diff --git a/apps/alarm/README.md b/apps/alarm/README.md
index a38d6f6ed..7bc4b7155 100644
--- a/apps/alarm/README.md
+++ b/apps/alarm/README.md
@@ -32,13 +32,17 @@ Alarms are stored in an array in `alarm.json`, and take the form:
   msg : "Eat chocolate", // message to display
   last : 0,       // last day of the month we alarmed on - so we don't alarm twice in one day!
   rp : true,      // repeat
+  vibrate : "...", // pattern of '.', '-' and ' ' to use for when buzzing out this alarm (defaults to '..' if not set)
   as : false,     // auto snooze
   timer : 5*60*1000, // OPTIONAL - if set, this is a timer and it's the time in ms
   js : "load('myapp.js')" // OPTIONAL - a JS command to execute when the alarm activates (*instead* of loading 'alarm.js')
                           // when this code is run, you're responsible for setting alarm.on=false (or removing the alarm)
+  data : { ... }          // OPTIONAL - your app can store custom data in here if needed
 }
 ```
 
+You app
+
 The [`alarm` library](https://github.com/espruino/BangleApps/blob/master/apps/alarm/lib.js) contains
 a few helpful functions for getting/setting alarms, but is intentionally sparse so as not to
 use too much RAM.
diff --git a/apps/alarm/alarm.js b/apps/alarm/alarm.js
index 9a9e172cc..7ec8d0b73 100644
--- a/apps/alarm/alarm.js
+++ b/apps/alarm/alarm.js
@@ -58,20 +58,16 @@ function showAlarm(alarm) {
     load();
   });
   function buzz() {
-    if ((require('Storage').readJSON('setting.json',1)||{}).quiet>1) return; // total silence
-    Bangle.buzz(100).then(()=>{
-      setTimeout(()=>{
-        Bangle.buzz(100).then(function() {
-          if (buzzCount--)
-            setTimeout(buzz, 3000);
-          else if(alarm.as) { // auto-snooze
-            buzzCount = 10;
-            setTimeout(buzz, 600000);
-          }
-        });
-      },100);
+    require("buzz").pattern(alarm.vibrate===undefined?"..":alarm.vibrate).then(function() {
+      if (buzzCount--)
+        setTimeout(buzz, 3000);
+      else if(alarm.as) { // auto-snooze
+        buzzCount = 10;
+        setTimeout(buzz, 600000);
+      }
     });
   }
+  if ((require('Storage').readJSON('setting.json',1)||{}).quiet>1) return;
   buzz();
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/alarm/app.js b/apps/alarm/app.js
index 4968fc95b..e83e1c3d5 100644
--- a/apps/alarm/app.js
+++ b/apps/alarm/app.js
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ function editAlarm(alarmIndex, alarm) {
     rp : true,
     as : false,
     dow : 0b1111111,
-    last : 0
+    last : 0,
+    vibrate : ".."
   }
   if (!newAlarm) Object.assign(a, alarms[alarmIndex]);
   if (alarm) Object.assign(a,alarm);
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ function editAlarm(alarmIndex, alarm) {
       value: "SMTWTFS".split("").map((d,n)=>a.dow&(1<<n)?d:".").join(""),
       onchange: () => editDOW(a.dow, d=>{a.dow=d;editAlarm(alarmIndex,a)})
     },
+    /*LANG*/'Vibrate': require("buzz_menu").pattern(a.vibrate, v => a.vibrate=v ),
     /*LANG*/'Auto snooze': {
       value: a.as,
       format: v=>v?"Yes":"No",
@@ -151,7 +153,8 @@ function editTimer(alarmIndex, alarm) {
     rp : false,
     as : false,
     dow : 0b1111111,
-    last : 0
+    last : 0,
+    vibrate : ".."
