diff --git a/awesomerc.lua.in b/awesomerc.lua.in
index ceac430e..db1f0742 100644
--- a/awesomerc.lua.in
+++ b/awesomerc.lua.in
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ require("wibox")
 require("beautiful")
 -- Notification library
 require("naughty")
+require("menubar")
 
 -- {{{ Error handling
 -- Check if awesome encountered an error during startup and fell back to
@@ -93,6 +94,9 @@ mymainmenu = awful.menu({ items = { { "awesome", myawesomemenu, beautiful.awesom
 
 mylauncher = awful.widget.launcher({ image = beautiful.awesome_icon,
                                      menu = mymainmenu })
+
+-- Menubar configuration
+menubar.utils.terminal = terminal -- Set the terminal for applications that require it
 -- }}}
 
 -- {{{ Wibox
@@ -251,7 +255,9 @@ globalkeys = awful.util.table.join(
                   mypromptbox[mouse.screen].widget,
                   awful.util.eval, nil,
                   awful.util.getdir("cache") .. "/history_eval")
-              end)
+              end),
+    -- Menubar
+    awful.key({ modkey }, "p", function() menubar.show() end)
 )
 
 clientkeys = awful.util.table.join(
diff --git a/lib/menubar/init.lua.in b/lib/menubar/init.lua.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..46942bc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/menubar/init.lua.in
@@ -0,0 +1,269 @@
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- @author Alexander Yakushev <yakushev.alex@gmail.com>
+-- @copyright 2011-2012 Alexander Yakushev
+-- @release @AWESOME_VERSION@
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+-- Grab environment we need
+local capi = { client = client,
+               screen = screen }
+local setmetatable = setmetatable
+local pairs = pairs
+local ipairs = ipairs
+local table = table
+local theme = require("beautiful")
+local menu_gen = require("menubar.menu_gen")
+local prompt = require("awful.prompt")
+local awful = require("awful")
+local common = require("awful.widget.common")
+local tonumber = tonumber
+local string = string
+local mouse = mouse
+local math = math
+local keygrabber = keygrabber
+local wibox = require("wibox")
+
+module("menubar")
+
+-- Options section
+
+-- When true the .desktop files will be reparsed only when the
+-- extension is initialized. Use this if menubar takes much time to
+-- open.
+cache_entries = true
+
+-- When true the categories will be shown alongside application
+-- entries.
+show_categories = true
+
+-- Specifies the geometry of the menubar. This is a table with the keys
+-- x, y, width and height. Missing values are replaced via the screen's
+-- geometry. However, missing height is replaced by the font size.
+geometry = { width = nil,
+             height = nil,
+             x = nil,
+             y = nil }
+
+-- Private section
+local current_item = 1
+local previous_item = nil
+local current_category = nil
+local shownitems = nil
+local instance = { prompt = nil,
+                   widget = nil,
+                   wibox = nil }
+
+local common_args = { w = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal(),
+                      data = setmetatable({}, { __mode = 'kv' }) }
+
+-- Wrap the text with the color span tag.
+-- @param s The text.
+-- @param c The desired text color.
+-- @return the text wrapped in a span tag.
+local function colortext(s, c)
+    return "<span color='" .. c .. "'>" .. s .. "</span>"
+end
+
+-- Generate a pattern matching expression that ignores case.
+-- @param s Original pattern matching expresion.
+local function nocase (s)
+    s = string.gsub(s, "%a",
+                    function (c)
+                        return string.format("[%s%s]", string.lower(c),
+                                             string.upper(c))
+                    end)
+    return s
+end
+
+-- Get how the menu item should be displayed.
+-- @param o The menu item.
+-- @return item name, item background color, background image, item icon.
+local function label(o)
+    if o.focused then
+        local color = awful.util.color_strip_alpha(theme.fg_focus)
+        return colortext(o.name, color), theme.bg_focus, nil, o.icon
+    else
+        return o.name, theme.bg_normal, nil, o.icon
+    end
+end
+
+-- Perform an action for the given menu item.
+-- @param o The menu item.
+-- @return if the function processed the callback, new awful.prompt command, new awful.prompt prompt text.
