diff --git a/lib/main.dart b/lib/main.dart
index fddc0ec0..9bf7c380 100644
--- a/lib/main.dart
+++ b/lib/main.dart
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class FlwtchState extends State<Flwtch> {
       var cwtchNotifier = new CwtchNotifier(profs, globalSettings, globalErrorHandler, globalTorStatus, NullNotificationsManager(), globalAppState);
       cwtch = CwtchGomobile(cwtchNotifier);
     } else if (Platform.isLinux) {
-      var cwtchNotifier = new CwtchNotifier(profs, globalSettings, globalErrorHandler, globalTorStatus, LinuxNotificationsManager(), globalAppState);
+      var cwtchNotifier = new CwtchNotifier(profs, globalSettings, globalErrorHandler, globalTorStatus, newDesktopNotificationsManager(), globalAppState);
       cwtch = CwtchFfi(cwtchNotifier);
     } else {
       var cwtchNotifier = new CwtchNotifier(profs, globalSettings, globalErrorHandler, globalTorStatus, NullNotificationsManager(), globalAppState);
diff --git a/lib/notification_manager.dart b/lib/notification_manager.dart
index 2f6701ad..ea4e9a78 100644
--- a/lib/notification_manager.dart
+++ b/lib/notification_manager.dart
@@ -16,10 +16,28 @@ class NullNotificationsManager implements NotificationsManager {
 // the standard dbus-powered linux desktop notifications.
 class LinuxNotificationsManager implements NotificationsManager {
   int previous_id = 0;
-  final NotificationsClient client = NotificationsClient();
-  LinuxNotificationsManager() {}
+  late NotificationsClient client;
+  LinuxNotificationsManager(NotificationsClient client) {
+    this.client = client;
+  }
   Future<void> notify(String message) async {
-    var icon_path = Uri.file(path.join(path.current, "cwtch.png"));
-    client.notify(message, appName: "cwtch", appIcon: icon_path.toString(), replacesId: this.previous_id).then((Notification value) => previous_id = value.id);
+    var iconPath = Uri.file(path.join(path.current, "cwtch.png"));
+      client.notify(message, appName: "cwtch",
+          appIcon: iconPath.toString(),
+          replacesId: this.previous_id).then((Notification value) =>
+      previous_id = value.id);
   }
 }
+
+NotificationsManager newDesktopNotificationsManager() {
+  try {
+    // Test that we can actually access DBUS. Otherwise return a null
+    // notifications manager...
+    NotificationsClient client = NotificationsClient();
+    client.getCapabilities();
+    return LinuxNotificationsManager(client);
+  } catch (e) {
+    print("Attempted to access DBUS for notifications but failed. Switching off notifications.");
+  }
+  return NullNotificationsManager();
+}
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