diff --git a/rpc/subscription.go b/rpc/subscription.go
index 6ce7befa1d..6bbb6f75d2 100644
--- a/rpc/subscription.go
+++ b/rpc/subscription.go
@@ -52,9 +52,10 @@ type notifierKey struct{}
 // Server callbacks use the notifier to send notifications.
 type Notifier struct {
 	codec    ServerCodec
-	subMu    sync.RWMutex // guards active and inactive maps
+	subMu    sync.Mutex
 	active   map[ID]*Subscription
 	inactive map[ID]*Subscription
+	buffer   map[ID][]interface{} // unsent notifications of inactive subscriptions
 }
 
 // newNotifier creates a new notifier that can be used to send subscription
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ func newNotifier(codec ServerCodec) *Notifier {
 		codec:    codec,
 		active:   make(map[ID]*Subscription),
 		inactive: make(map[ID]*Subscription),
+		buffer:   make(map[ID][]interface{}),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -88,20 +90,26 @@ func (n *Notifier) CreateSubscription() *Subscription {
 // Notify sends a notification to the client with the given data as payload.
 // If an error occurs the RPC connection is closed and the error is returned.
 func (n *Notifier) Notify(id ID, data interface{}) error {
-	n.subMu.RLock()
-	defer n.subMu.RUnlock()
+	n.subMu.Lock()
+	defer n.subMu.Unlock()
 
-	sub, active := n.active[id]
-	if active {
-		notification := n.codec.CreateNotification(string(id), sub.namespace, data)
-		if err := n.codec.Write(notification); err != nil {
-			n.codec.Close()
-			return err
-		}
+	if sub, active := n.active[id]; active {
+		n.send(sub, data)
+	} else {
+		n.buffer[id] = append(n.buffer[id], data)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (n *Notifier) send(sub *Subscription, data interface{}) error {
+	notification := n.codec.CreateNotification(string(sub.ID), sub.namespace, data)
+	err := n.codec.Write(notification)
+	if err != nil {
+		n.codec.Close()
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
 // Closed returns a channel that is closed when the RPC connection is closed.
 func (n *Notifier) Closed() <-chan interface{} {
 	return n.codec.Closed()
@@ -127,9 +135,15 @@ func (n *Notifier) unsubscribe(id ID) error {
 func (n *Notifier) activate(id ID, namespace string) {
 	n.subMu.Lock()
 	defer n.subMu.Unlock()
+
 	if sub, found := n.inactive[id]; found {
 		sub.namespace = namespace
 		n.active[id] = sub
 		delete(n.inactive, id)
+		// Send buffered notifications.
+		for _, data := range n.buffer[id] {
+			n.send(sub, data)
+		}
+		delete(n.buffer, id)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/rpc/subscription_test.go b/rpc/subscription_test.go
index 0ba177e63b..1c38600578 100644
--- a/rpc/subscription_test.go
+++ b/rpc/subscription_test.go
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ func (s *NotificationTestService) SomeSubscription(ctx context.Context, n, val i
 		// test expects n events, if we begin sending event immediately some events
 		// will probably be dropped since the subscription ID might not be send to
 		// the client.
-		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 		for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
 			if err := notifier.Notify(subscription.ID, val+i); err != nil {
 				return
@@ -287,32 +286,26 @@ func TestSubscriptionMultipleNamespaces(t *testing.T) {
 	timeout := time.After(30 * time.Second)
 	subids := make(map[string]string, 2*len(namespaces))
 	count := make(map[string]int, 2*len(namespaces))
-
-	for {
-		done := true
-		for id := range count {
-			if count, found := count[id]; !found || count < (2*n) {
+	allReceived := func() bool {
+		done := len(count) == len(namespaces)
+		for _, c := range count {
+			if c < n {
 				done = false
 			}
 		}
+		return done
+	}
 
-		if done && len(count) == len(namespaces) {
-			break
-		}
-
+	for !allReceived() {
 		select {
-		case err := <-errors:
-			t.Fatal(err)
 		case suc := <-successes: // subscription created
 			subids[namespaces[int(suc.Id.(float64))]] = suc.Result.(string)
+		case notification := <-notifications:
+			count[notification.Params.Subscription]++
+		case err := <-errors:
+			t.Fatal(err)
 		case failure := <-failures:
 			t.Errorf("received error: %v", failure.Error)
-		case notification := <-notifications:
-			if cnt, found := count[notification.Params.Subscription]; found {
-				count[notification.Params.Subscription] = cnt + 1
-			} else {
-				count[notification.Params.Subscription] = 1
-			}
 		case <-timeout:
 			for _, namespace := range namespaces {
 				subid, found := subids[namespace]