diff --git a/src/tomahawk/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tomahawk/CMakeLists.txt
index 636ff2c3c..da07a97c2 100644
--- a/src/tomahawk/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/tomahawk/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ ENDIF()
 SET( tomahawkSources ${tomahawkSources}
      AclRegistryImpl.cpp
      ShortcutHandler.cpp
+     GnomeShortcutHandler.cpp
+     GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy.cpp
      UbuntuUnityHack.cpp
      TomahawkApp.cpp
      main.cpp
diff --git a/src/tomahawk/GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeys.xml b/src/tomahawk/GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeys.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9caf240f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tomahawk/GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeys.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<!DOCTYPE node PUBLIC "-//freedesktop//DTD D-BUS Object Introspection 1.0//EN"
+"http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/dbus/1.0/introspect.dtd">
+<node>
+  <interface name="org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.MediaKeys">
+    <method name="ReleaseMediaPlayerKeys">
+      <arg name="application" type="s" direction="in"/>
+    </method>
+    <method name="GrabMediaPlayerKeys">
+      <arg name="application" type="s" direction="in"/>
+      <arg name="time" type="u" direction="in"/>
+    </method>
+    <signal name="MediaPlayerKeyPressed">
+      <arg type="s"/>
+      <arg type="s"/>
+    </signal>
+  </interface>
+</node>
diff --git a/src/tomahawk/GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy.cpp b/src/tomahawk/GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c94b3cc46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tomahawk/GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/*
+ * This file was generated by qdbusxml2cpp version 0.7
+ * Command line was: qdbusxml2cpp -p GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy -c GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeys.xml
+ *
+ * qdbusxml2cpp is Copyright (C) 2012 Digia Plc and/or its subsidiary(-ies).
+ *
+ * This is an auto-generated file.
+ * This file may have been hand-edited. Look for HAND-EDIT comments
+ * before re-generating it.
+ */
+
+#include "GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy.h"
+
+/*
+ * Implementation of interface class GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy
+ */
+
+GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy::GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy(const QString &service, const QString &path, const QDBusConnection &connection, QObject *parent)
+    : QDBusAbstractInterface(service, path, staticInterfaceName(), connection, parent)
+{
+}
+
+GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy::~GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy()
+{
+}
+
diff --git a/src/tomahawk/GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy.h b/src/tomahawk/GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0336fd3f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tomahawk/GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy.h
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/*
+ * This file was generated by qdbusxml2cpp version 0.7
+ * Command line was: qdbusxml2cpp -p GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy -c GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeys.xml
+ *
+ * qdbusxml2cpp is Copyright (C) 2012 Digia Plc and/or its subsidiary(-ies).
+ *
+ * This is an auto-generated file.
+ * Do not edit! All changes made to it will be lost.
+ */
+
+#ifndef GNOMESETTINGSDAEMONMEDIAKEYSPROXY_H_1369414808
+#define GNOMESETTINGSDAEMONMEDIAKEYSPROXY_H_1369414808
+
+#include <QtCore/QObject>
+#include <QtCore/QByteArray>
+#include <QtCore/QList>
+#include <QtCore/QMap>
+#include <QtCore/QString>
+#include <QtCore/QStringList>
+#include <QtCore/QVariant>
+#include <QtDBus/QtDBus>
+
+/*
+ * Proxy class for interface org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.MediaKeys
+ */
+class GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy: public QDBusAbstractInterface
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+public:
+    static inline const char *staticInterfaceName()
+    { return "org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.MediaKeys"; }
+
+public:
+    GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy(const QString &service, const QString &path, const QDBusConnection &connection, QObject *parent = 0);
+
+    ~GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy();
+
+public Q_SLOTS: // METHODS
+    inline QDBusPendingReply<> GrabMediaPlayerKeys(const QString &application, uint time)
+    {
+        QList<QVariant> argumentList;
+        argumentList << QVariant::fromValue(application) << QVariant::fromValue(time);
+        return asyncCallWithArgumentList(QLatin1String("GrabMediaPlayerKeys"), argumentList);
+    }
+
+    inline QDBusPendingReply<> ReleaseMediaPlayerKeys(const QString &application)
+    {
+        QList<QVariant> argumentList;
+        argumentList << QVariant::fromValue(application);
+        return asyncCallWithArgumentList(QLatin1String("ReleaseMediaPlayerKeys"), argumentList);
+    }
+
+Q_SIGNALS: // SIGNALS
+    void MediaPlayerKeyPressed(const QString &in0, const QString &in1);
+};
+
+namespace org {
+  namespace gnome {
+    namespace SettingsDaemon {
+      typedef ::GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy MediaKeys;
+    }
+  }
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/src/tomahawk/GnomeShortcutHandler.cpp b/src/tomahawk/GnomeShortcutHandler.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6b0494961
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tomahawk/GnomeShortcutHandler.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+/* === This file is part of Tomahawk Player - <http://tomahawk-player.org> ===
