diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index c56842352..1e8f544c3 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ Changelog
 - Fix changing :opt:`cursor_text_color` via remote control not working
   (:iss:`1229`)
 
+- Add an action to resize windows that can be mapped to shortcuts in :file:`kitty.conf`
+  (:pull:`1245`)
+
+
 0.13.1 [2018-12-06]
 ------------------------------
 
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index 4b6dbb8a8..c7bc5d46f 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -223,6 +223,19 @@ example, in the Tall layout you can make the first window wider/narrower, but
 not taller/shorter. Note that what you are resizing is actually not a window,
 but a row/column in the layout, all windows in that row/column will be resized.
 
+You can also define shortcuts in :file:`kitty.conf` to make the active window
+wider, narrower, taller, or shorter by mapping to the ``resize_window``
+action, for example::
+
+   map ctrl+left resize_window narrower
+   map ctrl+right resize_window wider
+   map ctrl+up resize_window taller
+   map shift+down move_window shorter 3
+
+The ``resize_window`` action has a second, optional argument to control
+the resizing increment (a positive integer that defaults to 1).
+
+
 Some layouts take options to control their behavior. For example, the ``fat``
 and ``tall`` layouts accept the ``bias`` option to control how the available
 space is split up. To specify the option, in :opt:`kitty.conf <enabled_layouts>` use::
diff --git a/kitty/config.py b/kitty/config.py
index a2028a19f..10768ef79 100644
--- a/kitty/config.py
+++ b/kitty/config.py
@@ -150,6 +150,27 @@ def neighboring_window(func, rest):
     return func, [rest]
 
 
+@func_with_args('resize_window')
+def resize_window(func, rest):
+    vals = rest.split(' ', 1)
+    if len(vals) > 2:
+        log_error('resize_window needs one or two arguments, using defaults')
+        args = ['wider', 1]
+    else:
+        quality = vals[0].lower()
+        if quality not in ('taller', 'shorter', 'wider', 'narrower'):
+            log_error('Invalid quality specification: {}'.format(quality))
+            quality = 'wider'
+        increment = 1
+        if len(vals) == 2:
+            try:
+                increment = int(vals[1])
+            except Exception:
+                log_error('Invalid increment specification: {}'.format(vals[1]))
+        args = [quality, increment]
+    return func, args
+
+
 @func_with_args('move_window')
 def move_window(func, rest):
     rest = rest.lower()
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index 1a840a8c1..530fb88cb 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -755,6 +755,24 @@ get_clipboard_string(PYNOARG) {
     return Py_BuildValue("s", "");
 }
 
+void
+ring_audio_bell(OSWindow *w) {
+    static double last_bell_at = -1;
+    double now = monotonic();
+    if (now - last_bell_at <= 0.1) return;
+    last_bell_at = now;
+    if (w->handle) {
+        glfwWindowBell(w->handle);
+    }
+}
+
+static PyObject*
+ring_bell(PYNOARG) {
+    OSWindow *w = current_os_window();
+    ring_audio_bell(w);
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
 static PyObject*
 get_content_scale_for_window(PYNOARG) {
     OSWindow *w = global_state.callback_os_window ? global_state.callback_os_window : global_state.os_windows;
@@ -792,17 +810,6 @@ change_os_window_state(PyObject *self UNUSED, PyObject *args) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
-void
-ring_audio_bell(OSWindow *w) {
-    static double last_bell_at = -1;
-    double now = monotonic();
-    if (now - last_bell_at <= 0.1) return;
-    last_bell_at = now;
-    if (w->handle) {
-        glfwWindowBell(w->handle);
-    }
-}
-
 void
 request_window_attention(id_type kitty_window_id, bool audio_bell) {
     OSWindow *w = os_window_for_kitty_window(kitty_window_id);
@@ -1025,6 +1032,7 @@ static PyMethodDef module_methods[] = {
     METHODB(set_default_window_icon, METH_VARARGS),
     METHODB(get_clipboard_string, METH_NOARGS),
     METHODB(get_content_scale_for_window, METH_NOARGS),
+    METHODB(ring_bell, METH_NOARGS),
     METHODB(set_clipboard_string, METH_VARARGS),
     METHODB(toggle_fullscreen, METH_NOARGS),
     METHODB(change_os_window_state, METH_VARARGS),
diff --git a/kitty/tabs.py b/kitty/tabs.py
index 47910dc94..46b871085 100644
--- a/kitty/tabs.py
+++ b/kitty/tabs.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from .child import Child
 from .constants import appname, get_boss, is_macos, is_wayland
 from .fast_data_types import (
     add_tab, glfw_post_empty_event, mark_tab_bar_dirty, next_window_id,
-    pt_to_px, remove_tab, remove_window, set_active_tab, swap_tabs,
+    pt_to_px, remove_tab, remove_window, ring_bell, set_active_tab, swap_tabs,
     x11_window_id
 )
 from .layout import create_layout_object_for, evict_cached_layouts
@@ -199,6 +199,16 @@ class Tab:  # {{{
             return
         return 'Could not resize'
 
+    def resize_window(self, quality, increment):
+        if increment < 1:
+            raise ValueError(increment)
+        is_horizontal = quality in ('wider', 'narrower')
+        increment *= 1 if quality in ('wider', 'taller') else -1
+        if self.resize_window_by(
+                self.windows[self.active_window_idx].id,
+                increment, is_horizontal) is not None:
+            ring_bell()
+
     def reset_window_sizes(self):
         if self.current_layout.remove_all_biases():
             self.relayout()