diff --git a/electrumx/server/block_processor.py b/electrumx/server/block_processor.py
index c37eec2..de79440 100644
--- a/electrumx/server/block_processor.py
+++ b/electrumx/server/block_processor.py
@@ -626,8 +626,6 @@ class BlockProcessor(object):
         if first_sync:
             self.logger.info(f'{electrumx.version} synced to '
                              f'height {self.height:,d}')
-        # Initialise the notification framework
-        await self.notifications.on_block(set(), self.height)
         # Reopen for serving
         await self.db.open_for_serving()
 
diff --git a/electrumx/server/controller.py b/electrumx/server/controller.py
index 41b8055..9f2006d 100644
--- a/electrumx/server/controller.py
+++ b/electrumx/server/controller.py
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ class Notifications(object):
     def __init__(self):
         self._touched_mp = {}
         self._touched_bp = {}
-        self._highest_block = 0
-        self._notify_funcs = []
+        self._highest_block = -1
 
     async def _maybe_notify(self):
         tmp, tbp = self._touched_mp, self._touched_bp
@@ -54,11 +53,15 @@ class Notifications(object):
             del tmp[old]
         for old in [h for h in tbp if h <= height]:
             del tbp[old]
-        for notify_func in self._notify_funcs:
-            await notify_func(height, touched)
+        await self.notify(height, touched)
 
-    def add_callback(self, notify_func):
-        self._notify_funcs.append(notify_func)
+    async def notify(self, height, touched):
+        pass
+
+    async def start(self, height, notify_func):
+        self._highest_block = height
+        self.notify = notify_func
+        await self.notify(height, set())
 
     async def on_mempool(self, touched, height):
         self._touched_mp[height] = touched
@@ -99,18 +102,17 @@ class Controller(ServerBase):
         db = DB(env)
         bp = BlockProcessor(env, db, daemon, notifications)
 
-        # Set ourselves up to implement the MemPoolAPI
-        self.height = daemon.height
-        self.cached_height = daemon.cached_height
-        self.mempool_hashes = daemon.mempool_hashes
-        self.raw_transactions = daemon.getrawtransactions
-        self.lookup_utxos = db.lookup_utxos
-        self.on_mempool = notifications.on_mempool
-        MemPoolAPI.register(Controller)
-        mempool = MemPool(env.coin, self)
+        # Set notifications up to implement the MemPoolAPI
+        notifications.height = daemon.height
+        notifications.cached_height = daemon.cached_height
+        notifications.mempool_hashes = daemon.mempool_hashes
+        notifications.raw_transactions = daemon.getrawtransactions
+        notifications.lookup_utxos = db.lookup_utxos
+        MemPoolAPI.register(Notifications)
+        mempool = MemPool(env.coin, notifications)
 
         session_mgr = SessionManager(env, db, bp, daemon, mempool,
-                                     notifications, shutdown_event)
+                                     shutdown_event)
 
         # Test daemon authentication, and also ensure it has a cached
         # height.  Do this before entering the task group.
@@ -120,7 +122,8 @@ class Controller(ServerBase):
         serve_externally_event = Event()
         synchronized_event = Event()
         async with TaskGroup() as group:
-            await group.spawn(session_mgr.serve(serve_externally_event))
+            await group.spawn(session_mgr.serve(notifications,
+                                                serve_externally_event))
             await group.spawn(bp.fetch_and_process_blocks(caught_up_event))
             await caught_up_event.wait()
             await group.spawn(db.populate_header_merkle_cache())
diff --git a/electrumx/server/session.py b/electrumx/server/session.py
index a43843e..f7ade96 100644
--- a/electrumx/server/session.py
+++ b/electrumx/server/session.py
@@ -108,8 +108,7 @@ class SessionGroup(object):
 class SessionManager(object):
     '''Holds global state about all sessions.'''
 
-    def __init__(self, env, db, bp, daemon, mempool, notifications,
-                 shutdown_event):
+    def __init__(self, env, db, bp, daemon, mempool, shutdown_event):
         env.max_send = max(350000, env.max_send)
         self.env = env
         self.db = db
@@ -136,8 +135,6 @@ class SessionManager(object):
         # Event triggered when electrumx is listening for incoming requests.
         self.server_listening = Event()
         self.session_event = Event()
-        # Tell sessions about subscription changes
-        notifications.add_callback(self._notify_sessions)
 
         # Set up the RPC request handlers
         cmds = ('add_peer daemon_url disconnect getinfo groups log peers '
@@ -346,6 +343,8 @@ class SessionManager(object):
         '''Refresh the cached header subscription responses to be for height,
         and record that as notified_height.
         '''
+        # Paranoia: a reorg could race and leave db_height lower
+        height = min(height, self.db.db_height)
         electrum, raw = await self._electrum_and_raw_headers(height)
         self.hsub_results = (electrum, {'hex': raw.hex(), 'height': height})
         self.notified_height = height
@@ -477,7 +476,7 @@ class SessionManager(object):
 
     # --- External Interface
 
-    async def serve(self, event):
+    async def serve(self, notifications, event):
         '''Start the RPC server if enabled.  When the event is triggered,
         start TCP and SSL servers.'''
         try:
@@ -499,6 +498,8 @@ class SessionManager(object):
             if self.env.drop_client is not None:
                 self.logger.info('drop clients matching: {}'
                                  .format(self.env.drop_client.pattern))
+            # Start notifications; initialize hsub_results
+            await notifications.start(self.db.db_height, self._notify_sessions)
             await self._start_external_servers()
             # Peer discovery should start after the external servers
             # because we connect to ourself
@@ -559,8 +560,7 @@ class SessionManager(object):
         '''Notify sessions about height changes and touched addresses.'''
         height_changed = height != self.notified_height
         if height_changed:
-            # Paranoia: a reorg could race and leave db_height lower
-            await self._refresh_hsub_results(min(height, self.db.db_height))
+            await self._refresh_hsub_results(height)
             # Invalidate our history cache for touched hashXs
             hc = self.history_cache
             for hashX in set(hc).intersection(touched):