diff --git a/bin/omarchy-restart-shell b/bin/omarchy-restart-shell
index dfc21724..9891e7e8 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-restart-shell
+++ b/bin/omarchy-restart-shell
@@ -61,6 +61,19 @@ relock_session() {
   return 1
 }
 
+notifications_ready() {
+  [[ $(busctl --user call org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus \
+    org.freedesktop.DBus NameHasOwner s org.freedesktop.Notifications 2>/dev/null) == "b true" ]]
+}
+
+# Core IPC can answer before the notification plugin has registered its bus
+# name. Restore an existing notification service before update hooks or setup
+# invitations send their one-time toasts; a disabled service need not appear.
+notifications_were_running=0
+if notifications_ready; then
+  notifications_were_running=1
+fi
+
 # Each kill stops the oldest matching instance and only returns once it has
 # fully exited, so the no-duplicate launch below can't race a dying shell.
 while timeout 5 quickshell kill -p "$CONFIG_DIR" --any-display >/dev/null 2>&1; do :; done
@@ -70,7 +83,8 @@ while timeout 5 quickshell kill -p "$CONFIG_DIR" --any-display >/dev/null 2>&1;
 hyprctl dispatch 'hl.dsp.exec_cmd("omarchy-launch-shell")' >/dev/null
 
 for (( attempt = 0; attempt < 20; attempt++ )); do
-  if OMARCHY_PATH="$session_omarchy_path" OMARCHY_SHELL_IPC_TIMEOUT=0.5s omarchy-shell shell ping >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  if OMARCHY_PATH="$session_omarchy_path" OMARCHY_SHELL_IPC_TIMEOUT=0.5s omarchy-shell shell ping >/dev/null 2>&1 &&
+    { (( notifications_were_running == 0 )) || notifications_ready; }; then
     # The session stays compositor-locked after the old lock client died, so
     # re-acquire the lock and let the user authenticate out of it.
     if (( relock )) && ! relock_session; then
diff --git a/test/shell.d/restart-shell-test.sh b/test/shell.d/restart-shell-test.sh
index 094c74f6..31901736 100755
--- a/test/shell.d/restart-shell-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/restart-shell-test.sh
@@ -172,7 +172,24 @@ else
 fi
 SH
 
-chmod +x "$restart_bin/qs" "$restart_bin/quickshell" "$restart_bin/hyprctl" "$restart_bin/systemd-cat" "$restart_bin/systemctl"
+cat >"$restart_bin/busctl" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+if [[ -z ${OMARCHY_TEST_NOTIFICATION_CHECKS:-} ]]; then
+  echo 'b false'
+else
+  checks=0
+  [[ ! -f $OMARCHY_TEST_NOTIFICATION_CHECKS ]] || read -r checks <"$OMARCHY_TEST_NOTIFICATION_CHECKS"
+  (( checks += 1 ))
+  printf '%s\n' "$checks" >"$OMARCHY_TEST_NOTIFICATION_CHECKS"
+  if (( checks == 1 || checks >= 4 )); then
+    echo 'b true'
+  else
+    echo 'b false'
+  fi
+fi
+SH
+
+chmod +x "$restart_bin/qs" "$restart_bin/quickshell" "$restart_bin/hyprctl" "$restart_bin/systemd-cat" "$restart_bin/systemctl" "$restart_bin/busctl"
 
 sleep 30 &
 restart_pid_one=$!
@@ -194,6 +211,7 @@ OMARCHY_TEST_DISPATCH_LOG="$dispatch_log" \
 OMARCHY_TEST_IPC_LOG="$ipc_log" \
 OMARCHY_TEST_SESSION_PATH="$restart_root" \
 OMARCHY_TEST_TRANSIENT_ENV=leaked \
+OMARCHY_TEST_NOTIFICATION_CHECKS="$test_tmp/notification-checks" \
   timeout 5 "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-restart-shell"
 
 if kill -0 "$restart_pid_one" 2>/dev/null; then
@@ -213,6 +231,8 @@ grep -F "kill -p $restart_root/shell --any-display" "$restart_log" >/dev/null ||
 grep -F 'hl.dsp.exec_cmd("omarchy-launch-shell")' "$dispatch_log" >/dev/null || fail "restart launches the fresh shell through Hyprland"
 grep -F "ipc -n -p $restart_root/shell call -- shell ping" "$ipc_log" >/dev/null || fail "restart checks readiness in the session checkout"
 pass "restart replaces duplicate shell instances from the session checkout"
+[[ $(<"$test_tmp/notification-checks") == 4 ]] || fail "restart waits for the existing notification service after core IPC is ready"
+pass "restart waits for notification readiness before one-time update hooks"
 
 : >"$restart_log"
 printf '303\n' >"$restart_state"