diff --git a/docs/docker.md b/docs/docker.md
index cf1b6d51..eade60fc 100644
--- a/docs/docker.md
+++ b/docs/docker.md
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ Auth is always enabled. `TURNSTONE_JWT_SECRET` is required.
 |----------|---------|-------------|
 | `TURNSTONE_DB_BACKEND` | `sqlite` | Storage backend: `sqlite` or `postgresql` |
 | `TURNSTONE_DB_URL` | — | Database URL (e.g. `postgresql+psycopg://user:pass@postgres:5432/turnstone`). For SQLite, defaults to `/data/.turnstone.db` |
+| `TURNSTONE_DB_LISTEN_URL` | (falls back to `TURNSTONE_DB_URL`) | Direct-to-PostgreSQL URL for the console's dedicated `LISTEN` connection. Set this when `TURNSTONE_DB_URL` points at PgBouncer in transaction pooling mode — LISTEN is session state and the transaction-pooled connection can't hold it. See [pgbouncer.md](pgbouncer.md). |
 | `TURNSTONE_DB_POOL_SIZE` | `2` | PostgreSQL connection pool size per process (default: 2 base + 3 overflow = 5 max) |
 | `POSTGRES_USER` | `turnstone` | PostgreSQL container username (used in default `TURNSTONE_DB_URL` for cluster/channel) |
 | `POSTGRES_PASSWORD` | — | PostgreSQL container password (required for production and cluster profiles) |
diff --git a/docs/pgbouncer.md b/docs/pgbouncer.md
index 486b05b2..0e079a73 100644
--- a/docs/pgbouncer.md
+++ b/docs/pgbouncer.md
@@ -199,4 +199,28 @@ does not support prepared statements. Turnstone's SQLAlchemy layer does
 not use server-side prepared statements by default, so this is not an
 issue.
 
+**LISTEN / NOTIFY not supported in transaction mode** — PgBouncer's
+transaction pooling assigns a real server connection only for the
+duration of each transaction, then returns it to the pool. PostgreSQL
+`LISTEN` is session state — a transaction-pooled client can't hold the
+multi-statement session a long-lived `LISTEN` needs. The console's
+`NotifyDispatcher` (reactive node discovery via the `services` channel)
+therefore opens a **dedicated, direct-to-Postgres** connection that
+bypasses PgBouncer.
+
+Configure via `config.toml` `[database] listen_url` (preferred —
+co-located with the main `url`) or the `TURNSTONE_DB_LISTEN_URL` env var
+(config.toml wins when both are set). Defaults to the main DB URL when
+unset.
+
+| Setting | Behaviour |
+|---|---|
+| unset | Listener uses `TURNSTONE_DB_URL` as-is. Fine when PgBouncer is in **session** mode, or when there's no pooler in front of Postgres. With transaction-mode PgBouncer the listener's `LISTEN` will fail and the dispatcher retries with exponential backoff (1 s → 30 s cap) without ever succeeding. Reactive NOTIFY-driven node discovery is silently lost; the cluster collector's 60 s `_discovery_loop` is the only remaining backstop. |
+| set to direct-to-PG URL (e.g. `postgresql://…/turnstone`) | Listener bypasses PgBouncer for its one dedicated connection. Reactive discovery latency drops from up-to-60 s to ~500 ms. The rest of the storage layer continues to go through PgBouncer in transaction mode. |
+
+Set this whenever PgBouncer is in transaction mode (the recommended
+setting per this doc). The override only adds one long-lived PG
+connection per console process — sized into the cluster's
+`max_connections` budget alongside the pool.
+
 See also: [Docker deployment](docker.md) · [Security](security.md)
diff --git a/tests/test_console.py b/tests/test_console.py
index 54c6ed0c..e0597077 100644
--- a/tests/test_console.py
+++ b/tests/test_console.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import asyncio
 import json
 import queue
+from typing import Any
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 
 import pytest
@@ -149,6 +150,78 @@ class TestCollectorDiscovery:
         assert c._nodes["node-a"].started == 1234567890.0
 
 
+class TestCollectorNotifyWireIn:
+    """NotifyDispatcher-driven discovery — reactive node visibility."""
+
+    def test_start_subscribes_to_services_channel(self):
+        # Stub dispatcher records subscriptions without spawning threads.
