diff --git a/js/ui/main.js b/js/ui/main.js
index e8269f09b..17f5bc716 100644
--- a/js/ui/main.js
+++ b/js/ui/main.js
@@ -229,7 +229,11 @@ function _initializeUI() {
     EndSessionDialog.init();
 
     // We're ready for the session manager to move to the next phase
-    Meta.register_with_session();
+    GLib.idle_add(GLib.PRIORITY_DEFAULT, () => {
+        Shell.util_sd_notify();
+        Meta.register_with_session();
+        return GLib.SOURCE_REMOVE;
+    });
 
     _startDate = new Date();
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 489026b76..6faf9934f 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -24,14 +24,6 @@
 #include "shell-perf-log.h"
 #include "st.h"
 
-#ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
-#include <systemd/sd-daemon.h>
-#else
-/* So we don't need to add ifdef's everywhere */
-#define sd_notify(u, m)            do {} while (0)
-#define sd_notifyf(u, m, ...)      do {} while (0)
-#endif
-
 extern GType gnome_shell_plugin_get_type (void);
 
 #define SHELL_DBUS_SERVICE "org.gnome.Shell"
@@ -532,9 +524,6 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
   shell_init_debug (g_getenv ("SHELL_DEBUG"));
 
   shell_dbus_init (meta_get_replace_current_wm ());
-  /* We only use NOTIFY_SOCKET exactly once; unset it so it doesn't remain in
-   * our environment. */
-  sd_notify (1, "READY=1");
   shell_a11y_init ();
   shell_perf_log_init ();
   shell_introspection_init ();
diff --git a/src/shell-util.c b/src/shell-util.c
index c22dd1c6e..f93462c73 100644
--- a/src/shell-util.c
+++ b/src/shell-util.c
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@
 #include <langinfo.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
+#include <systemd/sd-daemon.h>
+#else
+/* So we don't need to add ifdef's everywhere */
+#define sd_notify(u, m)            do {} while (0)
+#define sd_notifyf(u, m, ...)      do {} while (0)
+#endif
+
 static void
 stop_pick (ClutterActor       *actor,
            const ClutterColor *color)
@@ -659,3 +667,11 @@ shell_util_stop_systemd_unit (const char  *unit,
 {
   return shell_util_systemd_call ("StopUnit", unit, mode, error);
 }
+
+void
+shell_util_sd_notify (void)
+{
+  /* We only use NOTIFY_SOCKET exactly once; unset it so it doesn't remain in
+   * our environment. */
+  sd_notify (1, "READY=1");
+}
diff --git a/src/shell-util.h b/src/shell-util.h
index c41e02c79..4453beb4a 100644
--- a/src/shell-util.h
+++ b/src/shell-util.h
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ gboolean shell_util_stop_systemd_unit  (const char  *unit,
                                         const char  *mode,
                                         GError     **error);
 
+void shell_util_sd_notify (void);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __SHELL_UTIL_H__ */