diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 53204ee..bb4a406 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -20,6 +20,20 @@ enum alignment align = left;    /* text alignment [left/center/right] */
 int sticky_history = True;
 int verbosity = 0;
 
+
+/* monitor to display notifications on */
+int monitor = 0;
+
+/* follow focus to different monitor and display notifications there?
+ * possible values:
+ * FOLLOW_NONE
+ * FOLLOW_MOUSE
+ * FOLLOW_KEYBOARD
+ *
+ *  everything else than FOLLOW_NONE overrides 'monitor'
+ */
+enum follow_mode f_mode = FOLLOW_NONE;
+
 /* keyboard shortcuts */
 keyboard_shortcut close_ks = {.str = "ctrl+space",
                        .code = 0, .sym = NoSymbol,.is_valid = False}; /* ignore this */
diff --git a/dunst.c b/dunst.c
index 668769b..bbb49fc 100644
--- a/dunst.c
+++ b/dunst.c
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ static dimension_t geometry;
 static XScreenSaverInfo *screensaver_info;
 static int font_h;
 
-static enum follow_mode f_mode = FOLLOW_NONE;
 
 int next_notification_id = 1;
 
@@ -958,7 +957,7 @@ Window get_focused_window(void)
 int select_screen(XineramaScreenInfo * info, int info_len)
 {
         if (f_mode == FOLLOW_NONE) {
-                return scr.scr;
+                return monitor;
 
         } else {
                 int x, y;
@@ -980,7 +979,7 @@ int select_screen(XineramaScreenInfo * info, int info_len)
 
                         if (focused == 0) {
                                 /* something went wrong. Fallback to default */
-                                return scr.scr;
+                                return monitor;
                         }
 
                         Window child_return;
@@ -997,7 +996,7 @@ int select_screen(XineramaScreenInfo * info, int info_len)
                 }
 
                 /* something seems to be wrong. Fallback to default */
-                return scr.scr;
+                return monitor;
         }
 }
 
@@ -1005,15 +1004,15 @@ void update_screen_info()
 {
 #ifdef XINERAMA
         int n;
-        int screen = 0;
+        int screen = monitor;
         XineramaScreenInfo *info;
 #endif
 #ifdef XINERAMA
         if ((info = XineramaQueryScreens(dc->dpy, &n))) {
                 screen = select_screen(info, n);
                 if (screen >= n) {
-                        fprintf(stderr, "Monitor %d not found\n", screen);
-                        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+                        /* invalid monitor, fallback to default */
+                        screen = 0;
                 }
                 scr.dim.x = info[screen].x_org;
                 scr.dim.y = info[screen].y_org;