diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencies.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencies.java
index 1296c3cd2..93a6405e6 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencies.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencies.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package org.thoughtcrime.securesms.dependencies;
 
 import android.app.Application;
 
+import androidx.annotation.MainThread;
 import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
 
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.BuildConfig;
@@ -61,13 +62,15 @@ public class ApplicationDependencies {
   private static InitialMessageRetriever      initialMessageRetriever;
   private static MessageNotifier              messageNotifier;
 
+  @MainThread
   public static synchronized void init(@NonNull Application application, @NonNull Provider provider) {
     if (ApplicationDependencies.application != null || ApplicationDependencies.provider != null) {
       throw new IllegalStateException("Already initialized!");
     }
 
-    ApplicationDependencies.application = application;
-    ApplicationDependencies.provider    = provider;
+    ApplicationDependencies.application     = application;
+    ApplicationDependencies.provider        = provider;
+    ApplicationDependencies.messageNotifier = provider.provideMessageNotifier();
   }
 
   public static @NonNull Application getApplication() {
@@ -251,11 +254,6 @@ public class ApplicationDependencies {
 
   public static synchronized @NonNull MessageNotifier getMessageNotifier() {
     assertInitialization();
-
-    if (messageNotifier == null) {
-      messageNotifier = provider.provideMessageNotifier();
-    }
-
     return messageNotifier;
   }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencyProvider.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencyProvider.java
index 83c3791fe..87fae5ab8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencyProvider.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencyProvider.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.megaphone.MegaphoneRepository;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.messages.InitialMessageRetriever;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.notifications.DefaultMessageNotifier;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.notifications.MessageNotifier;
+import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.notifications.OptimizedMessageNotifier;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.push.SecurityEventListener;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.push.SignalServiceNetworkAccess;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.recipients.LiveRecipientCache;
@@ -162,7 +163,7 @@ public class ApplicationDependencyProvider implements ApplicationDependencies.Pr
 
   @Override
   public @NonNull MessageNotifier provideMessageNotifier() {
-    return new DefaultMessageNotifier();
+    return new OptimizedMessageNotifier(new DefaultMessageNotifier());
   }
 
   private static class DynamicCredentialsProvider implements CredentialsProvider {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/messages/InitialMessageRetriever.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/messages/InitialMessageRetriever.java
index 079c63b7b..f2e23e616 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/messages/InitialMessageRetriever.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/messages/InitialMessageRetriever.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import androidx.annotation.WorkerThread;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.ApplicationContext;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.dependencies.ApplicationDependencies;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.logging.Log;
+import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.notifications.MessageNotifier;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.util.concurrent.SignalExecutors;
 
 import java.util.List;
@@ -102,6 +103,8 @@ public class InitialMessageRetriever {
         listeners.clear();
       }
 
+      ApplicationDependencies.getMessageNotifier().updateNotification(ApplicationDependencies.getApplication());
+
       if (success) {
         Log.i(TAG, "Successfully caught up in " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime) + " ms.");
         return Result.SUCCESS;
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/notifications/OptimizedMessageNotifier.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/notifications/OptimizedMessageNotifier.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a30aa3e87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/notifications/OptimizedMessageNotifier.java
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package org.thoughtcrime.securesms.notifications;
+
+import android.content.Context;
+
+import androidx.annotation.MainThread;
+import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
+
+import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.dependencies.ApplicationDependencies;
+import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.messages.InitialMessageRetriever;
+import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.recipients.Recipient;
+import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.util.Throttler;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+/**
+ * Wraps another {@link MessageNotifier} and throttles it while {@link InitialMessageRetriever} is
+ * running.
+ */
+public class OptimizedMessageNotifier implements MessageNotifier {
+
+  private final MessageNotifier         wrapped;
+  private final Throttler               throttler;
+  private final InitialMessageRetriever retriever;
+
+  @MainThread
+  public OptimizedMessageNotifier(@NonNull MessageNotifier wrapped) {
+    this.wrapped   = wrapped;
+    this.throttler = new Throttler(TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(5));
+    this.retriever = ApplicationDependencies.getInitialMessageRetriever();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void setVisibleThread(long threadId) {
+    wrapped.setVisibleThread(threadId);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void clearVisibleThread() {
+    wrapped.clearVisibleThread();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void setLastDesktopActivityTimestamp(long timestamp) {
+    wrapped.setLastDesktopActivityTimestamp(timestamp);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void notifyMessageDeliveryFailed(Context context, Recipient recipient, long threadId) {
+    wrapped.notifyMessageDeliveryFailed(context, recipient, threadId);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void cancelDelayedNotifications() {
+    wrapped.cancelDelayedNotifications();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void updateNotification(@NonNull Context context) {
+    if (retriever.isCaughtUp()) {
+      wrapped.updateNotification(context);
+    } else {
+      throttler.publish(() -> wrapped.updateNotification(context));
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void updateNotification(@NonNull Context context, long threadId) {
+    if (retriever.isCaughtUp()) {
+      wrapped.updateNotification(context, threadId);
+    } else {
+      throttler.publish(() -> wrapped.updateNotification(context));
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void updateNotification(@NonNull Context context, long threadId, boolean signal) {
+    if (retriever.isCaughtUp()) {
+      wrapped.updateNotification(context, threadId, signal);
+    } else {
+      throttler.publish(() -> wrapped.updateNotification(context));
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void updateNotification(@NonNull Context context, long threadId, boolean signal, int reminderCount) {
+    if (retriever.isCaughtUp()) {
+      wrapped.updateNotification(context, threadId, signal, reminderCount);
+    } else {
+      throttler.publish(() -> wrapped.updateNotification(context));
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void clearReminder(@NonNull Context context) {
+    wrapped.clearReminder(context);
+  }
+}