+ *
+ *   Copyright 2013, Florian Richter <mail@f1ori.de>
+ *
+ *   Tomahawk is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ *   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ *   (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *   Tomahawk is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ *   GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ *   along with Tomahawk. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+// implement listen on media keys events provided by the gnome settings daemon
+// as documented here:
+// https://github.com/GNOME/gnome-settings-daemon/blob/master/plugins/media-keys/README.media-keys-API
+
+#include "GnomeShortcutHandler.h"
+
+#include "utils/Logger.h"
+
+
+#ifdef QT_DBUS_LIB
+# include <QtDBus>
+#endif
+
+#include <QAction>
+
+using namespace Tomahawk;
+
+const char* GnomeShortcutHandler::kGsdService = "org.gnome.SettingsDaemon";
+const char* GnomeShortcutHandler::kGsdPath = "/org/gnome/SettingsDaemon/MediaKeys";
+const char* GnomeShortcutHandler::kGsdInterface = "org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.MediaKeys";
+
+
+GnomeShortcutHandler::GnomeShortcutHandler(QObject *parent) :
+    Tomahawk::ShortcutHandler(parent),
+    interface_(NULL)
+{
+
+}
+
+bool GnomeShortcutHandler::DoRegister() {
+#ifdef QT_DBUS_LIB
+    tLog(LOGVERBOSE) << "registering for gnome media keys";
+    // Check if the GSD service is available
+    if (!QDBusConnection::sessionBus().interface()->isServiceRegistered(kGsdService)) {
+        tLog(LOGVERBOSE) << "gnome settings daemon not registered";
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (!interface_) {
+        interface_ = new GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy(
+            kGsdService, kGsdPath, QDBusConnection::sessionBus(), this->parent());
+    }
+
+    QDBusPendingReply<> reply = interface_->GrabMediaPlayerKeys(
+            QCoreApplication::applicationName(), 0);
+
+    QDBusPendingCallWatcher* watcher = new QDBusPendingCallWatcher(reply, this);
+    connect(watcher, SIGNAL(finished(QDBusPendingCallWatcher*)),
+               this, SLOT(RegisterFinished(QDBusPendingCallWatcher*)));
+
+  return true;
+#else // QT_DBUS_LIB
+  tLog(LOGVERBOSE) << "dbus not available";
+  return false;
+#endif
+}
+
+void GnomeShortcutHandler::RegisterFinished(QDBusPendingCallWatcher* watcher) {
+#ifdef QT_DBUS_LIB
+    QDBusMessage reply = watcher->reply();
+    watcher->deleteLater();
+
+    if (reply.type() == QDBusMessage::ErrorMessage) {
+        tLog(LOGVERBOSE) << "Failed to grab media keys"
+               << reply.errorName() <<reply.errorMessage();
+        return;
+    }
+
+    connect(interface_, SIGNAL(MediaPlayerKeyPressed(QString,QString)),
+            this, SLOT(GnomeMediaKeyPressed(QString,QString)));
+
+    tLog(LOGVERBOSE) << "gnome media keys registered";
+#endif // QT_DBUS_LIB
+}
+
+void
+GnomeShortcutHandler::GnomeMediaKeyPressed( const QString& app, const QString& val )
+{
+    if (app != QCoreApplication::applicationName())
+        return;
+
+    tLog(LOGVERBOSE) << "gnome media key " << val << " pressed";
+    if ( val == "Play" ) {
+        emit playPause();
+    }
+    if ( val == "Next" ) {
+        emit next();
+    }
+    if ( val == "Previous" ) {
+        emit previous();
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/tomahawk/GnomeShortcutHandler.h b/src/tomahawk/GnomeShortcutHandler.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..89221c627
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tomahawk/GnomeShortcutHandler.h
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/* === This file is part of Tomahawk Player - <http://tomahawk-player.org> ===
+ *
+ *   Copyright 2013, Florian Richter <mail@f1ori.de>
+ *
+ *   Tomahawk is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ *   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ *   (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *   Tomahawk is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ *   GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ *   along with Tomahawk. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#ifndef GNOMESHORTCUTHANDLER_H
+#define GNOMESHORTCUTHANDLER_H
+
+#include "ShortcutHandler.h"
+#include "GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy.h"
+
+#include <QObject>
+
+namespace Tomahawk {
+
+
+class GnomeShortcutHandler : public ShortcutHandler
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+public:
+    explicit GnomeShortcutHandler(QObject *parent = 0);
+    bool DoRegister();
+
+    static const char* kGsdService;
+    static const char* kGsdPath;
+    static const char* kGsdInterface;
+
+
+public slots:
+    void RegisterFinished(QDBusPendingCallWatcher* watcher);
+    void GnomeMediaKeyPressed( const QString& application, const QString& key );
+
+private:
+    GnomeSettingsDaemonMediaKeysProxy* interface_;
+
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif // GNOMESHORTCUTHANDLER_H
+
diff --git a/src/tomahawk/TomahawkApp.cpp b/src/tomahawk/TomahawkApp.cpp
index 06f4203bd..a8bdbfd64 100644
--- a/src/tomahawk/TomahawkApp.cpp
+++ b/src/tomahawk/TomahawkApp.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include "web/Api_v1.h"
 #include "SourceList.h"
 #include "ShortcutHandler.h"
+#include "GnomeShortcutHandler.h"
 #include "filemetadata/ScanManager.h"
 #include "TomahawkSettings.h"
 #include "GlobalActionManager.h"
@@ -232,6 +233,12 @@ TomahawkApp::init()
     increaseMaxFileDescriptors();
 #endif
 
+#if !defined(Q_WS_MAC) && !defined(Q_WS_WIN)
+    GnomeShortcutHandler *gnomeShortcutHandler = new GnomeShortcutHandler( this );
+    gnomeShortcutHandler->DoRegister();
+    m_shortcutHandler = QPointer<Tomahawk::ShortcutHandler>( gnomeShortcutHandler );
+#endif
+
     // Connect up shortcuts
     if ( !m_shortcutHandler.isNull() )
     {