diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 44c6acd..d0ba538 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -137,13 +137,23 @@ pub static DMENUCMD: DmenuCmd = DmenuCmd([
 ]);
 pub const TERMCMD: [*const c_char; 2] = [c"st".as_ptr(), null_mut()];
 
+pub const SCRATCHPADNAME: *const c_char = c"scratchpad".as_ptr();
+pub const SCRATCHPADCMD: [*const c_char; 6] = [
+    c"st".as_ptr(),
+    c"-t".as_ptr(),
+    SCRATCHPADNAME,
+    c"-g".as_ptr(),
+    c"120x34".as_ptr(),
+    null_mut(),
+];
+
 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,
 };
 
-pub static KEYS: [Key; 60] = [
+pub static KEYS: [Key; 61] = [
     Key::new(MODKEY, XK_p, spawn, Arg { v: DMENUCMD.0.as_ptr().cast() }),
     Key::new(
         MODKEY | ShiftMask,
@@ -151,6 +161,12 @@ pub static KEYS: [Key; 60] = [
         spawn,
         Arg { v: TERMCMD.as_ptr().cast() },
     ),
+    Key::new(
+        MODKEY,
+        XK_grave,
+        togglescratch,
+        Arg { v: SCRATCHPADCMD.as_ptr().cast() },
+    ),
     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 aec0063..219c8e5 100644
--- a/src/key_handlers.rs
+++ b/src/key_handlers.rs
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ use crate::{
     arrange, attach, attachstack, detach, detachstack, drawbar, focus,
     getrootptr, height, is_visible, nexttiled, pop, recttomon, resize,
     resizebarwin, restack, sendevent, unfocus, updatebarpos, width, xerror,
-    xerrordummy, BH, CURSOR, DPY, HANDLER, MONS, MOUSEMASK, ROOT, SELMON,
-    SYSTRAY, TAGMASK, WMATOM, XNONE,
+    xerrordummy, BH, CURSOR, DPY, HANDLER, MONS, MOUSEMASK, ROOT, SCRATCHTAG,
+    SELMON, SYSTRAY, TAGMASK, WMATOM, XNONE,
 };
 use rwm::{Arg, Client, Layout, Monitor};
 
@@ -623,6 +623,7 @@ pub(crate) unsafe extern "C" fn spawn(arg: *const Arg) {
             log::trace!("spawn: dmenucmd on monitor {}", (*SELMON).num);
             DMENUMON[0] = '0' as c_char + (*SELMON).num as c_char;
         }
+        (*SELMON).tagset[(*SELMON).seltags as usize] &= !SCRATCHTAG;
         if libc::fork() == 0 {
             if !DPY.is_null() {
                 libc::close(XConnectionNumber(DPY));
@@ -668,3 +669,34 @@ pub(crate) unsafe extern "C" fn toggletag(arg: *const Arg) {
         }
     }
 }
+
+pub(crate) unsafe extern "C" 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 648d85b..25a82e2 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -2421,6 +2421,22 @@ 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;
+        if libc::strcmp((*c).name.as_ptr(), config::SCRATCHPADNAME) == 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,
@@ -2758,6 +2774,8 @@ const TAGMASK: u32 = (1 << TAGS.len()) - 1;
 const BUTTONMASK: i64 = ButtonPressMask | ButtonReleaseMask;
 const MOUSEMASK: i64 = BUTTONMASK | PointerMotionMask;
 
+static SCRATCHTAG: u32 = 1 << TAGS.len();
+
 fn updatetitle(c: *mut Client) {
     log::trace!("updatetitle");
     unsafe {