diff --git a/kitty/data-types.c b/kitty/data-types.c
index 1658ba115..664858a2c 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.c
+++ b/kitty/data-types.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ extern bool init_freetype_library(PyObject*);
 extern bool init_fontconfig_library(PyObject*);
 extern bool init_glfw(PyObject *m);
 extern bool init_sprites(PyObject *module);
+extern bool init_state(PyObject *module);
 extern bool init_shaders(PyObject *module);
 extern bool init_shaders_debug(PyObject *module);
 #ifdef __APPLE__
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ PyInit_fast_data_types(void) {
         if (!init_Screen(m)) return NULL;
         if (!init_glfw(m)) return NULL;
         if (!init_sprites(m)) return NULL;
+        if (!init_state(m)) return NULL;
         if (PySys_GetObject("debug_gl") == Py_True) {
             if (!init_shaders_debug(m)) return NULL;
         } else { 
diff --git a/kitty/main.py b/kitty/main.py
index 96e6e3a0c..30bcb7214 100644
--- a/kitty/main.py
+++ b/kitty/main.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from .fast_data_types import (
     GLFW_STENCIL_BITS, Window, change_wcwidth, check_for_extensions,
     clear_buffers, glewInit, glfw_init, glfw_init_hint_string,
     glfw_set_error_callback, glfw_swap_interval, glfw_terminate,
-    glfw_window_hint
+    glfw_window_hint, set_options
 )
 from .layout import all_layouts
 from .utils import color_as_int, detach, safe_print
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ def setup_opengl(opts):
 
 
 def run_app(opts, args):
+    set_options(opts)
     setup_opengl(opts)
     load_cached_values()
     if 'window-size' in cached_values and opts.remember_window_size:
diff --git a/kitty/state.c b/kitty/state.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b24c3ff2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kitty/state.c
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+ * state.c
+ * Copyright (C) 2017 Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+ *
+ * Distributed under terms of the GPL3 license.
+ */
+
+#include "data-types.h"
+
+#define PYWRAP0(name) static PyObject* py##name(PyObject UNUSED *self)
+#define PYWRAP1(name) static PyObject* py##name(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args)
+#define PYWRAP2(name) static PyObject* py##name(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kw)
+#define PA(fmt, ...) if(!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, fmt, __VA_ARGS__)) return NULL;
+
+typedef struct {
+    double visual_bell_duration;
+} Options;
+
+typedef struct {
+    Options opts;
+} GlobalState;
+
+static GlobalState global_state = {{0}};
+
+
+// Python API {{{
+PYWRAP1(set_options) {
+#define S(name, convert) { PyObject *ret = PyObject_GetAttrString(args, #name); if (ret == NULL) return NULL; global_state.opts.name = convert(ret); Py_DECREF(ret); }
+    S(visual_bell_duration, PyFloat_AsDouble);
+#undef S
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
+#define M(name, arg_type) {#name, (PyCFunction)name, arg_type, NULL}
+#define MW(name, arg_type) {#name, (PyCFunction)py##name, arg_type, NULL}
+static PyMethodDef module_methods[] = {
+    MW(set_options, METH_O),
+
+    {NULL, NULL, 0, NULL}        /* Sentinel */
+};
+
+
+bool 
+init_state(PyObject *module) {
+    if (PyModule_AddFunctions(module, module_methods) != 0) return false;
+    return true;
+}
+// }}}