diff --git a/src/game.cpp b/src/game.cpp
index 055bb42550607..ee844df4251c4 100644
--- a/src/game.cpp
+++ b/src/game.cpp
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@
 #include "overmap_ui.h"
 #include "overmapbuffer.h"
 #include "panels.h"
+#include "past_games_info.h"
 #include "path_info.h"
 #include "pickup.h"
 #include "player.h"
@@ -284,6 +285,29 @@ static void achievement_attained( const achievement *a, bool achievements_enable
     if( achievements_enabled ) {
         add_msg( m_good, _( "You completed the achievement \"%s\"." ),
                  a->name() );
+        std::string popup_option = get_option<std::string>( "ACHIEVEMENT_COMPLETED_POPUP" );
+        bool show_popup;
+        if( test_mode || popup_option == "never" ) {
+            show_popup = false;
+        } else if( popup_option == "always" ) {
+            show_popup = true;
+        } else if( popup_option == "first" ) {
+            const achievement_completion_info *past_info = get_past_games().achievement( a->id );
+            show_popup = !past_info || past_info->games_completed.empty();
+        } else {
+            debugmsg( "Unexpected ACHIEVEMENT_COMPLETED_POPUP option value %s", popup_option );
+            show_popup = false;
+        }
+
+        if( show_popup ) {
+            std::string message = colorize( _( "Achievement completed!" ), c_light_green );
+            message += "\n\n";
+            message += get_achievements().ui_text_for( a );
+            message += "\n";
+            message += colorize( _( "Achievement completion popups can be\nconfigured via the "
+                                    "Interface options" ), c_dark_gray );
+            popup( message );
+        }
     }
     get_event_bus().send<event_type::player_gets_achievement>( a->id, achievements_enabled );
 }
diff --git a/src/options.cpp b/src/options.cpp
index 3698317eb4e56..3ea560f81906b 100644
--- a/src/options.cpp
+++ b/src/options.cpp
@@ -1545,6 +1545,17 @@ void options_manager::add_options_interface()
          false
        );
 
+    add( "ACHIEVEMENT_COMPLETED_POPUP", "interface",
+         translate_marker( "Popup window when achievmement completed" ),
+         translate_marker( "Whether to trigger a popup window when completing an achievement.  "
+                           "First: when completing an achievement that has not been completed in "
+    "a previous game." ), {
+        { "never", translate_marker( "Never" ) },
+        { "always", translate_marker( "Always" ) },
+        { "first", translate_marker( "First" ) }
+    },
+    "first" );
+
     add( "LOOKAROUND_POSITION", "interface", translate_marker( "Look around position" ),
          translate_marker( "Switch between look around panel being left or right." ),
     { { "left", translate_marker( "Left" ) }, { "right", translate_marker( "Right" ) } },
diff --git a/src/past_games_info.cpp b/src/past_games_info.cpp
index 8b03b5d814c2b..005bd0b69fab0 100644
--- a/src/past_games_info.cpp
+++ b/src/past_games_info.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@
 
 static void no_op( const achievement *, bool ) {}
 
+class too_old_memorial_file_error : std::runtime_error
+{
+        using runtime_error::runtime_error;
+};
+
 past_game_info::past_game_info( JsonIn &jsin )
 {
     JsonObject jo = jsin.get_object();
@@ -33,6 +38,9 @@ past_game_info::past_game_info( JsonIn &jsin )
     event_multiset &events = stats_->get_events( event_type::game_start );
     const event_multiset::summaries_type &counts = events.counts();
     if( counts.size() != 1 ) {
+        if( counts.empty() ) {
+            throw too_old_memorial_file_error( "memorial file lacks game_start event" );
+        }
         debugmsg( "Unexpected number of game start events: %d\n", counts.size() );
         return;
     }
@@ -99,6 +107,8 @@ void past_games_info::ensure_loaded()
             info_.push_back( past_game_info( jsin ) );
         } catch( const JsonError &err ) {
             debugmsg( "Error reading memorial file %s: %s", filename, err.what() );
+        } catch( const too_old_memorial_file_error & ) {
+            // do nothing
         }
     }