diff --git a/src/components/public_and_external_timeline/public_and_external_timeline.js b/src/components/public_and_external_timeline/public_and_external_timeline.js
index d45677e0f3..f614c13b06 100644
--- a/src/components/public_and_external_timeline/public_and_external_timeline.js
+++ b/src/components/public_and_external_timeline/public_and_external_timeline.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const PublicAndExternalTimeline = {
     timeline () { return this.$store.state.statuses.timelines.publicAndExternal }
   },
   created () {
-    this.$store.dispatch('startFetching', { timeline: 'publicAndExternal' })
+    this.$store.dispatch('startFetchingTimeline', { timeline: 'publicAndExternal' })
   },
   destroyed () {
     this.$store.dispatch('stopFetching', 'publicAndExternal')
diff --git a/src/components/public_timeline/public_timeline.js b/src/components/public_timeline/public_timeline.js
index 64c951ac7c..8976a99c4a 100644
--- a/src/components/public_timeline/public_timeline.js
+++ b/src/components/public_timeline/public_timeline.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const PublicTimeline = {
     timeline () { return this.$store.state.statuses.timelines.public }
   },
   created () {
-    this.$store.dispatch('startFetching', { timeline: 'public' })
+    this.$store.dispatch('startFetchingTimeline', { timeline: 'public' })
   },
   destroyed () {
     this.$store.dispatch('stopFetching', 'public')
diff --git a/src/components/tag_timeline/tag_timeline.js b/src/components/tag_timeline/tag_timeline.js
index 41b09706b5..458eb1c51c 100644
--- a/src/components/tag_timeline/tag_timeline.js
+++ b/src/components/tag_timeline/tag_timeline.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import Timeline from '../timeline/timeline.vue'
 const TagTimeline = {
   created () {
     this.$store.commit('clearTimeline', { timeline: 'tag' })
-    this.$store.dispatch('startFetching', { timeline: 'tag', tag: this.tag })
+    this.$store.dispatch('startFetchingTimeline', { timeline: 'tag', tag: this.tag })
   },
   components: {
     Timeline
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ const TagTimeline = {
   watch: {
     tag () {
       this.$store.commit('clearTimeline', { timeline: 'tag' })
-      this.$store.dispatch('startFetching', { timeline: 'tag', tag: this.tag })
+      this.$store.dispatch('startFetchingTimeline', { timeline: 'tag', tag: this.tag })
     }
   },
   destroyed () {
diff --git a/src/components/user_profile/user_profile.js b/src/components/user_profile/user_profile.js
index 1df06fe6ae..bac729c07a 100644
--- a/src/components/user_profile/user_profile.js
+++ b/src/components/user_profile/user_profile.js
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ const UserProfile = {
   methods: {
     startFetchFavorites () {
       if (this.isUs) {
-        this.$store.dispatch('startFetching', { timeline: 'favorites', userId: this.userId })
+        this.$store.dispatch('startFetchingTimeline', { timeline: 'favorites', userId: this.userId })
       }
     },
     fetchUserId () {
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ const UserProfile = {
     },
     startUp () {
       if (this.userId) {
-        this.$store.dispatch('startFetching', { timeline: 'user', userId: this.userId })
-        this.$store.dispatch('startFetching', { timeline: 'media', userId: this.userId })
+        this.$store.dispatch('startFetchingTimeline', { timeline: 'user', userId: this.userId })
+        this.$store.dispatch('startFetchingTimeline', { timeline: 'media', userId: this.userId })
         this.startFetchFavorites()
       }
     },
diff --git a/src/modules/api.js b/src/modules/api.js
index 31cb55c6d5..6242dfa170 100644
--- a/src/modules/api.js
+++ b/src/modules/api.js
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ const api = {
     setBackendInteractor (state, backendInteractor) {
       state.backendInteractor = backendInteractor
     },
-    addFetcher (state, {timeline, fetcher}) {
-      state.fetchers[timeline] = fetcher
+    addFetcher (state, {fetcherName, fetcher}) {
+      state.fetchers[fetcherName] = fetcher
     },
-    removeFetcher (state, {timeline}) {
-      delete state.fetchers[timeline]
+    removeFetcher (state, { fetcherName }) {
+      delete state.fetchers[fetcherName]
     },
     setWsToken (state, token) {
       state.wsToken = token
@@ -33,17 +33,24 @@ const api = {
     }
   },
   actions: {
-    startFetching (store, {timeline = 'friends', tag = false, userId = false}) {
+    startFetchingTimeline (store, {timeline = 'friends', tag = false, userId = false}) {
       // Don't start fetching if we already are.
       if (store.state.fetchers[timeline]) return
 
