diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2a38550a..a3619ea8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-# Python
-__pycache__/
 *.py[cod]
-*$py.class
-*.so
+__pycache__/
+.pytest_cache/
+.coverage
+htmlcov/
+
+# Distribution / packaging
 .Python
 build/
 develop-eggs/
@@ -20,7 +22,12 @@ wheels/
 .installed.cfg
 *.egg
 
-# Virtual Environment
+# Installer artifacts
+installer/build/
+installer/dist/
+rw.*.dmg  # Temporary disk images
+
+# Virtual environments
 .env
 .venv
 env/
@@ -30,15 +37,8 @@ ENV/
 # IDE
 .idea/
 .vscode/
+*.swp
+*.swo
 
-# Project specific
-projects/*.db
-projects/*.db-journal
-/.coverage
-
-**/.DS_Store
-
-*.log
-/.coverage.*
-
-installer/build/
\ No newline at end of file
+# macOS
+.DS_Store
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 23aef801..ecd76c96 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "watchfiles>=1.0.4",
     "fastapi[standard]>=0.115.8",
     "alembic>=1.14.1",
+    "rumps>=0.4.0",
 ]
 
 [project.urls]
diff --git a/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/__init__.py b/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d16b6be1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+"""Basic Memory menubar application package."""
+from .app import BasicMemoryApp, main
+
+__all__ = ["BasicMemoryApp", "main"]
diff --git a/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/app.py b/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/app.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0466740b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+"""Basic Memory menubar app using rumps."""
+import rumps
+from loguru import logger
+
+class BasicMemoryApp(rumps.App):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__("Basic Memory", "✓")
+        
+        # Initialize menu structure
+        self.menu = [
+            rumps.MenuItem("Status: Idle"),
+            None,  # separator
+            rumps.MenuItem("Recent Events"),
+            None,
+            ["Settings",
+                "Choose Home Directory...",
+                "Start at Login"
+            ],
+            None,
+            "Start Sync",
+        ]
+
+    @rumps.clicked("Start Sync")
+    def toggle_sync(self, _):
+        """Toggle sync on/off."""
+        sender = self.menu["Start Sync"]
+        if sender.title == "Start Sync":
+            sender.title = "Stop Sync"
+            self.icon = "↻"
+            # TODO: Start sync process
+        else:
+            sender.title = "Start Sync"
+            self.icon = "✓"
+            # TODO: Stop sync process
+
+    @rumps.clicked("Settings", "Choose Home Directory...")
+    def choose_home_dir(self, _):
+        """Open dialog to choose home directory."""
+        # TODO: Implement directory chooser
+        logger.info("Choose home directory clicked")
+
+def main():
+    """Run the menubar app."""
+    BasicMemoryApp().run()
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index b70047c0..4c407134 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ dependencies = [
     { name = "python-frontmatter" },
     { name = "pyyaml" },
     { name = "rich" },
+    { name = "rumps" },
     { name = "sqlalchemy" },
     { name = "typer" },
     { name = "unidecode" },
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "python-frontmatter", specifier = ">=1.1.0" },
     { name = "pyyaml", specifier = ">=6.0.1" },
     { name = "rich", specifier = ">=13.9.4" },
+    { name = "rumps", specifier = ">=0.4.0" },
     { name = "sqlalchemy", specifier = ">=2.0.0" },
     { name = "typer", specifier = ">=0.9.0" },
     { name = "unidecode", specifier = ">=1.3.8" },
@@ -761,6 +763,31 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/8a/0b/9fcc47d19c48b59121088dd6da2488a49d5f72dacf8262e2790a1d2c7d15/pygments-2.19.1-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:9ea1544ad55cecf4b8242fab6dd35a93bbce657034b0611ee383099054ab6d8c", size = 1225293 },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pyobjc-core"
+version = "11.0"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/5c/94/a111239b98260869780a5767e5d74bfd3a8c13a40457f479c28dcd91f89d/pyobjc_core-11.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:63bced211cb8a8fb5c8ff46473603da30e51112861bd02c438fbbbc8578d9a70", size = 994931 }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/56/ce/bf3ff9a9347721a398c3dfb83e29b43fb166b7ef590f3f7b7ddcd283df39/pyobjc_core-11.0-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_universal2.whl", hash = "sha256:a03061d4955c62ddd7754224a80cdadfdf17b6b5f60df1d9169a3b1b02923f0b", size = 739750 },
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/72/16/0c468e73dbecb821e3da8819236fe832dfc53eb5f66a11775b055a7589ea/pyobjc_core-11.0-cp313-cp313-macosx_10_13_universal2.whl", hash = "sha256:c338c1deb7ab2e9436d4175d1127da2eeed4a1b564b3d83b9f3ae4844ba97e86", size = 743900 },
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/f3/88/cecec88fd51f62a6cd7775cc4fb6bfde16652f97df88d28c84fb77ca0c18/pyobjc_core-11.0-cp313-cp313t-macosx_10_13_universal2.whl", hash = "sha256:b4e9dc4296110f251a4033ff3f40320b35873ea7f876bd29a1c9705bb5e08c59", size = 791905 },
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pyobjc-framework-cocoa"
+version = "11.0"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "pyobjc-core" },
+]
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/c5/32/53809096ad5fc3e7a2c5ddea642590a5f2cb5b81d0ad6ea67fdb2263d9f9/pyobjc_framework_cocoa-11.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:00346a8cb81ad7b017b32ff7bf596000f9faa905807b1bd234644ebd47f692c5", size = 6173848 }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/5b/8d/0e2558447c26b3ba64f7c9776a5a6c9d2ae8abf9d34308b174ae0934402e/pyobjc_framework_Cocoa-11.0-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_universal2.whl", hash = "sha256:280a577b83c68175a28b2b7138d1d2d3111f2b2b66c30e86f81a19c2b02eae71", size = 385811 },
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/1d/a5/609281a7e89efefbef9db1d8fe66bc0458c3b4e74e2227c644f9c18926fa/pyobjc_framework_Cocoa-11.0-cp313-cp313-macosx_10_13_universal2.whl", hash = "sha256:15b2bd977ed340074f930f1330f03d42912d5882b697d78bd06f8ebe263ef92e", size = 385889 },
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/93/f6/2d5a863673ef7b85a3cba875c43e6c495fb1307427a6801001ae94bb5e54/pyobjc_framework_Cocoa-11.0-cp313-cp313t-macosx_10_13_universal2.whl", hash = "sha256:5750001db544e67f2b66f02067d8f0da96bb2ef71732bde104f01b8628f9d7ea", size = 389831 },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "pyqt6"
 version = "6.8.1"
@@ -1041,6 +1068,15 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/0e/4e/33df635528292bd2d18404e4daabcd74ca8a9853b2e1df85ed3d32d24362/ruff-0.9.2-py3-none-win_arm64.whl", hash = "sha256:a1b63fa24149918f8b37cef2ee6fff81f24f0d74b6f0bdc37bc3e1f2143e41c6", size = 10001738 },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "rumps"
+version = "0.4.0"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "pyobjc-framework-cocoa" },
+]
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/b2/e2/2e6a47951290bd1a2831dcc50aec4b25d104c0cf00e8b7868cbd29cf3bfe/rumps-0.4.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:17fb33c21b54b1e25db0d71d1d793dc19dc3c0b7d8c79dc6d833d0cffc8b1596", size = 39257 }
+
 [[package]]
 name = "setuptools"
 version = "75.8.0"