diff --git a/curses.lua b/curses.lua
index ee97236..613b33b 100644
--- a/curses.lua
+++ b/curses.lua
@@ -332,6 +332,17 @@ Cursive:RegisterEvent("SPELLCAST_INTERRUPTED", StopChanneling);
 
 -- player spell completions
 Cursive:RegisterEvent("SPELL_GO_SELF", function(itemId, spellID, casterGuid, targetGuid, castFlags, numTargetsHit, numTargetsMissed)
+  -- GCD swing-timer bar: fires regardless of hit/miss since the GCD still
+  -- applies either way. Uses nampower's precise category-cooldown data
+  -- rather than guessing at duration, since curses can be on a shorter
+  -- GCD category than normal spells (e.g. with Amplify Curse).
+  if curses.trackedCurseIds[spellID] and Cursive.ui and Cursive.ui.StartGcdBar and GetSpellIdCooldown then
+    local cd = GetSpellIdCooldown(spellID)
+    if cd and cd.isOnGcdCategoryCooldown == 1 and cd.gcdCategoryRemainingMs and cd.gcdCategoryRemainingMs > 0 then
+      Cursive.ui.StartGcdBar(cd.gcdCategoryRemainingMs / 1000)
+    end
+  end
+
   if curses.travelTimeSpellIds[spellID] and numTargetsMissed == 0 then
 			curses.pendingCast = {
 				spellID = spellID,
diff --git a/settings.lua b/settings.lua
index b4aa200..46f8b49 100644
--- a/settings.lua
+++ b/settings.lua
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ Cursive:RegisterDefaults("profile", {
 	clickthrough = false,
 	showbackdrop = false,
 	showtitle = true,
+	showgcdbar = true,
+	gcdbarheight = 3,
+	gcdbarwidth = 200,
 	showtargetindicator = true,
 	showraidicons = true,
 	showhealthbar = true,
@@ -550,6 +553,55 @@ Cursive.cmdtable = {
 				Cursive.UpdateFramesFromConfig()
 			end,
 		},
+		["showgcdbar"] = {
+			type = "toggle",
+			name = "Show GCD Bar",
+			desc = "Show a swing-timer style bar for your global cooldown",
+			order = 4,
+			get = function()
+				return Cursive.db.profile.showgcdbar
+			end,
+			set = function(v)
+				Cursive.db.profile.showgcdbar = v
+				Cursive.UpdateFramesFromConfig()
+			end,
+		},
+		["gcdbarheight"] = {
+			type = "range",
+			name = "GCD Bar Height",
+			desc = "Height of the GCD swing-timer bar",
+			order = 41,
+			min = 1,
+			max = 20,
+			step = 1,
+			get = function()
+				return Cursive.db.profile.gcdbarheight
+			end,
+			set = function(v)
+				if v ~= Cursive.db.profile.gcdbarheight then
+					Cursive.db.profile.gcdbarheight = v
+					Cursive.UpdateFramesFromConfig()
+				end
+			end,
+		},
+		["gcdbarwidth"] = {
+			type = "range",
+			name = "GCD Bar Width",
+			desc = "Width of the GCD swing-timer bar",
+			order = 42,
+			min = 20,
+			max = 400,
+			step = 5,
+			get = function()
+				return Cursive.db.profile.gcdbarwidth
+			end,
+			set = function(v)
+				if v ~= Cursive.db.profile.gcdbarwidth then
+					Cursive.db.profile.gcdbarwidth = v
+					Cursive.UpdateFramesFromConfig()
+				end
+			end,
+		},
 		["clickthrough"] = {
 			type = "toggle",
 			name = L["Allow clickthrough"],
diff --git a/ui.lua b/ui.lua
index 016509f..58fc402 100644
--- a/ui.lua
+++ b/ui.lua
@@ -95,10 +95,23 @@ local function UpdateRootBarFrame()
 	end
 