+local function perform_action(o)
+    if not o or o.empty then
+        return true
+    end
+    if o.key then
+        current_category = o.key
+        local new_prompt = shownitems[current_item].name .. ": "
+        previous_item = current_item
+        current_item = 1
+        return true, "", new_prompt
+    elseif shownitems[current_item].cmdline then
+        awful.util.spawn(shownitems[current_item].cmdline)
+        hide()
+        return true
+    end
+end
+
+-- Update the menubar according to the command entered by user.
+-- @param query The text to filter entries by.
+local function menulist_update(query)
+    local query = query or ""
+    shownitems = {}
+    local match_inside = {}
+
+    -- First we add entries which names match the command from the
+    -- beginning to the table shownitems, and the ones that contain
+    -- command in the middle to the table match_inside.
+
+    -- Add the categories
+    if show_categories then
+        for _, v in pairs(menu_gen.all_categories) do
+            v.focused = false
+            if not current_category and v.use then
+                if string.match(v.name, nocase(query)) then
+                    if string.match(v.name, "^" .. nocase(query)) then
+                        table.insert(shownitems, v)
+                    else
+                        table.insert(match_inside, v)
+                    end
+                end
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
+    -- Add the applications
+    for i, v in ipairs(menu_entries) do
+        v.focused = false
+        if not current_category or v.category == current_category then
+            if string.match(v.name, nocase(query)) then
+                if string.match(v.name, "^" .. nocase(query)) then
+                    table.insert(shownitems, v)
+                else
+                    table.insert(match_inside, v)
+                end
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
+    -- Now add items from match_inside to shownitems
+    for i, v in ipairs(match_inside) do
+        table.insert(shownitems, v)
+    end
+
+    if #shownitems > 0 then
+        if current_item > #shownitems then
+            current_item = #shownitems
+        end
+        shownitems[current_item].focused = true
+    else
+        table.insert(shownitems, { name = "&lt;no matches&gt;", icon = nil,
+                                   empty = true })
+    end
+
+    common.list_update(common_args.w, nil, label,
+                       common_args.data,
+                       shownitems)
+end
+
+-- Create the menubar wibox and widgets.
+local function initialize()
+    instance.wibox = wibox({})
+    instance.widget = get()
+    instance.wibox.ontop = true
+    instance.prompt = awful.widget.prompt()
+    local layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal()
+    layout:add(instance.prompt)
+    layout:add(instance.widget)
+    instance.wibox:set_widget(layout)
+end
+
+--- Refresh menubar's cache by reloading .desktop files.
+function refresh()
+    menu_entries = menu_gen.generate()
+end
+
+-- Awful.prompt keypressed callback to be used when the user presses a key.
+-- @param mod Table of key combination modifiers (Control, Shift).
+-- @param key The key that was pressed.
+-- @param comm The current command in the prompt.
+-- @return if the function processed the callback, new awful.prompt command, new awful.prompt prompt text.
+local function prompt_keypressed_callback(mod, key, comm)
+    if key == "Left" or (mod.Control and key == "j") then
+        current_item = math.max(current_item - 1, 1)
+        return true
+    elseif key == "Right" or (mod.Control and key == "k") then
+        current_item = current_item + 1
+        return true
+    elseif key == "BackSpace" then
+        if comm == "" and current_category then
+            current_category = nil
+            current_item = previous_item
+            return true, nil, "Run app: "
+        end
+    elseif key == "Escape" then
+        if current_category then
+            current_category = nil
+            current_item = previous_item
+            return true, nil, "Run app: "
+        end
+    elseif key == "Return" then
+        return perform_action(shownitems[current_item])
+    end
+    return false
+end
+
+--- Show the menubar on the given screen.
+-- @param scr Screen number.
