diff --git a/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifyplugin.cpp b/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifyplugin.cpp
index c3b5e179f..88186eced 100644
--- a/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifyplugin.cpp
+++ b/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifyplugin.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include "qxttimer.h"
 
-//#define DEBUG_NOTIFIES
+#define DEBUG_NOTIFIES
 
 SoundNotifyPlugin::SoundNotifyPlugin()
 {
@@ -193,10 +193,18 @@ void SoundNotifyPlugin::connectNotifications()
 
 	if(lstNotifications.isEmpty()) return;
 	// set notification message to current event
-	phonon.mo = new Phonon::MediaObject;
-	phonon.mo = Phonon::createPlayer(Phonon::NotificationCategory);
-	phonon.ms = new QList<Phonon::MediaSource>;
-	phonon.mo->clear();
+        //phonon.mo = new Phonon::MediaObject;
+        phonon.mo = Phonon::createPlayer(Phonon::NotificationCategory);
+        phonon.ms = new QList<Phonon::MediaSource>;
+        phonon.mo->clear();
+        phonon.firstPlay = true;
+#ifdef DEBUG_NOTIFIES
+        QList<Phonon::AudioOutputDevice> audioOutputDevices =
+                     Phonon::BackendCapabilities::availableAudioOutputDevices();
+        foreach(Phonon::AudioOutputDevice dev, audioOutputDevices) {
+            qDebug() << "Notify: Audio Output device: " << dev.name() << " - " << dev.description();
+        }
+#endif
 	connect(phonon.mo,SIGNAL(stateChanged(Phonon::State,Phonon::State)),
 			this,SLOT(stateChanged(Phonon::State,Phonon::State)));
 }
@@ -281,8 +289,12 @@ void SoundNotifyPlugin::checkNotificationRule(NotifyPluginConfiguration* notific
 
 bool SoundNotifyPlugin::playNotification(NotifyPluginConfiguration* notification)
 {
+#ifdef DEBUG_NOTIFIES
+    qDebug() << "Phonon State: " << phonon.mo->state();
+#endif
 	if((phonon.mo->state()==Phonon::PausedState) ||
-		(phonon.mo->state()==Phonon::StoppedState))
+                (phonon.mo->state()==Phonon::StoppedState) ||
+                phonon.firstPlay)
 	{
 		// don't fire expire timer
 		//notification->expire = false;
@@ -330,6 +342,8 @@ bool SoundNotifyPlugin::playNotification(NotifyPluginConfiguration* notification
 			phonon.ms->append(Phonon::MediaSource(item));
 		phonon.mo->setQueue(*phonon.ms);
 		phonon.mo->play();
+                phonon.firstPlay = false; // On Linux, you sometimes have to nudge Phonon to play 1 time before
+                                          // the state is not "Loading" anymore.
 	}
 	else
 		return false; // if audio is busy
@@ -379,6 +393,10 @@ void SoundNotifyPlugin::expireTimerHandler()
 void SoundNotifyPlugin::stateChanged(Phonon::State newstate, Phonon::State oldstate)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(oldstate)
+
+#ifdef DEBUG_NOTIFIES
+    qDebug() << "File length (ms): " << phonon.mo->totalTime();
+#endif
 	if((newstate  == Phonon::PausedState) ||
 	   (newstate  == Phonon::StoppedState))
 	{
diff --git a/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifyplugin.h b/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifyplugin.h
index 7dddd5241..bdaca596e 100644
--- a/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifyplugin.h
+++ b/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifyplugin.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	Phonon::MediaObject* mo;
 	QList<Phonon::MediaSource>* ms;
 	NotifyPluginConfiguration* notify;
+        bool firstPlay;
 } PhononObject, *pPhononObject;
 
 class SoundNotifyPlugin : public ExtensionSystem::IPlugin
diff --git a/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifypluginconfiguration.cpp b/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifypluginconfiguration.cpp
index 7721e688c..a123975ee 100644
--- a/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifypluginconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifypluginconfiguration.cpp
@@ -101,28 +101,28 @@ QString NotifyPluginConfiguration::parseNotifyMessage()
 	// generate queue of sound files to play
 	notifyMessageList.clear();
 
