diff --git a/cmd-queue.c b/cmd-queue.c
index bafff1d6..2012e871 100644
--- a/cmd-queue.c
+++ b/cmd-queue.c
@@ -248,10 +248,8 @@ cmdq_continue(struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 	enum cmd_retval		 retval;
 	int			 empty;
 
-	cmdq->references++;
-	notify_disable();
-
 	log_debug("continuing cmdq %p: flags %#x (%p)", cmdq, cmdq->flags, c);
+	cmdq->references++;
 
 	empty = TAILQ_EMPTY(&cmdq->queue);
 	if (empty)
@@ -296,9 +294,7 @@ empty:
 	empty = 1;
 
 out:
-	notify_enable();
 	cmdq_free(cmdq);
-
 	return (empty);
 }
 
diff --git a/notify.c b/notify.c
index a1f69240..3ec41e99 100644
--- a/notify.c
+++ b/notify.c
@@ -45,25 +45,10 @@ struct notify_entry {
 };
 TAILQ_HEAD(notify_queue, notify_entry);
 static struct notify_queue notify_queue = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(notify_queue);
-static int	notify_enabled = 1;
 
-static void	notify_drain(void);
 static void	notify_add(enum notify_type, struct client *, struct session *,
 		    struct window *);
 
-void
-notify_enable(void)
-{
-	notify_enabled = 1;
-	notify_drain();
-}
-
-void
-notify_disable(void)
-{
-	notify_enabled = 0;
-}
-
 static void
 notify_add(enum notify_type type, struct client *c, struct session *s,
     struct window *w)
@@ -85,14 +70,11 @@ notify_add(enum notify_type type, struct client *c, struct session *s,
 		w->references++;
 }
 
-static void
+void
 notify_drain(void)
 {
 	struct notify_entry	*ne, *ne1;
 
-	if (!notify_enabled)
-		return;
-
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(ne, &notify_queue, entry, ne1) {
 		switch (ne->type) {
 		case NOTIFY_WINDOW_LAYOUT_CHANGED:
@@ -138,13 +120,6 @@ notify_input(struct window_pane *wp, struct evbuffer *input)
 {
 	struct client	*c;
 
-	/*
-	 * notify_input() is not queued and only does anything when
-	 * notifications are enabled.
-	 */
-	if (!notify_enabled)
-		return;
-
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(c, &clients, entry) {
 		if (c->flags & CLIENT_CONTROL)
 			control_notify_input(c, wp, input);
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index bcb596b8..e6d1c09f 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ server_loop(void)
 	struct client	*c;
 
 	server_client_loop();
+	notify_drain();
 
 	if (!options_get_number(global_options, "exit-unattached")) {
 		if (!RB_EMPTY(&sessions))
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 3f29f07f..a57ac5b0 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1577,8 +1577,7 @@ void	mode_key_init(struct mode_key_data *, struct mode_key_tree *);
 enum mode_key_cmd mode_key_lookup(struct mode_key_data *, key_code);
 
 /* notify.c */
-void	notify_enable(void);
-void	notify_disable(void);
+void	notify_drain(void);
 void	notify_input(struct window_pane *, struct evbuffer *);
 void	notify_window_layout_changed(struct window *);
 void	notify_window_unlinked(struct session *, struct window *);