Make a NSAlert the topmost window?

I've created the main window in my application to have these settings:

[self setLevel:kCGDesktopWindowLevel + 1];
[self setCollectionBehavior:
     (NSWindowCollectionBehaviorCanJoinAllSpaces | 
      NSWindowCollectionBehaviorStationary | 
      NSWindowCollectionBehaviorIgnoresCycle)];

It's a very custom window that sort of floats above the desktop.

In addition, it's a menu-bar application (LSUIElement).

Alright, so I need to display an alert if something isn't right. Here's how I'm doing it:

NSAlert *alert = [NSAlert alertWithMessageText:@"" 
                                 defaultButton:@"" 
                               alternateButton:@"" 
                                   otherButton:@"" 
                     informativeTextWithFormat:@""];
[alert runModal];

Of course I have filled in the buttons and other text.

Here's my problem: When my application is not currently the key application, and this alert pops up, it's not a key window. Like this:

See how the window isn't selected? Is there any way around this without changing my whole app window level? Thanks!

Have you tried activating your application in the code that displays the alert?

[[NSRunningApplication currentApplication] activateWithOptions:0];

If passing 0 doesn't work, you can pass NSApplicationActivateIgnoringOtherApps as your option, but Apple recommends against it unless really necessary (see docs for NSRunningApplication).

---

Update: You have activate before running the alert. This works for me in a new app with LSUIElement set:

- (void)applicationDidFinishLaunching:(NSNotification *)aNotification
{
    NSAlert *alert = [NSAlert alertWithMessageText: @"Blah"
                                     defaultButton: @"Blah"
                                   alternateButton: @"Blah"
                                       otherButton: @"Blah"
                         informativeTextWithFormat: @"Blah"];

    [[NSRunningApplication currentApplication] activateWithOptions:NSApplicationActivateIgnoringOtherApps];
    [alert runModal];
}