diff --git a/src/Core/Client.vala b/src/Core/Client.vala
index 3708ce193..b99306c81 100644
--- a/src/Core/Client.vala
+++ b/src/Core/Client.vala
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@ public class AppCenterCore.Client : Object {
 
     private const int SECONDS_BETWEEN_REFRESHES = 60 * 60 * 24;
 
-    private AsyncMutex update_notification_mutex = new AsyncMutex ();
-
     private Client () { }
 
     construct {
@@ -66,35 +64,7 @@ public class AppCenterCore.Client : Object {
     }
 
     public async void refresh_updates () {
-        yield update_notification_mutex.lock ();
-
-        bool was_empty = updates_number == 0U;
-        updates_number = yield UpdateManager.get_default ().get_updates (null);
-
-        var application = Application.get_default ();
-        if (was_empty && updates_number != 0U) {
-            string title = ngettext ("Update Available", "Updates Available", updates_number);
-            string body = ngettext ("%u app update is available", "%u app updates are available", updates_number).printf (updates_number);
-
-            var notification = new Notification (title);
-            notification.set_body (body);
-            notification.set_icon (new ThemedIcon ("software-update-available"));
-            notification.set_default_action ("app.show-updates");
-
-            application.send_notification ("io.elementary.appcenter.updates", notification);
-        } else {
-            application.withdraw_notification ("io.elementary.appcenter.updates");
-        }
-
-        try {
-            yield Granite.Services.Application.set_badge (updates_number);
-            yield Granite.Services.Application.set_badge_visible (updates_number != 0);
-        } catch (Error e) {
-            warning ("Error setting updates badge: %s", e.message);
-        }
-
-        update_notification_mutex.unlock ();
-
+        yield UpdateManager.get_default ().get_updates (null);
         installed_apps_changed ();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Core/UpdateManager.vala b/src/Core/UpdateManager.vala
index 853913800..2d8993fe1 100644
--- a/src/Core/UpdateManager.vala
+++ b/src/Core/UpdateManager.vala
@@ -130,6 +130,34 @@ public class AppCenterCore.UpdateManager : Object {
             count += 1;
         }
 
+        if (!AppCenter.App.settings.get_boolean ("automatic-updates")) {
+            var application = Application.get_default ();
+            if (count > 0) {
+                var title = ngettext ("Update Available", "Updates Available", count);
+                var body = ngettext (
+                    "%u app update is available",
+                    "%u app updates are available",
+                    count
+                ).printf (count);
+
+                var notification = new Notification (title);
+                notification.set_body (body);
+                notification.set_icon (new ThemedIcon ("software-update-available"));
+                notification.set_default_action ("app.show-updates");
+
+                application.send_notification ("io.elementary.appcenter.updates", notification);
+            } else {
+                application.withdraw_notification ("io.elementary.appcenter.updates");
+            }
+
+            try {
+                yield Granite.Services.Application.set_badge (count);
+                yield Granite.Services.Application.set_badge_visible (count != 0);
+            } catch (Error e) {
+                warning ("Error setting updates badge: %s", e.message);
+            }
+        }
+
         runtime_updates.update_state ();
         return count;
     }