   }
   if (!newAlarm) Object.assign(a, alarms[alarmIndex]);
   if (alarm) Object.assign(a,alarm);
@@ -172,7 +175,8 @@ function editTimer(alarmIndex, alarm) {
       value: a.on,
       format: v=>v?"On":"Off",
       onchange: v=>a.on=v
-    }
+    },
+    /*LANG*/'Vibrate': require("buzz_menu").pattern(a.vibrate, v => a.vibrate=v ),
   };
   menu[/*LANG*/"Save"] = function() {
     a.timer = encodeTime(t);
diff --git a/apps/messages/settings.js b/apps/messages/settings.js
index 589d603da..7449b473b 100644
--- a/apps/messages/settings.js
+++ b/apps/messages/settings.js
@@ -15,18 +15,10 @@
     require('Storage').writeJSON("messages.settings.json", settings);
   }
 
-  var vibPatterns = [/*LANG*/"Off", ".", "-", "--", "-.-", "---"];
   var mainmenu = {
     "" : { "title" : /*LANG*/"Messages" },
     "< Back" : back,
-    /*LANG*/'Vibrate': {
-      value: Math.max(0,vibPatterns.indexOf(settings().vibrate)),
-      min: 0, max: vibPatterns.length,
-      format: v => vibPatterns[v]||"Off",
-      onchange: v => {
-        updateSetting("vibrate", vibPatterns[v]);
-      }
-    },
+    /*LANG*/'Vibrate': require("buzz_menu").pattern(settings().vibrate, v => updateSetting("vibrate", v) }),
     /*LANG*/'Repeat': {
       value: settings().repeat,
       min: 0, max: 10,
diff --git a/apps/messages/widget.js b/apps/messages/widget.js
index 7abb415c3..3ac726e77 100644
--- a/apps/messages/widget.js
+++ b/apps/messages/widget.js
@@ -32,14 +32,7 @@ draw:function() {
   Bangle.drawWidgets();
 },buzz:function() {
   if ((require('Storage').readJSON('setting.json',1)||{}).quiet) return; // never buzz during Quiet Mode
-  let v = (require('Storage').readJSON("messages.settings.json", true) || {}).vibrate || ".";
-  function b() {
-    var c = v[0];
-    v = v.substr(1);
-    if (c==".") Bangle.buzz().then(()=>setTimeout(b,100));
-    if (c=="-") Bangle.buzz(500).then(()=>setTimeout(b,100));
-  }
-  b();
+  require("buzz").pattern((require('Storage').readJSON("messages.settings.json", true) || {}).vibrate || ".");
 },touch:function(b,c) {
   var w=WIDGETS["messages"];
   if (!w||!w.width||c.x<w.x||c.x>w.x+w.width||c.y<w.y||c.y>w.y+w.iconwidth) return;
diff --git a/modules/buzz.js b/modules/buzz.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..488d0228d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/buzz.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+/* Call this with a pattern like '.-.', '.. .' or '..' to buzz that pattern
+out on the internal vibration motor. use buzz_menu to display a menu
+where the patterns can be chosen. */
+exports.pattern = pattern => new Promise(resolve => {
+  function b() {
+    if (pattern=="") resolve();
+    var c = pattern[0];
+    pattern = pattern.substr(1);
+    if (c==".") Bangle.buzz().then(()=>setTimeout(b,100));
+    else if (c=="-") Bangle.buzz(500).then(()=>setTimeout(b,100));
+    else setTimeout(b,100);
+  }
+  b();
+});
diff --git a/modules/buzz_menu.js b/modules/buzz_menu.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..64b225343
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/buzz_menu.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/* Display a menu to select from various vibration patterns for use with buzz.js */
+
+exports.pattern = function(value, callback) {
+  var vibPatterns = ["", ".", "..", "-", "--", "-.-", "---"];
+  return {
+    value: Math.max(0,vibPatterns.indexOf(value)),
+    min: 0, max: vibPatterns.length,
+    format: v => vibPatterns[v]||/*LANG*/"Off",
+    onchange: v => {
+      callback(vibPatterns[v]);
+    }
+  };
+}