diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/Notifications.h b/headers/private/kernel/Notifications.h
index ca6f9f08d2..a5a8686f46 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/Notifications.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/Notifications.h
@@ -131,8 +131,18 @@ public:
 								DefaultNotificationService(const char* name);
 	virtual						~DefaultNotificationService();
 
-			void				Notify(const KMessage& event, uint32 eventMask);
+	inline	bool				Lock()
+									{ return recursive_lock_lock(&fLock)
+										== B_OK; }
+	inline	void				Unlock()
+									{ recursive_lock_unlock(&fLock); }
 
+	inline	void				Notify(const KMessage& event, uint32 eventMask);
+			void				NotifyLocked(const KMessage& event,
+									uint32 eventMask);
+
+	inline	bool				HasListeners() const
+									{ return !fListeners.IsEmpty(); }
 	virtual status_t			AddListener(const KMessage* eventSpecifier,
 									NotificationListener& listener);
 	virtual status_t			UpdateListener(const KMessage* eventSpecifier,
@@ -238,6 +248,15 @@ private:
 			ServiceHash			fServiceHash;
 };
 
+
+void
+DefaultNotificationService::Notify(const KMessage& event, uint32 eventMask)
+{
+	RecursiveLocker _(fLock);
+	NotifyLocked(event, eventMask);
+}
+
+
 extern "C" {
 
 #endif	// __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/Notifications.cpp b/src/system/kernel/Notifications.cpp
index d9c36b63ce..8ffb62198e 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/Notifications.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/Notifications.cpp
@@ -173,10 +173,8 @@ DefaultNotificationService::~DefaultNotificationService()
 		common bit with this mask will receive the event.
 */
 void
-DefaultNotificationService::Notify(const KMessage& event, uint32 eventMask)
+DefaultNotificationService::NotifyLocked(const KMessage& event, uint32 eventMask)
 {
-	RecursiveLocker _(fLock);
-
 	// Note: The following iterations support that the listener removes itself
 	// in the hook method. That's a property of the DoublyLinkedList iterator.