diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8addde8..dd9ad30 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -102,6 +102,9 @@ bindsym $mod+d exec talktype
 2. Speak
 3. Press the shortcut again → transcribes and types the text at your cursor
 
+**Cancel:** Double-press the shortcut (press twice within ~1.5 seconds) to cancel
+without transcribing. You can also press the shortcut during transcription to cancel.
+
 ## Backends
 
 Server backends auto-start on first use — the model loads once and stays in
diff --git a/talktype b/talktype
index 4ac0e62..606f5b5 100755
--- a/talktype
+++ b/talktype
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ TALKTYPE_DIR="${TALKTYPE_DIR:-${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-/tmp}/talktype}"
 PIDFILE="$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.pid"
 AUDIOFILE="$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.wav"
 NOTIFYFILE="$TALKTYPE_DIR/notify.id"
+TRANSFILE="$TALKTYPE_DIR/trans.pid"
+STARTFILE="$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.start"
 
 mkdir -p "$TALKTYPE_DIR"
 
@@ -53,7 +55,11 @@ notify() {
 
 notify_close() {
     if [ -f "$NOTIFYFILE" ]; then
-        notify-send -a TalkType -r "$(cat "$NOTIFYFILE")" -e "TalkType" "" 2>/dev/null || true
+        gdbus call --session \
+            --dest org.freedesktop.Notifications \
+            --object-path /org/freedesktop/Notifications \
+            --method org.freedesktop.Notifications.CloseNotification \
+            "$(cat "$NOTIFYFILE")" &>/dev/null || true
         rm -f "$NOTIFYFILE"
     fi
 }
@@ -125,6 +131,17 @@ check_deps() {
 
 check_deps
 
+# ── If transcription in progress → cancel it ──
+if [ -f "$TRANSFILE" ]; then
+    PID=$(cat "$TRANSFILE")
+    rm -f "$TRANSFILE"
+    if kill -0 "$PID" 2>/dev/null; then
+        kill "$PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+        notify_close
+        exit 0
+    fi
+fi
+
 # ── If currently recording → stop, transcribe, type ──
 if [ -f "$PIDFILE" ]; then
     PID=$(cat "$PIDFILE")
@@ -133,19 +150,41 @@ if [ -f "$PIDFILE" ]; then
     while kill -0 "$PID" 2>/dev/null; do sleep 0.05; done
     rm -f "$PIDFILE"
 
-    notify process-working "Transcribing..."
+    # Double-press cancel: if recording was under 1.5 seconds, discard
+    if [ -f "$STARTFILE" ]; then
+        START=$(cat "$STARTFILE")
+        rm -f "$STARTFILE"
+        if NOW=$(date +%s%N 2>/dev/null) && [ $(( (NOW - START) / 1000000 )) -lt 1500 ]; then
+            rm -f "$AUDIOFILE"
+            notify_close
+            exit 0
+        fi
+    fi
 
-    # Run the transcription command with the audio file as last arg
-    TEXT=$($TALKTYPE_CMD "$AUDIOFILE")
+    notify_close
 
-    rm -f "$AUDIOFILE"
+    # Run transcription in background so it can be cancelled
+    TRANSOUT="$TALKTYPE_DIR/trans.out"
+    $TALKTYPE_CMD "$AUDIOFILE" > "$TRANSOUT" &
+    TRANS_PID=$!
+    echo "$TRANS_PID" > "$TRANSFILE"
 
-    if [ -z "$TEXT" ]; then
-        notify dialog-warning "No speech detected"
+    WAIT_STATUS=0
+    wait "$TRANS_PID" || WAIT_STATUS=$?
+
+    rm -f "$TRANSFILE" "$AUDIOFILE"
+
+    if [ "$WAIT_STATUS" -ne 0 ]; then
+        rm -f "$TRANSOUT"
         exit 0
     fi
 
-    notify_close
+    TEXT=$(cat "$TRANSOUT")
+    rm -f "$TRANSOUT"
+
+    if [ -z "$TEXT" ]; then
+        exit 0
+    fi
 
