--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/GeckoApp.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/GeckoApp.java
@@ -1217,16 +1217,19 @@ public abstract class GeckoApp
         // the app context, because various parts of Fennec (e.g.,
         // GeckoScreenOrientation) use GAS to access the Activity in
         // the guise of fetching a Context.
         // When that's fixed, `this` can change to
         // `(GeckoApplication) getApplication()` here.
         GeckoAppShell.setContextGetter(this);
         GeckoAppShell.setApplicationContext(getApplicationContext());
         GeckoAppShell.setGeckoInterface(this);
+        // We need to set the notification client before launching Gecko, since Gecko could start
+        // sending notifications immediately after startup, which we don't want to lose/crash on.
+        GeckoAppShell.setNotificationClient(makeNotificationClient());
 
         Tabs.getInstance().attachToContext(this);
         try {
             Favicons.initializeWithContext(this);
         } catch (Exception e) {
             Log.e(LOGTAG, "Exception starting favicon cache. Corrupt resources?", e);
         }
 
@@ -1477,17 +1480,16 @@ public abstract class GeckoApp
                 });
 
                 // We use per-profile prefs here, because we're tracking against
                 // a Gecko pref. The same applies to the locale switcher!
                 BrowserLocaleManager.storeAndNotifyOSLocale(GeckoSharedPrefs.forProfile(GeckoApp.this), osLocale);
             }
         });
 
-        GeckoAppShell.setNotificationClient(makeNotificationClient());
         IntentHelper.init(this);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void onStart() {
         super.onStart();
         if (mIsAbortingAppLaunch) {
             return;