-	if(QFile::exists(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+getCurrentLanguage()+"\\"+getSound1()+".wav"))
-		notifyMessageList.append(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+getCurrentLanguage()+"\\"+getSound1()+".wav");
+        if(QFile::exists(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath()+ getCurrentLanguage()+"/"+getSound1()+".wav")))
+                notifyMessageList.append(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath() + getCurrentLanguage()+"/"+getSound1()+".wav"));
 	else
-		if(QFile::exists(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\default\\"+getSound2()+".wav"))
-			notifyMessageList.append(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\default\\"+getSound1()+".wav");
+                if(QFile::exists(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath() + "default/"+getSound2()+".wav")))
+                        notifyMessageList.append(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath() + "default/"+getSound1()+".wav"));
 
 	if(getSound2()!="")
 	{
-		if(QFile::exists(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+getCurrentLanguage()+"\\"+getSound2()+".wav"))
-			notifyMessageList.append(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+getCurrentLanguage()+"\\"+getSound2()+".wav");
+                if(QFile::exists(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath() + getCurrentLanguage()+"/"+getSound2()+".wav")))
+                        notifyMessageList.append(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath() + getCurrentLanguage()+"/"+getSound2()+".wav"));
 		else
-			if(QFile::exists(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+"\\default\\"+"\\"+getSound2()+".wav"))
-				notifyMessageList.append(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\default\\"+getSound2()+".wav");
+                        if(QFile::exists(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath() + "default/"+getSound2()+".wav")))
+                                notifyMessageList.append(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath() + "default/"+getSound2()+".wav"));
 	}
 
 	if(getSound3()!="")
 	{
-		if(QFile::exists(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+getCurrentLanguage()+"\\"+getSound3()+".wav"))
-			notifyMessageList.append(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+getCurrentLanguage()+"\\"+getSound3()+".wav");
+                if(QFile::exists(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath()+getCurrentLanguage()+"/"+getSound3()+".wav")))
+                        notifyMessageList.append(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath()+getCurrentLanguage()+"/"+getSound3()+".wav"));
 		else
-			if(QFile::exists(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+"\\default\\"+"\\"+getSound3()+".wav"))
-				notifyMessageList.append(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\default\\"+getSound3()+".wav");
+                        if(QFile::exists(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath()+"default/"+getSound3()+".wav")))
+                                notifyMessageList.append(QDir::toNativeSeparators(getSoundCollectionPath()+"default/"+getSound3()+".wav"));
 	}
 
 	switch(str1.at(0).toAscii())
@@ -204,12 +204,12 @@ QString NotifyPluginConfiguration::parseNotifyMessage()
 		}
 		foreach(QString fileName,numberFiles) {
 			fileName+=".wav";
-			QString filePath = getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+getCurrentLanguage()+"\\"+fileName;
+                        QString filePath = getSoundCollectionPath()+ QDir::toNativeSeparators(getCurrentLanguage()+"/"+fileName);
 			if(QFile::exists(filePath))
-				notifyMessageList.insert(position++,getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\"+getCurrentLanguage()+"\\"+fileName);
+                                notifyMessageList.insert(position++,getSoundCollectionPath()+ QDir::toNativeSeparators(getCurrentLanguage()+"/"+fileName));
 			else {
-				if(QFile::exists(getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\default\\"+fileName))
-					notifyMessageList.insert(position++,getSoundCollectionPath()+"\\default\\"+fileName);
+                                if(QFile::exists(getSoundCollectionPath()+QDir::toNativeSeparators("default/"+fileName)))
+                                        notifyMessageList.insert(position++,getSoundCollectionPath()+QDir::toNativeSeparators("default/"+fileName));
 				else {
 					notifyMessageList.clear();
 					break; // if no some of *.wav files, then don't play number!
diff --git a/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifypluginoptionspage.cpp b/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifypluginoptionspage.cpp
index bc316d78b..4bc93eb38 100644
--- a/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifypluginoptionspage.cpp
+++ b/ground/src/plugins/notify/notifypluginoptionspage.cpp
@@ -287,7 +287,8 @@ void NotifyPluginOptionsPage::on_soundLanguage_indexChanged(int index)
 {
 	options_page->SoundCollectionList->setCurrentIndex(index);
 
-	currentCollectionPath = options_page->SoundDirectoryPathChooser->path() +"\\"+options_page->SoundCollectionList->currentText();
+        currentCollectionPath = options_page->SoundDirectoryPathChooser->path() +
+                QDir::toNativeSeparators("/" + options_page->SoundCollectionList->currentText());
 
 	QDir dirPath(currentCollectionPath);
 	QStringList filters;