diff --git a/client/src/stores/notifications.ts b/client/src/stores/notifications.ts
index 104b3e9f..ec6dcdf3 100644
--- a/client/src/stores/notifications.ts
+++ b/client/src/stores/notifications.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import { itGet } from "@/fetchHelpers";
+import { useUserStore } from "@/stores/user";
 import type { Notification } from "@/types";
+import log from "loglevel";
 import { defineStore } from "pinia";
-import { ref } from "vue";
+import { ref, watch } from "vue";
 
 type NotificationListData = {
   all_count: number;
@@ -29,8 +31,18 @@ export const useNotificationsStore = defineStore("notifications", () => {
     hasUnread.value = data.unread_count !== 0;
   }
 
-  updateUnreadCount();
-  setInterval(async () => await updateUnreadCount(), 30000);
+  const userStore = useUserStore();
+  let timerHandle: number | null = null;
+  watch(userStore, () => {
+    if (userStore.loggedIn && timerHandle === null) {
+      log.debug("Notification polling started");
+      updateUnreadCount();
+      timerHandle = setInterval(async () => await updateUnreadCount(), 30000);
+    } else if (!userStore.loggedIn) {
+      log.debug("Notification polling stopped");
+      timerHandle = null;
+    }
+  });
 
   return { loadNotifications, hasUnread, allCount };
 });