diff --git a/src/orca/Makefile.am b/src/orca/Makefile.am
index 21ccabc..47c4c89 100644
--- a/src/orca/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/orca/Makefile.am
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ orca_python_PYTHON = \
 	rolenames.py \
 	script.py \
 	settings.py \
+	sound.py \
 	speech.py \
 	speechdispatcherfactory.py \
 	speechgenerator.py \
diff --git a/src/orca/orca.py b/src/orca/orca.py
index 8d8cd93..542b736 100644
--- a/src/orca/orca.py
+++ b/src/orca/orca.py
@@ -1221,6 +1221,10 @@ def start(registry):
 
     if settings.cacheValues:
         pyatspi.setCacheLevel(pyatspi.CACHE_PROPERTIES)
+        
+        # play a sound
+        import sound
+        sound.playSound("/usr/share/sounds/question.wav")
 
     registry.start(gil=settings.useGILIdleHandler)
 
diff --git a/src/orca/sound.py b/src/orca/sound.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1638391
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/orca/sound.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import pygst
+pygst.require("0.10")
+import gst
+
+def playSound(path):
+    pipe = gst.parse_launch("filesrc location=%s ! wavparse ! autoaudiosink" % path)
+    pipe.set_state(gst.STATE_PLAYING)
+
