--- a/src/error.cc
+++ b/src/error.cc
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "oct-obj.h"
 #include "pager.h"
 #include "tree-const.h"
+#include "user-prefs.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
 // Current error state.
@@ -47,6 +48,10 @@
 {
   flush_output_to_pager ();
 
+  int to_beep_or_not_to_beep = user_pref.beep_on_error && ! error_state;
+
+  if (to_beep_or_not_to_beep)
+    cerr << "\a";
   if (name)
     cerr << name << ": ";
   cerr.vform (fmt, args);
@@ -54,6 +59,8 @@
 
   ostrstream output_buf;
 
+  if (to_beep_or_not_to_beep)
+    output_buf << "\a";
   if (name)
     output_buf << name << ": ";
   output_buf.vform (fmt, args);
@@ -75,9 +82,6 @@
 {
   if (error_state != -2)
     {
-      if (! error_state)
-	error_state = 1;
-
       if (! suppress_octave_error_messages)
 	{
 	  if (fmt)
@@ -87,8 +91,6 @@
 		  int len = strlen (fmt);
 		  if (fmt[len - 1] == '\n')
 		    {
-		      error_state = -2;
-
 		      if (len > 1)
 			{
 			  char *tmp_fmt = strsave (fmt);
@@ -96,6 +98,8 @@
 			  verror (name, tmp_fmt, args);
 			  delete [] tmp_fmt;
 			}
+
+		      error_state = -2;
 		    }
 		  else
 		    verror (name, fmt, args);
@@ -104,6 +108,9 @@
 	  else
 	    panic ("error_1: invalid format");
 	}
+
+      if (! error_state)
+	error_state = 1;
     }
 }
 

--- a/src/octave.cc
+++ b/src/octave.cc
@@ -507,6 +507,7 @@
 {
   bind_builtin_variable ("PS1", ">> ");
   bind_builtin_variable ("PS2", "");
+  bind_builtin_variable ("beep_on_error", "true");
   bind_builtin_variable ("default_save_format", "mat-binary");
   bind_builtin_variable ("define_all_return_values", "true");
   bind_builtin_variable ("do_fortran_indexing", "true");

--- a/src/user-prefs.cc
+++ b/src/user-prefs.cc
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 init_user_prefs (void)
 {
   user_pref.automatic_replot = 0;
+  user_pref.beep_on_error = 0;
   user_pref.define_all_return_values = 0;
   user_pref.do_fortran_indexing = 0;
   user_pref.empty_list_elements_ok = 0;
@@ -130,6 +131,17 @@
 }
 
 
+// Should we beep obnoxiously before printing error messages?
+
+int
+beep_on_error (void)
+{
+  user_pref.beep_on_error = check_str_pref ("beep_on_error");
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
 // Should variables returned from functions have default values if
 // they are otherwise uninitialized?
 

--- a/src/user-prefs.h
+++ b/src/user-prefs.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 struct user_preferences
 {
   int automatic_replot;
+  int beep_on_error;
   int define_all_return_values;
   int do_fortran_indexing;
   int empty_list_elements_ok;
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@
 extern void init_user_prefs (void);
 
 extern int automatic_replot (void);
+extern int beep_on_error (void);
 extern int define_all_return_values (void);
 extern int do_fortran_indexing (void);
 extern int empty_list_elements_ok (void);

--- a/src/variables.cc
+++ b/src/variables.cc
@@ -1609,6 +1609,10 @@
 	  0, automatic_replot,
     "if true, auto-insert a replot command when a plot changes");
 
+  DEFVAR ("beep_on_error", SBV_beep_on_error, "false", 0,
+	  beep_on_error,
+    "if true, beep before printing error messages");
+
   DEFVAR ("default_return_value", SBV_default_return_value, Matrix (),
 	  0, 0,
     "the default for value for unitialized variables returned from\n\