diff --git a/sounds/default/editbox.wav b/sounds/default/focus_mode.wav
similarity index 100%
rename from sounds/default/editbox.wav
rename to sounds/default/focus_mode.wav
diff --git a/sounds/default/start.wav b/sounds/default/start.wav
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..872b2e4
Binary files /dev/null and b/sounds/default/start.wav differ
diff --git a/sounds/default/stop.wav b/sounds/default/stop.wav
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ee4420
Binary files /dev/null and b/sounds/default/stop.wav differ
diff --git a/src/cthulhu/cthulhu.py b/src/cthulhu/cthulhu.py
index e923900..344df60 100644
--- a/src/cthulhu/cthulhu.py
+++ b/src/cthulhu/cthulhu.py
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ from . import settings
 from . import settings_manager
 from . import speech
 from . import sound
+from . import sound_theme_manager
 from . import mouse_review
 from .ax_object import AXObject
 from .ax_utilities import AXUtilities
@@ -871,6 +872,7 @@ def shutdown(script=None, inputEvent=None):
     cthulhu_state.activeScript.presentationInterrupt()
 
     cthulhuApp.getSignalManager().emitSignal('stop-application-completed')
+    sound_theme_manager.getManager().playStopSound(wait=True)
     cthulhuApp.getPluginSystemManager().unloadAllPlugins(ForceAllPlugins=True)
 
     # Deactivate the event manager first so that it clears its queue and will not
@@ -993,6 +995,7 @@ def main():
     debug.printMessage(debug.LEVEL_INFO, "CTHULHU: Initialized.", True)
 
     script = cthulhu_state.activeScript
+    sound_theme_manager.getManager().playStartSound(wait=True)
     cthulhuApp.getSignalManager().emitSignal('start-application-completed')
     if script:
         window = script.utilities.activeWindow()
diff --git a/src/cthulhu/sound.py b/src/cthulhu/sound.py
index 575a32a..a427d10 100644
--- a/src/cthulhu/sound.py
+++ b/src/cthulhu/sound.py
@@ -93,6 +93,36 @@ class Player:
         self._player.set_property('uri', f'file://{icon.path}')
         self._player.set_state(Gst.State.PLAYING)
 
+    def _playIconAndWait(self, icon, interrupt=True, timeout_seconds=10):
+        """Plays a sound icon and waits for completion."""
+
+        if interrupt:
+            self._player.set_state(Gst.State.NULL)
+
+        self._player.set_property('uri', f'file://{icon.path}')
+        self._player.set_state(Gst.State.PLAYING)
+
+        bus = self._player.get_bus()
+        if not bus:
+            return False
+
+        if timeout_seconds is None:
+            timeout_ns = Gst.CLOCK_TIME_NONE
+        else:
+            timeout_ns = int(timeout_seconds * Gst.SECOND)
+
+        message = bus.timed_pop_filtered(
+            timeout_ns,
+            Gst.MessageType.EOS | Gst.MessageType.ERROR
+        )
+        if message and message.type == Gst.MessageType.ERROR:
+            error, info = message.parse_error()
+            msg = f'SOUND ERROR: {error}'
+            debug.printMessage(debug.LEVEL_INFO, msg, True)
+
+        self._player.set_state(Gst.State.NULL)
+        return message is not None and message.type == Gst.MessageType.EOS
+
     def _playTone(self, tone, interrupt=True):
         """Plays a tone, interrupting the current play first unless specified."""
 
