diff --git a/build_macos.sh b/build_macos.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8abe1d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_macos.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# build .app for mac
+python setup.py bdist_mac
+
+# copy shell script to .app
+for DIR in ./build/ReticulumWebChat-*.app/Contents/MacOS; do
+  cp ./macos/ReticulumWebChat.sh "$DIR/ReticulumWebChat.sh"
+  chmod +x "$DIR/ReticulumWebChat.sh"
+done
+
+# todo codesign?
diff --git a/macos/ReticulumWebChat.sh b/macos/ReticulumWebChat.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49ca617
--- /dev/null
+++ b/macos/ReticulumWebChat.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# references for making a macOS .app that runs a shell script
+# https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/407885
+# https://github.com/Whisky-App/Whisky/issues/107#issuecomment-1592934039
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/71875958
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/5756763
+
+# get path to directory where this script is currently executing from
+# we are expecting this to be "ReticulumWebChat.app/Contents/MacOS"
+ABSPATH=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")"; pwd -P)
+
+# path to the actual executable that we want to run as a console application (via Terminal)
+EXE="$ABSPATH/ReticulumWebChat"
+
+# open actual executable in terminal
+# we also provide a custom storage dir within the user home directory
+osascript -e "
+    tell app \"Terminal\"
+        do script \"$EXE --storage-dir ~/.reticulum-webchat; exit $?\"
+        activate
+    end tell
+"
diff --git a/macos/icon.icns b/macos/icon.icns
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0b3498
Binary files /dev/null and b/macos/icon.icns differ
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 19d8f3b..728ec79 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -41,5 +41,12 @@ setup(
             # use a static upgrade code to allow installer to remove existing files on upgrade
             'upgrade_code': '{6c69616d-ae73-460c-88e8-399b3134134e}',
         },
+        'bdist_mac': {
+            'iconfile': "macos/icon.icns",
+            'plist_items': [
+                # we want ReticulumWebChat.app to execute ReticulumWebChat.sh instead of the python binary, as we need to launch it via terminal
+                ('CFBundleExecutable', 'ReticulumWebChat.sh'),
+            ],
+        },
     },
 )