+function show(scr)
+    if not instance.wibox then
+        initialize()
+    elseif instance.wibox.visible then -- Menu already shown, exit
+        return
+    elseif not cache_entries then
+        refresh()
+    end
+
+    -- Set position and size
+    scr = scr or mouse.screen or 1
+    local scrgeom = capi.screen[scr].workarea
+    instance.wibox:geometry({x = geometry.x or scrgeom.x,
+                             y = geometry.y or scrgeom.y,
+                             height = geometry.height or theme.get_font_height() * 1.5,
+                             width = geometry.width or scrgeom.width})
+
+    current_item = 1
+    current_category = nil
+    menulist_update()
+    prompt.run({ prompt = "Run app: " }, instance.prompt.widget, function(s) end,
+               nil, awful.util.getdir("cache") .. "/history_menu", nil, hide,
+               menulist_update,
+               prompt_keypressed_callback)
+    instance.wibox.visible = true
+end
+
+--- Hide the menubar.
+function hide()
+    keygrabber.stop()
+    instance.wibox.visible = false
+end
+
+--- Get a menubar wibox.
+-- @return menubar wibox.
+function get()
+    if app_folders then
+        menu_gen.all_menu_dirs = app_folders
+    end
+    refresh()
+    -- Add to each category the name of its key in all_categories
+    for k, v in pairs(menu_gen.all_categories) do
+        v.key = k
+    end
+    return common_args.w
+end
+
+setmetatable(_M, { __call = function(_, ...) return get(...) end })
+
+-- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/menubar/menu_gen.lua.in b/lib/menubar/menu_gen.lua.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52bdba0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/menubar/menu_gen.lua.in
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- @author Antonio Terceiro
+-- @copyright 2009, 2011-2012 Antonio Terceiro, Alexander Yakushev
+-- @release @AWESOME_VERSION@
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+-- Grab environment
+local utils = require("menubar.utils")
+local pairs = pairs
+local ipairs = ipairs
+local string = string
+local table = table
+
+-- Menu generation module for menubar
+module("menubar.menu_gen")
+
+-- Options section
+
+-- Specifies all directories where menubar should look for .desktop
+-- files. The search is not recursive.
+all_menu_dirs = { '/usr/share/applications/' }
+
+-- Specify the mapping of .desktop Categories section to the
+-- categories in the menubar. If "use" flag is set to false then any of
+-- the applications that fall only to this category will not be shown.
+all_categories = {
+    multimedia = { app_type = "AudioVideo", name = "Multimedia",
+                     icon_name = "applications-multimedia.png", use = true },
+    development = { app_type = "Development", name = "Development",
+                    icon_name = "applications-development.png", use = true },
+    education = { app_type = "Education", name = "Education",
+                  icon_name = "applications-science.png", use = true },
+    games = { app_type = "Game", name = "Games",
+              icon_name = "applications-games.png", use = true },
+    graphics = { app_type = "Graphics", name = "Graphics",
+                 icon_name = "applications-graphics.png", use = true },
+    office = { app_type = "Office", name = "Office",
+               icon_name = "applications-office.png", use = true },
+    internet = { app_type = "Network", name = "Internet",
+                icon_name = "applications-internet.png", use = true },
+    settings = { app_type = "Settings", name = "Settings",
+                 icon_name = "applications-utilities.png", use = true },
+    tools = { app_type = "System", name = "System Tools",
+               icon_name = "applications-system.png", use = true },
+    utility = { app_type = "Utility", name = "Accessories",
+                icon_name = "applications-accessories.png", use = true }
+}
+
+--- Find icons for category entries.
+function lookup_category_icons()
+    for _, v in pairs(all_categories) do
+        v.icon = utils.lookup_icon(v.icon_name)
+    end
+end
+
+-- Get category key name and whether it is used by its app_type.
+-- @param app_type Application category as written in .desktop file.
+-- @return category key name in all_categories, whether the category is used
+local function get_category_name_and_usage_by_type(app_type)
+    for k, v in pairs(all_categories) do
+        if app_type == v.app_type then
+            return k, v.use
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+-- Remove CR\LF newline from the end of the string.
+-- @param s string to trim
+local function trim(s)
+    if not s then return end
+    if string.byte(s, #s) == 13 then
+        return string.sub(s, 1, #s - 1)
+    end
+    return s
+end
+
+--- Generate an array of all visible menu entries.
+-- @return all menu entries.