 	ui.rootBarFrame:SetWidth(config.maxcol * GetBarWidth())
-	-- Calculate height: title area + all rows + extra spacing
+	-- Calculate height: title area + GCD bar (if shown) + all rows + extra spacing
 	local title_size = 12 + config.spacing
-	local total_height = title_size + (config.maxrow * (config.height + config.spacing)) + config.spacing
+	local gcdbar_size = config.showgcdbar and (config.gcdbarheight + config.spacing) or 0
+	local total_height = title_size + gcdbar_size + (config.maxrow * (config.height + config.spacing)) + config.spacing
 	ui.rootBarFrame:SetHeight(total_height)
+
+	-- GCD swing-timer bar: thin strip spanning the frame width, sitting
+	-- just below the title caption and above the first row of bars.
+	if ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar then
+		ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar:SetHeight(config.gcdbarheight)
+		ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar:SetWidth(config.gcdbarwidth)
+		ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar:SetStatusBarTexture(config.bartexture)
+		ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar.enabled = config.showgcdbar
+		if not config.showgcdbar then
+			ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar:Hide()
+		end
+	end
 end
 
 local function CreateRoot()
@@ -139,6 +152,25 @@ local function CreateRoot()
 	frame.caption:SetPoint("TOPLEFT", frame, "TOPLEFT", 10, -2)
 	frame.caption:SetTextColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
 
+	-- GCD swing-timer bar
+	local gcdBar = CreateFrame("StatusBar", "CursiveGcdBar", frame)
+	gcdBar:SetHeight(Cursive.db.profile.gcdbarheight)
+	gcdBar:SetWidth(Cursive.db.profile.gcdbarwidth)
+	gcdBar:SetPoint("TOPLEFT", frame.caption, "BOTTOMLEFT", -8, -2)
+	gcdBar:SetStatusBarTexture(Cursive.db.profile.bartexture)
+	gcdBar:SetStatusBarColor(1, .85, .1, .9)
+	gcdBar:SetMinMaxValues(0, 1)
+	gcdBar:SetValue(0)
+	gcdBar.enabled = Cursive.db.profile.showgcdbar
+
+	local gcdBarBg = gcdBar:CreateTexture(nil, "BACKGROUND")
+	gcdBarBg:SetAllPoints(gcdBar)
+	gcdBarBg:SetTexture(0, 0, 0)
+	gcdBarBg:SetAlpha(0.4)
+
+	gcdBar:Hide()
+	frame.gcdBar = gcdBar
+
 	UpdateRootBarFrame()
 
 	frame:Show()
@@ -503,7 +535,8 @@ local function GetBarCords(row, col)
 		y = config.spacing + ((row - 1) * (config.height + config.spacing))
 	else
 		-- For downward expansion: use original logic (don't subtract 1 to account for header)
-		y = -(row * (config.height + config.spacing))
+		local gcdOffset = config.showgcdbar and (config.gcdbarheight + config.spacing) or 0
+		y = -(row * (config.height + config.spacing)) - gcdOffset
 	end
 	return x, y
 end
@@ -850,4 +883,52 @@ ui:SetScript("OnUpdate", function()
 
 end)
 
+-- GCD swing-timer bar. Cursive.ui.StartGcdBar(duration) is called from
+-- curses.lua's SPELL_GO_SELF handler, using nampower's precise
+-- GetSpellIdCooldown() data at the moment a curse actually goes off.
+-- This ticker just smoothly drains the bar from that snapshot every
+-- frame (unlike the throttled 0.1s main UI loop above).
+ui.gcdBarStart = nil
+ui.gcdBarDuration = nil
+
+ui.StartGcdBar = function(duration)
+	if not ui.rootBarFrame or not ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar then
+		return
+	end
+	if not ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar.enabled then
+		return
+	end
+	ui.gcdBarStart = GetTime()
+	ui.gcdBarDuration = duration
+end
+
+local gcdTicker = CreateFrame("Frame", "CursiveGcdTicker", UIParent)
+gcdTicker:SetScript("OnUpdate", function()
+	if not ui.rootBarFrame or not ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar then
+		return
+	end
+
+	local bar = ui.rootBarFrame.gcdBar
+	if not bar.enabled or not ui.gcdBarStart then
+		if bar:IsShown() then
+			bar:Hide()
+		end
+		return
+	end
+
+	local remaining = (ui.gcdBarStart + ui.gcdBarDuration) - GetTime()
+	if remaining > 0 then
+		bar:SetMinMaxValues(0, ui.gcdBarDuration)
+		bar:SetValue(remaining)
+		if not bar:IsShown() then
+			bar:Show()
+		end
+	else
+		ui.gcdBarStart = nil
+		if bar:IsShown() then
+			bar:Hide()
+		end
+	end
+end)
+
 Cursive.ui = ui