     # Type text at cursor
     type_text "$TEXT"
@@ -163,5 +202,6 @@ else
     PID=$!
     disown "$PID"
     echo "$PID" > "$PIDFILE"
+    date +%s%N > "$STARTFILE" 2>/dev/null || true
     notify audio-input-microphone "Listening..."
 fi
diff --git a/test/mocks/notify-send b/test/mocks/notify-send
index 774a3a3..91dba45 100755
--- a/test/mocks/notify-send
+++ b/test/mocks/notify-send
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Mock notify-send: no-op
+# Mock notify-send
+
+# Support -p: output a fake notification ID
+for arg in "$@"; do
+    [[ "$arg" == "-p" ]] && echo "42"
+done
 exit 0
diff --git a/test/talktype.bats b/test/talktype.bats
index a3b159e..955067c 100644
--- a/test/talktype.bats
+++ b/test/talktype.bats
@@ -20,10 +20,12 @@ setup() {
 }
 
 teardown() {
-    # Kill any leftover recording processes
-    if [ -f "$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.pid" ]; then
-        kill "$(cat "$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.pid")" 2>/dev/null || true
-    fi
+    # Kill any leftover processes
+    for pidfile in rec.pid trans.pid; do
+        if [ -f "$TALKTYPE_DIR/$pidfile" ]; then
+            kill "$(cat "$TALKTYPE_DIR/$pidfile")" 2>/dev/null || true
+        fi
+    done
     rm -rf "$TALKTYPE_DIR"
 }
 
@@ -32,6 +34,8 @@ start_fake_recording() {
     sleep 300 &
     echo $! > "$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.pid"
     echo "audio data" > "$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.wav"
+    # Write a timestamp 10 seconds in the past (well above cancel threshold)
+    echo $(( $(date +%s%N) - 10000000000 )) > "$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.start"
 }
 
 # ── Recording lifecycle ──
@@ -122,8 +126,8 @@ start_fake_recording() {
 
     run "$TALKTYPE"
 
-    # Script should fail (set -e catches the non-zero exit)
-    [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+    # Script exits cleanly — failure is caught by the wait pattern
+    [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
 
     # No typing tool should have been called
     [ ! -f "$TALKTYPE_DIR/ydotool.log" ]
@@ -238,6 +242,50 @@ start_fake_recording() {
 
 # ── Dependency checking ──
 
+# ── Cancel mechanisms ──
+
+@test "double-press cancels recording without transcribing" {
+    start_fake_recording
+    # Overwrite with a fresh timestamp (just now — under 1 second)
+    date +%s%N > "$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.start"
+
+    run "$TALKTYPE"
+    [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+
+    # Should not have transcribed or typed
+    [ ! -f "$TALKTYPE_DIR/wtype.log" ]
+    [ ! -f "$TALKTYPE_DIR/ydotool.log" ]
+    # Audio file should be cleaned up
+    [ ! -f "$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.wav" ]
+}
+
+@test "hotkey during transcription cancels it" {
+    # Create a fake transcription process
+    sleep 300 &
+    local trans_pid=$!
+    echo "$trans_pid" > "$TALKTYPE_DIR/trans.pid"
+
+    run "$TALKTYPE"
+    [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+
+    # Transcription process should be killed
+    ! kill -0 "$trans_pid" 2>/dev/null
+    [ ! -f "$TALKTYPE_DIR/trans.pid" ]
+}
+
+@test "stale trans.pid falls through to start recording" {
+    echo "99999" > "$TALKTYPE_DIR/trans.pid"
+
+    run "$TALKTYPE"
+    [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+
+    # Should have started recording
+    [ -f "$TALKTYPE_DIR/rec.pid" ]
+    [ ! -f "$TALKTYPE_DIR/trans.pid" ]
+}
+
+# ── Dependency checking ──
+
 @test "fails when no typing tool is available" {
     # Create a minimal PATH with only recorder + notify (no typing tools)
     local sparse="$BATS_TEST_TMPDIR/sparse_path"