+        class _StubDispatcher:
+            def __init__(self):
+                self.subscriptions: list[tuple[str, Any]] = []
+
+            def subscribe(self, channel, handler):
+                self.subscriptions.append((channel, handler))
+                return lambda: None
+
+        stub = _StubDispatcher()
+        storage = MockStorage()
+        c = ClusterCollector(
+            storage=storage,
+            discovery_interval=999,
+            notify_dispatcher=stub,
+        )
+        try:
+            c.start()
+            assert len(stub.subscriptions) == 1
+            channel, handler = stub.subscriptions[0]
+            assert channel == "services"
+            assert handler == c._on_services_notify
+        finally:
+            c.stop()
+
+    def test_no_dispatcher_means_no_subscribe(self):
+        # Collector without a dispatcher (single-node / SQLite dev) just
+        # falls back to the 60 s discovery-loop polling — no error.
+        c = _make_collector(MockStorage())
+        try:
+            c.start()
+            assert c._notify_unsubscribe is None
+        finally:
+            c.stop()
+
+    def test_on_notify_runs_discovery(self):
+        # Construct a synthetic Notify and invoke the handler directly —
+        # asserts the wire-in delegates back to ``_discover_nodes``.
+        from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify
+
+        storage = MockStorage()
+        c = _make_collector(storage)
+        c._running = True  # bypass start() so we don't spawn threads
+        q: queue.Queue[dict[str, Any]] = queue.Queue()
+        c.register_listener(q)
+
+        storage.services = [
+            {"service_id": "node-z", "url": "http://z:8080", "metadata": "{}"},
+        ]
+        c._on_services_notify(Notify(channel="services", payload="{}", pid=0))
+
+        event = q.get_nowait()
+        assert event["type"] == "node_joined"
+        assert event["node_id"] == "node-z"
+
+    def test_on_notify_when_not_running_is_noop(self):
+        # If a stray notify arrives after stop, the handler doesn't run
+        # discovery on a half-torn-down collector.
+        from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify
+
+        storage = MockStorage()
+        storage.services = [{"service_id": "node-y", "url": "http://y:8080", "metadata": "{}"}]
+        c = _make_collector(storage)
+        # _running stays False (never called start()).
+        c._on_services_notify(Notify(channel="services", payload="{}", pid=0))
+        assert c.get_overview()["nodes"] == 0
+
+
 class TestCollectorSnapshot:
     """Applying node_snapshot SSE events."""
 
diff --git a/tests/test_notify_dispatcher.py b/tests/test_notify_dispatcher.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59c41c3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_notify_dispatcher.py
@@ -0,0 +1,386 @@
+"""Tests for the console-side ``NotifyDispatcher``.
+
+Exercises the dispatcher against the SQLite synthetic-sweep path so the
+suite runs without a Postgres dependency.  The PG path is shaped the
+same way (same handler invocation semantics) — the only difference is
+the underlying stream's wake-up source, which is covered separately in
+``test_storage_notify.py::TestPostgresNotify``.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import threading
+import time
+
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def dispatcher_factory(storage):
+    """Yield a factory that constructs + tracks dispatchers for teardown."""
+    from turnstone.console.notify_dispatcher import NotifyDispatcher
+
+    created: list[NotifyDispatcher] = []
+
+    def _make(*, channels: list[str]) -> NotifyDispatcher:
+        d = NotifyDispatcher(storage, channels=channels)
+        created.append(d)
+        return d
+
+    yield _make
+
+    for d in created:
+        d.stop(timeout=2.0)
+
+
+def _wait_for(predicate, deadline_sec: float = 3.0) -> bool:
+    """Poll ``predicate`` until True or timeout.  Returns bool."""
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + deadline_sec
+    while time.monotonic() < deadline:
+        if predicate():
+            return True
+        time.sleep(0.02)
+    return False
+
+
+class TestSubscribe:
+    def test_subscribe_registers_handler(self, dispatcher_factory, storage):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        seen: list = []
+        d.subscribe("alpha", lambda n: seen.append(n))
+        d.start()
+        # Fire a notify via the storage layer — dispatcher delivers to handler.
+        storage.notify("alpha", "hello")
+        assert _wait_for(lambda: any(n.payload == "hello" for n in seen))
+
+    def test_subscribe_undeclared_channel_raises(self, dispatcher_factory):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="not declared"):
+            d.subscribe("beta", lambda n: None)
+
+    def test_subscribe_returns_unsubscribe_callable(self, dispatcher_factory, storage):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        seen: list = []
+        unsub = d.subscribe("alpha", lambda n: seen.append(n))
+        d.start()
+        storage.notify("alpha", "first")
+        assert _wait_for(lambda: any(n.payload == "first" for n in seen))
+        unsub()
+        # After unsubscribe, the handler no longer fires.  Drain old hits
+        # so the next notify-vs-handler-count check is unambiguous.
+        seen.clear()
+        storage.notify("alpha", "second")
+        # Give the dispatcher a beat to deliver if it were going to.