+function generate()
+    -- Update icons for category entries
+    lookup_category_icons()
+
+    local result = {}
+
+    for _, dir in ipairs(all_menu_dirs) do
+        local entries = utils.parse_dir(dir)
+        for _, program in ipairs(entries) do
+            -- Check whether to include program in the menu
+            if program.show and program.Name and program.cmdline then
+                local target_category = nil
+                -- Check if the program falls at least to one of the
+                -- usable categories. Set target_category to be the id
+                -- of the first category it finds.
+                if program.categories then
+                    for _, category in pairs(program.categories) do
+                        local cat_key, cat_use =
+                            get_category_name_and_usage_by_type(category)
+                        if cat_key and cat_use then
+                            target_category = cat_key
+                            break
+                        end
+                    end
+                end
+                if target_category then
+                    local name = trim(program.Name) or ""
+                    local cmdline = trim(program.cmdline) or ""
+                    local icon = utils.lookup_icon(trim(program.icon_path)) or nil
+                    table.insert(result, { name = name,
+                                           cmdline = cmdline,
+                                           icon = icon,
+                                           category = target_category })
+                end
+            end
+        end
+    end
+    return result
+end
+
+-- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/menubar/utils.lua.in b/lib/menubar/utils.lua.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c6aa1e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/menubar/utils.lua.in
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- @author Antonio Terceiro
+-- @copyright 2009, 2011-2012 Antonio Terceiro, Alexander Yakushev
+-- @release @AWESOME_VERSION@
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+-- Grab environment
+local io = io
+local table = table
+local ipairs = ipairs
+local string = string
+local awful_util = require("awful.util")
+local theme = require("beautiful")
+
+-- Utility module for menubar
+module("menubar.utils")
+
+-- NOTE: This icons/desktop files module was written according to the
+-- following freedesktop.org specifications:
+-- Icons: http://standards.freedesktop.org/icon-theme-spec/icon-theme-spec-0.11.html
+-- Desktop files: http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-1.0.html
+
+-- Options section
+
+-- Terminal which applications that need terminal would open in.
+terminal = 'xterm'
+
+-- The default icon for applications that don't provide any icon in
+-- their .desktop files.
+default_icon = nil
+
+-- Name of the WM for the OnlyShownIn entry in the .desktop file.
+wm_name = "awesome"
+
+-- Private section
+
+local all_icon_sizes = {
+    '128x128' ,
+    '96x96',
+    '72x72',
+    '64x64',
+    '48x48',
+    '36x36',
+    '32x32',
+    '24x24',
+    '22x22',
+    '16x16'
+}
+
+-- List of supported icon formats. Ignore SVG because Awesome doesn't
+-- support it.
+local icon_formats = { "png", "xpm" }
+
+-- Check whether the icon format is supported.
+-- @param icon_file Filename of the icon.
+-- @return true if format is supported, false otherwise.
+local function is_format_supported(icon_file)
+    for _, f in ipairs(icon_formats) do
+        if icon_file:match('%.' .. f) then
+            return true
+        end
+    end
+    return false
+end
+
+--- Lookup an icon in different folders of the filesystem.
+-- @param icon_file Short or full name of the icon.
+-- @return full name of the icon.
+function lookup_icon(icon_file)
+    if not icon_file or icon_file == "" then
+        return default_icon
+    end
+
+    if icon_file:sub(1, 1) == '/' and is_format_supported(icon_file) then
+        -- If the path to the icon is absolute and its format is
+        -- supported, do not perform a lookup.
