terminal';
+    ## now call terminal-notifier, (hopefully with $term_id!)
+    [ -z "$term_id" ] && terminal-notifier -message "$2" -title "$1" >/dev/null ||
+    terminal-notifier -message "$2" -title "$1" -activate "$term_id" -sender "$term_id" >/dev/null
   elif hash growlnotify 2>/dev/null; then #osx growl
     growlnotify -m "$1" "$2"
-  elif hash notify-send 2>/dev/null; then #ubuntu!
+  elif hash notify-send 2>/dev/null; then #ubuntu gnome!
     notify-send "$1" "$2"
+  elif hash kdialog 2>/dev/null; then #ubuntu kde!
+    kdialog  -title "$1" --passivepopup  "$2" 5
   elif hash notifu 2>/dev/null; then #cygwyn support!
     notifu /m "$2" /p "$1"
   fi
@@ -46,7 +53,7 @@ bgnotify () {
 
 bgnotify_begin() {
   bgnotify_timestamp=$EPOCHSECONDS
-  bgnotify_lastcmd=$1
+  bgnotify_lastcmd="$1"
   bgnotify_windowid=$(currentWindowId)
 }
 
@@ -63,5 +70,8 @@ bgnotify_end() {
   bgnotify_timestamp=0 #reset it to 0!
 }
 
-add-zsh-hook preexec bgnotify_begin
-add-zsh-hook precmd bgnotify_end
+## only enable if a local (non-ssh) connection
+if [ -z "$SSH_CLIENT" ] && [ -z "$SSH_TTY" ]; then
+  add-zsh-hook preexec bgnotify_begin
+  add-zsh-hook precmd bgnotify_end
+fi