diff --git a/backend/internal/daemon/daemon.go b/backend/internal/daemon/daemon.go
index 556fe5f09..fd426e7c0 100644
--- a/backend/internal/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/backend/internal/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ func Run() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	notifier := startNotifier(ctx, cfg, store, log)
+
 	// Terminal streaming: the tmux runtime supplies the PTY-attach command and
 	// liveness; the CDC broadcaster feeds the session-state channel. The manager
 	// is handed to httpd, which mounts it at /mux. Raw PTY bytes never flow
@@ -71,6 +73,11 @@ func Run() error {
 
 	srv, err := httpd.New(cfg, log, termMgr)
 	if err != nil {
+		stop()
+		notifier.Stop()
+		if cdcErr := cdcPipe.Stop(); cdcErr != nil {
+			log.Error("cdc pipeline shutdown", "err", cdcErr)
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -79,6 +86,11 @@ func Run() error {
 	// trigger -> change_log -> poller -> broadcaster.
 	lcStack, err := startLifecycle(ctx, store, log)
 	if err != nil {
+		stop()
+		notifier.Stop()
+		if cdcErr := cdcPipe.Stop(); cdcErr != nil {
+			log.Error("cdc pipeline shutdown", "err", cdcErr)
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -98,6 +110,7 @@ func Run() error {
 		// the LIFO trap (see comment after srv.Run), hence explicit.
 		stop()
 		lcStack.Stop()
+		notifier.Stop()
 		if cdcErr := cdcPipe.Stop(); cdcErr != nil {
 			log.Error("cdc pipeline shutdown", "err", cdcErr)
 		}
@@ -113,6 +126,7 @@ func Run() error {
 	// runs before the cancel — which would hang any non-signal exit path.
 	stop()
 	lcStack.Stop()
+	notifier.Stop()
 	if err := cdcPipe.Stop(); err != nil {
 		log.Error("cdc pipeline shutdown", "err", err)
 	}
diff --git a/backend/notifier_wiring.go b/backend/internal/daemon/notifier_wiring.go
similarity index 97%
rename from backend/notifier_wiring.go
rename to backend/internal/daemon/notifier_wiring.go
index 5463859dd..5864b1e95 100644
--- a/backend/notifier_wiring.go
+++ b/backend/internal/daemon/notifier_wiring.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package main
+package daemon
 
 import (
 	"context"
diff --git a/backend/internal/notification/settings.go b/backend/internal/notification/settings.go
index abb8b6531..457c5dc27 100644
--- a/backend/internal/notification/settings.go
+++ b/backend/internal/notification/settings.go
@@ -33,15 +33,9 @@ func NormalizeSettings(in config.NotificationConfig) config.NotificationConfig {
 	def := config.DefaultNotificationConfig()
 	out := in
 
-	if isZeroDashboardConfig(in.Dashboard) {
-		out.Dashboard.Enabled = def.Dashboard.Enabled
-	}
 	if out.Dashboard.Limit == 0 {
 		out.Dashboard.Limit = def.Dashboard.Limit
 	}
-	if isZeroDesktopConfig(in.Desktop) {
-		out.Desktop.Enabled = def.Desktop.Enabled
-	}
 	if out.Desktop.Priorities == nil {
 		out.Desktop.Priorities = append([]ports.Priority(nil), def.Desktop.Priorities...)
 	}
@@ -93,23 +87,3 @@ func cloneRoutes(in map[ports.Priority][]string) map[ports.Priority][]string {
 	}
 	return out
 }
-
-func isZeroNotificationConfig(c config.NotificationConfig) bool {
-	return !c.Enabled &&
-		isZeroDashboardConfig(c.Dashboard) &&
-		isZeroDesktopConfig(c.Desktop) &&
-		c.Routing.Priorities == nil &&
-		c.Retry.MaxAttempts == 0 &&
-		c.Retry.BaseDelay == 0 &&
-		c.Retry.MaxDelay == 0 &&
-		c.Retry.LeaseTTL == 0 &&
-		c.Retry.BatchSize == 0
-}
-
-func isZeroDashboardConfig(c config.DashboardNotificationConfig) bool {
-	return !c.Enabled && c.Limit == 0
-}
-
-func isZeroDesktopConfig(c config.DesktopNotificationConfig) bool {
-	return !c.Enabled && len(c.Priorities) == 0 && len(c.SoundPriorities) == 0
-}
diff --git a/backend/internal/notification/settings_test.go b/backend/internal/notification/settings_test.go
index bd854e988..9fb9590f8 100644
--- a/backend/internal/notification/settings_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/notification/settings_test.go
@@ -28,6 +28,27 @@ func TestSettingsFromConfigPreservesExplicitGlobalDisable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNormalizeSettingsPreservesExplicitSurfaceDisables(t *testing.T) {
+	got := StaticSettings(config.NotificationConfig{
+		Enabled:   true,
+		Dashboard: config.DashboardNotificationConfig{Enabled: false},
+		Desktop:   config.DesktopNotificationConfig{Enabled: false},
+	}).Settings(context.Background())
+
+	if !got.Enabled {
+		t.Fatalf("global notifications should remain enabled: %+v", got)
+	}
+	if got.Dashboard.Enabled {
+		t.Fatalf("explicit dashboard disable should stay disabled: %+v", got.Dashboard)
+	}
+	if got.Desktop.Enabled {
+		t.Fatalf("explicit desktop disable should stay disabled: %+v", got.Desktop)
+	}
+	if got.Dashboard.Limit != 50 || len(got.Desktop.Priorities) == 0 || got.Retry.MaxAttempts != 5 {
+		t.Fatalf("disabled surfaces should still receive non-bool defaults: %+v", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestNormalizeSettingsPreservesExplicitEmptyRoute(t *testing.T) {
 	cfg := config.DefaultNotificationConfig()
 	cfg.Routing.Priorities[ports.PriorityUrgent] = []string{}