@@ -152,6 +182,25 @@ class Player:
             tokens = ["SOUND ERROR:", item, "is not an Icon or Tone"]
             debug.printTokens(debug.LEVEL_INFO, tokens, True)
 
+    def playAndWait(self, item, interrupt=True, timeout_seconds=10):
+        """Plays a sound and blocks until completion or timeout."""
+
+        if not self._player:
+            if _gstreamerAvailable and not self._initialized:
+                self.init()
+            if not self._player:
+                return False
+
+        if isinstance(item, Icon):
+            return self._playIconAndWait(
+                item,
+                interrupt=interrupt,
+                timeout_seconds=timeout_seconds
+            )
+
+        self.play(item, interrupt)
+        return False
+
     def stop(self, element=None):
         """Stops play."""
 
diff --git a/src/cthulhu/sound_theme_manager.py b/src/cthulhu/sound_theme_manager.py
index 3fe5b32..58c2dde 100644
--- a/src/cthulhu/sound_theme_manager.py
+++ b/src/cthulhu/sound_theme_manager.py
@@ -47,9 +47,11 @@ from .sound_generator import Icon
 _settingsManager = settings_manager.getManager()
 
 # Sound event constants - add new events here for easy extensibility
-SOUND_FOCUS_MODE = "editbox"
+SOUND_FOCUS_MODE = "focus_mode"
 SOUND_BROWSE_MODE = "browse_mode"
 SOUND_BUTTON = "button"
+SOUND_START = "start"
+SOUND_STOP = "stop"
 
 # Special theme name for no sounds
 THEME_NONE = "none"
@@ -144,17 +146,23 @@ class SoundThemeManager:
 
         return None
 
-    def playSound(self, soundName, interrupt=True):
-        """Play a sound from the current theme if enabled.
+    def _playThemeSound(self, soundName, interrupt=True, wait=False,
+                        requireModeChangeSetting=False, requireSoundSetting=False):
+        """Play a themed sound with optional gating and blocking.
 
         Args:
             soundName: The name of the sound file (without extension)
             interrupt: Whether to interrupt currently playing sounds
+            wait: Whether to block until the sound finishes playing
+            requireModeChangeSetting: Honor enableModeChangeSound setting
+            requireSoundSetting: Honor enableSound setting
 
         Returns:
             True if sound was played, False otherwise
         """
-        if not _settingsManager.getSetting('enableModeChangeSound'):
+        if requireModeChangeSetting and not _settingsManager.getSetting('enableModeChangeSound'):
+            return False
+        if requireSoundSetting and not _settingsManager.getSetting('enableSound'):
             return False
 
         themeName = _settingsManager.getSetting('soundTheme')
@@ -175,6 +183,8 @@ class SoundThemeManager:
             icon = Icon(os.path.dirname(soundPath), os.path.basename(soundPath))
             if icon.isValid():
                 player = sound.getPlayer()
+                if wait and hasattr(player, "playAndWait"):
+                    return player.playAndWait(icon, interrupt=interrupt)
                 player.play(icon, interrupt=interrupt)
                 return True
         except Exception as e:
@@ -183,6 +193,24 @@ class SoundThemeManager:
 
         return False
 
+    def playSound(self, soundName, interrupt=True, wait=False):
+        """Play a sound from the current theme if enabled.
+
+        Args:
+            soundName: The name of the sound file (without extension)
+            interrupt: Whether to interrupt currently playing sounds
+            wait: Whether to block until the sound finishes playing
+
+        Returns:
+            True if sound was played, False otherwise
+        """
+        return self._playThemeSound(
+            soundName,
+            interrupt=interrupt,
+            wait=wait,
+            requireModeChangeSetting=True
+        )
+
     def playFocusModeSound(self):
         """Play sound for entering focus mode."""
         return self.playSound(SOUND_FOCUS_MODE)
@@ -195,6 +223,24 @@ class SoundThemeManager:
         """Play sound for button focus (future use)."""
         return self.playSound(SOUND_BUTTON)
 
+    def playStartSound(self, wait=False):
+        """Play sound for application startup."""
+        return self._playThemeSound(
+            SOUND_START,
+            interrupt=True,
+            wait=wait,
+            requireSoundSetting=True
+        )
+
+    def playStopSound(self, wait=False):
+        """Play sound for application shutdown."""
+        return self._playThemeSound(
+            SOUND_STOP,
+            interrupt=True,
+            wait=wait,
+            requireSoundSetting=True
+        )
+
 
 _manager = None