+        return icon_file
+    else
+        local icon_path = {}
+        local icon_theme_paths = {}
+        local icon_theme = theme.icon_theme
+        if icon_theme then
+            table.insert(icon_theme_paths, '/usr/share/icons/' .. icon_theme .. '/')
+            -- TODO also look in parent icon themes, as in freedesktop.org specification
+        end
+        table.insert(icon_theme_paths, '/usr/share/icons/hicolor/') -- fallback theme
+
+        for i, icon_theme_directory in ipairs(icon_theme_paths) do
+            for j, size in ipairs(all_icon_sizes) do
+                table.insert(icon_path, icon_theme_directory .. size .. '/apps/')
+                table.insert(icon_path, icon_theme_directory .. size .. '/actions/')
+                table.insert(icon_path, icon_theme_directory .. size .. '/devices/')
+                table.insert(icon_path, icon_theme_directory .. size .. '/places/')
+                table.insert(icon_path, icon_theme_directory .. size .. '/categories/')
+                table.insert(icon_path, icon_theme_directory .. size .. '/status/')
+            end
+        end
+        -- lowest priority fallbacks
+        table.insert(icon_path, '/usr/share/pixmaps/')
+        table.insert(icon_path, '/usr/share/icons/')
+
+        for i, directory in ipairs(icon_path) do
+            if is_format_supported(icon_file) and awful_util.file_readable(directory .. icon_file) then
+                return directory .. icon_file
+            else
+                -- Icon is probably specified without path and format,
+                -- like 'firefox'. Try to add supported extensions to
+                -- it and see if such file exists.
+                for _, format in ipairs(icon_formats) do
+                    local possible_file = directory .. icon_file .. "." .. format
+                    if awful_util.file_readable(possible_file) then
+                        return possible_file
+                    end
+                end
+            end
+        end
+        return default_icon
+    end
+end
+
+--- Parse a .desktop file.
+-- @param file The .desktop file.
+-- @return A table with file entries.
+function parse(file)
+    local program = { show = true, file = file }
+    for line in io.lines(file) do
+        for key, value in line:gmatch("(%w+)=(.+)") do
+            program[key] = value
+        end
+    end
+
+    -- Don't show program if NoDisplay attribute is false
+    if program.NoDisplay and string.lower(program.NoDisplay) == "true" then
+        program.show = false
+    end
+
+    -- Only show the program if there is no OnlyShowIn attribute
+    -- or if it's equal to 'awesome'
+    if program.OnlyShowIn ~= nil and program.OnlyShowIn ~= wm_name then
+        program.show = false
+    end
+
+    -- Look up for a icon.
+    if program.Icon then
+        program.icon_path = lookup_icon(program.Icon)
+    end
+
+    -- Split categories into a table. Categories are written in one
+    -- line separated by semicolon.
+    if program.Categories then
+        program.categories = {}
+        for category in program.Categories:gfind('[^;]+') do
+            table.insert(program.categories, category)
+        end
+    end
+
+    if program.Exec then
+        -- Substitute Exec special codes as specified in
+        -- http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/1.1/ar01s06.html
+        local cmdline = program.Exec:gsub('%%c', program.Name)
+        cmdline = cmdline:gsub('%%[fuFU]', '')
+        cmdline = cmdline:gsub('%%k', program.file)
+        if program.icon_path then
+            cmdline = cmdline:gsub('%%i', '--icon ' .. program.icon_path)
+        else
+            cmdline = cmdline:gsub('%%i', '')
+        end
+        if program.Terminal == "true" then
+            cmdline = terminal .. ' -e ' .. cmdline
+        end
+        program.cmdline = cmdline
+    end
+
+    return program
+end
+
+--- Parse a directory with .desktop files
+-- @param dir The directory.
+-- @param icons_size, The icons sizes, optional.
+-- @return A table with all .desktop entries.
+function parse_dir(dir)
+    local programs = {}
+    local files = io.popen('find '.. dir ..' -maxdepth 1 -name "*.desktop"'):lines()
+    for file in files do
+        table.insert(programs, parse(file))
+    end
+    return programs
+end
+
+-- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/themes/default/theme.lua.in b/themes/default/theme.lua.in
index a4f2ed0b..6699acdf 100644
--- a/themes/default/theme.lua.in
+++ b/themes/default/theme.lua.in
@@ -91,5 +91,9 @@ theme.layout_dwindle = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/dwindlew.png"
 
 theme.awesome_icon = "@AWESOME_ICON_PATH@/awesome16.png"
 
+-- Define the icon theme for application icons. If not set then the icons 
+-- from /usr/share/icons and /usr/share/icons/hicolor will be used.
+theme.icon_theme = nil
+
 return theme
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80