-      const fetcher = store.state.backendInteractor.startFetching({ timeline, store, userId, tag })
-      store.commit('addFetcher', { timeline, fetcher })
+      const fetcher = store.state.backendInteractor.startFetchingTimeline({ timeline, store, userId, tag })
+      store.commit('addFetcher', { fetcherName: timeline, fetcher })
     },
-    stopFetching (store, timeline) {
-      const fetcher = store.state.fetchers[timeline]
+    startFetchingNotifications (store) {
+      // Don't start fetching if we already are.
+      if (store.state.fetchers['notifications']) return
+
+      const fetcher = store.state.backendInteractor.startFetchingNotifications({ store })
+      store.commit('addFetcher', { fetcherName: 'notifications', fetcher })
+    },
+    stopFetching (store, fetcherName) {
+      const fetcher = store.state.fetchers[fetcherName]
       window.clearInterval(fetcher)
-      store.commit('removeFetcher', {timeline})
+      store.commit('removeFetcher', { fetcherName })
     },
     setWsToken (store, token) {
       store.commit('setWsToken', token)
diff --git a/src/modules/users.js b/src/modules/users.js
index 3cfae1fca0..b0c7f2f653 100644
--- a/src/modules/users.js
+++ b/src/modules/users.js
@@ -364,10 +364,10 @@ const users = {
               }
 
               // Start getting fresh posts.
-              store.dispatch('startFetching', { timeline: 'friends' })
+              store.dispatch('startFetchingTimeline', { timeline: 'friends' })
 
               // Start fetching notifications
-              store.dispatch('startFetching', { timeline: 'notifications' })
+              store.dispatch('startFetchingNotifications')
 
               // Get user mutes
               store.dispatch('fetchMutes')
diff --git a/src/services/backend_interactor_service/backend_interactor_service.js b/src/services/backend_interactor_service/backend_interactor_service.js
index f28686f837..7dd139c695 100644
--- a/src/services/backend_interactor_service/backend_interactor_service.js
+++ b/src/services/backend_interactor_service/backend_interactor_service.js
@@ -59,9 +59,12 @@ const backendInteractorService = (credentials) => {
     return apiService.denyUser({credentials, id})
   }
 
-  const startFetching = ({timeline, store, userId = false, tag}) => {
-    if (timeline === 'notifications') { return notificationsFetcher.startFetching({store, credentials}) }
-    return timelineFetcherService.startFetching({timeline, store, credentials, userId, tag})
+  const startFetchingTimeline = ({ timeline, store, userId = false, tag }) => {
+    return timelineFetcherService.startFetching({ timeline, store, credentials, userId, tag })
+  }
+
+  const startFetchingNotifications = ({ store }) => {
+    return notificationsFetcher.startFetching({ store, credentials })
   }
 
   const fetchMutes = () => apiService.fetchMutes({credentials})
@@ -99,7 +102,8 @@ const backendInteractorService = (credentials) => {
     fetchUserRelationship,
     fetchAllFollowing,
     verifyCredentials: apiService.verifyCredentials,
-    startFetching,
+    startFetchingTimeline,
+    startFetchingNotifications,
     fetchMutes,
     muteUser,
     unmuteUser,