diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index e5e7a894..18d96893 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -19,9 +19,6 @@
 [submodule "aw-server-rust"]
 	path = aw-server-rust
 	url = https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-server-rust.git
-[submodule "aw-notify"]
-	path = aw-notify
-	url = https://github.com/ErikBjare/aw-notify.git
 [submodule "aw-watcher-input"]
 	path = aw-watcher-input
 	url = https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-watcher-input.git
@@ -31,3 +28,6 @@
 [submodule "awatcher"]
 	path = awatcher
 	url = https://github.com/2e3s/awatcher
+[submodule "aw-notify"]
+	path = aw-notify
+	url = https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-notify-rs.git
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 883c741a..1b81b657 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ For a complete list of the things ActivityWatch can track, [see the page on *wat
 ```mermaid
 graph TD;
   aw-qt[<a href='https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-qt'>aw-qt</a>];
-  aw-notify[<a href='https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-notify'>aw-notify</a>];
+  aw-notify[<a href='https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-notify-rs'>aw-notify</a>];
   aw-server[<a href='https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-server'>aw-server</a>];
   aw-webui[<a href='https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-webui'>aw-webui</a>];
   aw-watcher-window[<a href='https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-watcher-window'>aw-watcher-window</a>];
diff --git a/aw-notify b/aw-notify
index bcea3cd1..8095a1b4 160000
--- a/aw-notify
+++ b/aw-notify
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit bcea3cd1a7ffd1ffcb721b952dfa75d11c3bef91
+Subproject commit 8095a1b4c0098b3406c289d32bbb1597e2f9044f
diff --git a/aw.spec b/aw.spec
index c3b1e3e6..70e2e5b1 100644
--- a/aw.spec
+++ b/aw.spec
@@ -165,21 +165,33 @@ aw_watcher_window_a = build_analysis(
         (aww_location / "aw_watcher_window/printAppStatus.jxa", "aw_watcher_window")
     ],
 )
-aw_notify_a = build_analysis(
+# Check if aw-notify is a Python package
+_notify_candidates = [
+    aw_notify_location / "aw_notify/__main__.py",
+    aw_notify_location / "src/aw_notify/__main__.py",
+]
+skip_aw_notify = not any(p.exists() for p in _notify_candidates)
+if skip_aw_notify:
+    print("Skipping aw-notify Python packaging (Rust-based implementation detected)")
+
+aw_notify_a = None if skip_aw_notify else build_analysis(
     "aw_notify", aw_notify_location, hiddenimports=["desktop_notifier.resources"]
 )
 
 # https://pythonhosted.org/PyInstaller/spec-files.html#multipackage-bundles
 # MERGE takes a bit weird arguments, it wants tuples which consists of
 # the analysis paired with the script name and the bin name
-MERGE(
+merge_args = [
     (aw_server_a, "aw-server", "aw-server"),
     (aw_qt_a, "aw-qt", "aw-qt"),
     (aw_watcher_afk_a, "aw-watcher-afk", "aw-watcher-afk"),
     (aw_watcher_window_a, "aw-watcher-window", "aw-watcher-window"),
     (aw_watcher_input_a, "aw-watcher-input", "aw-watcher-input"),
-    (aw_notify_a, "aw-notify", "aw-notify"),
-)
+]
+if aw_notify_a is not None:
+    merge_args.append((aw_notify_a, "aw-notify", "aw-notify"))
+
+MERGE(*merge_args)
 
 
 # aw-server
@@ -201,16 +213,22 @@ awq_coll = build_collect(
 # aw-watcher-input
 awi_coll = build_collect(aw_watcher_input_a, "aw-watcher-input")
 
-aw_notify_coll = build_collect(aw_notify_a, "aw-notify")
+# aw-notify (only if Python package exists)
+aw_notify_coll = build_collect(aw_notify_a, "aw-notify") if aw_notify_a is not None else None
 
 if platform.system() == "Darwin":
-    app = BUNDLE(
+    bundle_args = [
         awq_coll,
         aws_coll,
         aww_coll,
         awa_coll,
         awi_coll,
-        aw_notify_coll,
+    ]
+    if aw_notify_coll is not None:
+        bundle_args.append(aw_notify_coll)
+    
+    app = BUNDLE(
+        *bundle_args,
         name="ActivityWatch.app",
         icon=icon,
         bundle_identifier="net.activitywatch.ActivityWatch",