diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index af0d8dc..faafcd4 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ use fig::{Fig, FigError, Value};
 use key::{get_arg, FUNC_MAP};
 use libc::c_char;
 use x11::keysym::{
-    XK_Return, XK_Tab, XK_b, XK_c, XK_comma, XK_d, XK_f, XK_h, XK_i, XK_j,
-    XK_k, XK_l, XK_m, XK_p, XK_period, XK_q, XK_space, XK_t, XK_0, XK_1, XK_2,
-    XK_3, XK_4, XK_5, XK_6, XK_7, XK_8, XK_9,
+    XK_Return, XK_Tab, XK_b, XK_c, XK_comma, XK_d, XK_f, XK_grave, XK_h, XK_i,
+    XK_j, XK_k, XK_l, XK_m, XK_p, XK_period, XK_q, XK_space, XK_t, XK_0, XK_1,
+    XK_2, XK_3, XK_4, XK_5, XK_6, XK_7, XK_8, XK_9,
 };
 
 use x11::xlib::{Button1, Button2, Button3, ControlMask, Mod4Mask, ShiftMask};
@@ -474,10 +474,27 @@ static DMENUCMD: LazyLock<Vec<String>> = LazyLock::new(|| {
 });
 static TERMCMD: LazyLock<Vec<String>> = LazyLock::new(|| vec!["st".into()]);
 
-fn default_keys() -> [Key; 60] {
+pub const SCRATCHPADNAME: &str = "scratchpad";
+pub static SCRATCHPADCMD: LazyLock<Vec<String>> = LazyLock::new(|| {
+    vec![
+        "st".into(),
+        "-t".into(),
+        SCRATCHPADNAME.into(),
+        "-g".into(),
+        "120x34".into(),
+    ]
+});
+
+fn default_keys() -> [Key; 61] {
     [
         Key::new(MODKEY, XK_p, spawn, Arg::V(DMENUCMD.clone())),
         Key::new(S_MOD, XK_Return, spawn, Arg::V(TERMCMD.to_vec())),
+        Key::new(
+            MODKEY,
+            XK_grave,
+            togglescratch,
+            Arg::V(SCRATCHPADCMD.to_vec()),
+        ),
         Key::new(MODKEY, XK_b, togglebar, Arg::I(0)),
         Key::new(MODKEY, XK_j, focusstack, Arg::I(1)),
         Key::new(MODKEY, XK_k, focusstack, Arg::I(-1)),
diff --git a/src/key_handlers.rs b/src/key_handlers.rs
index 5323c69..75bc30f 100644
--- a/src/key_handlers.rs
+++ b/src/key_handlers.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ use crate::{
     getrootptr, height, is_visible, nexttiled, pop, recttomon, resize,
     resizebarwin, restack, sendevent, setfullscreen, unfocus, updatebarpos,
     width, xerror, xerrordummy, BH, CURSOR, DPY, HANDLER, MONS, MOUSEMASK,
-    ROOT, SELMON, SYSTRAY, TAGMASK, WMATOM, XNONE,
+    ROOT, SCRATCHTAG, SELMON, SYSTRAY, TAGMASK, WMATOM, XNONE,
 };
 use rwm::{Arg, Client, Monitor};
 
@@ -634,6 +634,8 @@ pub(crate) fn spawn(arg: *const Arg) {
             argv.push((*SELMON).num.to_string());
         }
 
+        (*SELMON).tagset[(*SELMON).seltags as usize] &= !*SCRATCHTAG;
+
         let mut cmd = Command::new(argv[0].clone());
         let cmd = if argv.len() > 1 { cmd.args(&argv[1..]) } else { &mut cmd };
 
@@ -670,3 +672,34 @@ pub(crate) fn fullscreen(_: *const Arg) {
         setfullscreen((*SELMON).sel, !(*(*SELMON).sel).isfullscreen)
     }
 }
+
+pub(crate) fn togglescratch(arg: *const Arg) {
+    unsafe {
+        let mut c: *mut Client;
+        let mut found = false;
+        cfor!((
+        c = (*SELMON).clients;
+        !c.is_null();
+        c = (*c).next) {
+            found = ((*c).tags & *SCRATCHTAG) != 0;
+            if found {
+                break;
+            }
+        });
+        if found {
+            let newtagset =
+                (*SELMON).tagset[(*SELMON).seltags as usize] ^ *SCRATCHTAG;
+            if newtagset != 0 {
+                (*SELMON).tagset[(*SELMON).seltags as usize] = newtagset;
+                focus(null_mut());
+                arrange(SELMON);
+            }
+            if is_visible(c) {
+                focus(c);
+                restack(SELMON);
+            }
+        } else {
+            spawn(arg);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 51bea57..5e8a6a0 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 //! tiling window manager based on dwm
 
 use std::cmp::max;
-use std::ffi::{c_char, c_int, c_uint, c_ulong, CStr};
+use std::ffi::{c_char, c_int, c_uint, c_ulong, CStr, CString};
 use std::io::Read;
 use std::mem::size_of_val;
 use std::mem::{size_of, MaybeUninit};
@@ -2412,6 +2412,26 @@ fn manage(w: Window, wa: *mut xlib::XWindowAttributes) {
         (*c).y = max((*c).y, (*(*c).mon).wy as i32);
         (*c).bw = CONFIG.borderpx as i32;
 
+        // TODO pretty sure this doesn't work with pertags, which explains some
+        // behavior I saw before in dwm. probably need to operate on
+        // selmon.pertag.tags[selmon.pertag.curtag].
+        //
+        // TODO I'm also pretty sure this is _not_ the right way to be handling
+        // this. checking the name of the window and applying these rules seems
+        // like something meant to be handled by RULES
+        (*SELMON).tagset[(*SELMON).seltags as usize] &= !*SCRATCHTAG;
+        let scratchname = match CString::new(config::SCRATCHPADNAME) {
+            Ok(s) => s.as_ptr(),
+            Err(_) => null_mut(),
+        };
+        if libc::strcmp((*c).name.as_ptr(), scratchname) == 0 {
+            (*c).tags = *SCRATCHTAG;
+            (*(*c).mon).tagset[(*(*c).mon).seltags as usize] |= (*c).tags;
+            (*c).isfloating = true;
+            (*c).x = (*(*c).mon).wx + (*(*c).mon).ww / 2 - width(c) / 2;
+            (*c).y = (*(*c).mon).wy + (*(*c).mon).wh / 2 - height(c) / 2;
+        }
+
         log::trace!("manage: XWindowChanges");
         let mut wc = xlib::XWindowChanges {
             x: 0,
@@ -2749,6 +2769,8 @@ static TAGMASK: LazyLock<u32> = LazyLock::new(|| (1 << CONFIG.tags.len()) - 1);
 const BUTTONMASK: i64 = ButtonPressMask | ButtonReleaseMask;
 const MOUSEMASK: i64 = BUTTONMASK | PointerMotionMask;
 
+static SCRATCHTAG: LazyLock<u32> = LazyLock::new(|| 1 << CONFIG.tags.len());
+
 fn updatetitle(c: *mut Client) {
     log::trace!("updatetitle");
     unsafe {