diff -ur unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1/com.canonical.Unity.gschema.xml unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1-new/com.canonical.Unity.gschema.xml
--- unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1/com.canonical.Unity.gschema.xml	2013-10-14 06:23:50.000000000 -0500
+++ unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1-new/com.canonical.Unity.gschema.xml	2013-11-21 23:55:12.049302935 -0600
@@ -73,4 +73,11 @@
       <description>The scopes listed in the scope bar will be ordered according to this list.</description>
     </key>
   </schema>
+  <schema path="/com/canonical/unity/panel/" id="com.canonical.Unity.Panel" gettext-domain="unity">
+    <key type="b" name="menubar-always-visible">
+      <default>false</default>
+      <summary>Enable/disable the global menubar being on at all times.</summary>
+      <description>Enable/disable the global menubar being on at all times.</description>
+    </key>
+  </schema>
 </schemalist>
diff -ur unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1/panel/PanelMenuView.cpp unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1-new/panel/PanelMenuView.cpp
--- unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1/panel/PanelMenuView.cpp	2013-10-14 06:23:50.000000000 -0500
+++ unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1-new/panel/PanelMenuView.cpp	2013-11-21 23:50:01.331933805 -0600
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  *              Marco Trevisan <3v1n0@ubuntu.com>
  */
 
+#include <gio/gio.h>
 #include <Nux/Nux.h>
 #include <NuxCore/Logger.h>
 
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@
   const std::string NEW_APP_SHOW_TIMEOUT = "new-app-show-timeout";
   const std::string WINDOW_MOVED_TIMEOUT = "window-moved-timeout";
   const std::string UPDATE_SHOW_NOW_TIMEOUT = "update-show-now-timeout";
+  const std::string PANEL_SETTINGS = "com.canonical.Unity.Panel";
 }
 
 PanelMenuView::PanelMenuView()
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@
   , menus_discovery_(DEFAULT_MENUS_DISCOVERY)
   , menus_discovery_fadein_(DEFAULT_DISCOVERY_FADEIN)
   , menus_discovery_fadeout_(DEFAULT_DISCOVERY_FADEOUT)
+  , settings_(g_settings_new(PANEL_SETTINGS.c_str()))
 {
 
   BamfWindow* active_win = bamf_matcher_get_active_window(matcher_);
@@ -342,7 +345,8 @@
   if (we_control_active_ && !screen_grabbed &&
       !switcher_showing_ && !launcher_keynav_ && !entries_.empty())
   {
-    if (is_inside_ || last_active_view_ || show_now_activated_ || new_application_)
+    if (g_settings_get_boolean(settings_, "menubar-always-visible") || is_inside_ ||
+        last_active_view_ || show_now_activated_ || new_application_)
     {
       return true;
     }
diff -ur unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1/panel/PanelMenuView.h unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1-new/panel/PanelMenuView.h
--- unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1/panel/PanelMenuView.h	2013-10-14 06:23:50.000000000 -0500
+++ unity-7.1.2+13.10.20131014.1-new/panel/PanelMenuView.h	2013-11-21 23:48:54.917476321 -0600
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <UnityCore/GLibWrapper.h>
 #include <UnityCore/GLibSignal.h>
 #include <libbamf/libbamf.h>
+#include <gio/gio.h>
 
 #include "PanelIndicatorsView.h"
 #include "unity-shared/StaticCairoText.h"
@@ -201,6 +202,8 @@
   glib::SourceManager sources_;
 
   nux::animation::AnimateValue<double> opacity_animator_;
+
+  GSettings *settings_;
 };
 
 }