+        time.sleep(0.2)
+        assert not any(n.payload == "second" for n in seen)
+
+    def test_construction_requires_at_least_one_channel(self, storage):
+        from turnstone.console.notify_dispatcher import NotifyDispatcher
+
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="at least one"):
+            NotifyDispatcher(storage, channels=[])
+
+    def test_duplicate_channels_deduplicated(self, dispatcher_factory):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha", "alpha", "beta"])
+        assert d.channels == ["alpha", "beta"]
+
+
+class TestDispatch:
+    def test_multiple_handlers_each_invoked(self, dispatcher_factory, storage):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        seen_a: list = []
+        seen_b: list = []
+        d.subscribe("alpha", lambda n: seen_a.append(n))
+        d.subscribe("alpha", lambda n: seen_b.append(n))
+        d.start()
+        storage.notify("alpha", "shared")
+        assert _wait_for(lambda: seen_a and seen_b)
+        assert seen_a[0].payload == "shared"
+        assert seen_b[0].payload == "shared"
+
+    def test_handler_exception_does_not_break_dispatch(self, dispatcher_factory, storage):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        survived: list = []
+
+        def _broken(_n):
+            msg = "boom"
+            raise RuntimeError(msg)
+
+        d.subscribe("alpha", _broken)
+        d.subscribe("alpha", lambda n: survived.append(n))
+        d.start()
+        storage.notify("alpha", "after_broken")
+        # The second handler runs even though the first raised.
+        assert _wait_for(lambda: any(n.payload == "after_broken" for n in survived))
+
+    def test_dispatch_filters_by_channel(self, dispatcher_factory, storage):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha", "beta"])
+        seen_a: list = []
+        seen_b: list = []
+        d.subscribe("alpha", lambda n: seen_a.append(n))
+        d.subscribe("beta", lambda n: seen_b.append(n))
+        d.start()
+        storage.notify("alpha", "for_a")
+        storage.notify("beta", "for_b")
+        assert _wait_for(lambda: seen_a and seen_b)
+        assert all(n.payload == "for_a" for n in seen_a)
+        assert all(n.payload == "for_b" for n in seen_b)
+
+
+class TestReconnect:
+    """Reconnect + synthetic ``reconcile`` notify on stream-open success.
+
+    Uses a stub storage that owns its own listen stream so the test can
+    drive a controlled stream-error sequence — the SQLite path can't
+    raise :class:`NotifyConnectionError`, and the PG path requires a
+    real database outage to exercise this code, neither of which fits a
+    unit test.  The dispatcher's threading and reconcile-pending logic
+    are storage-agnostic — the dispatcher sees the same
+    :class:`NotifyStream` Protocol regardless of backend.
+    """
+
+    def test_reconcile_fires_after_reopen_not_before(self):
+        from turnstone.console.notify_dispatcher import NotifyDispatcher
+        from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify, NotifyConnectionError
+
+        # State machine: open -> first poll raises NotifyConnectionError
+        # -> dispatcher waits backoff then reopens -> second open's first
+        # poll blocks forever (test stops the dispatcher before then).
+        # The fix: synthetic reconcile fires AFTER the second open
+        # succeeds, not after the first open fails.
+        sequence: list[str] = []
+        reopen_event = threading.Event()
+
+        class _StubStream:
+            def __init__(self, fail_first_poll: bool):
+                self._fail = fail_first_poll
+                self._closed = False
+
+            def poll(self, _timeout):
+                if self._closed:
+                    return []
+                if self._fail:
+                    self._fail = False
+                    sequence.append("poll_raises")
+                    msg = "fake-disconnect"
+                    raise NotifyConnectionError(msg)
+                sequence.append("poll_returns")
+                # Block until close to simulate a quiet steady-state.
+                time.sleep(0.5)
+                return []
+
+            def close(self):
+                self._closed = True
+
+        class _StubStorage:
+            def __init__(self):
+                self._open_count = 0
+
+            def listen(self, _channels):
+                import contextlib as _contextlib
+
+                @_contextlib.contextmanager
+                def _cm():
+                    self._open_count += 1
+                    sequence.append(f"open_{self._open_count}")
+                    if self._open_count == 2:
+                        reopen_event.set()
+                    stream = _StubStream(fail_first_poll=(self._open_count == 1))
+                    try:
+                        yield stream
+                    finally:
+                        stream.close()
+
+                return _cm()
+
+        # Speed up backoff so the reopen happens promptly in the test.
+        import turnstone.console.notify_dispatcher as nd_mod
+
+        original_backoff = nd_mod._RECONNECT_BACKOFF_INITIAL
+        nd_mod._RECONNECT_BACKOFF_INITIAL = 0.05
+        try:
+            d = NotifyDispatcher(_StubStorage(), channels=["alpha"])
+            got: list[Notify] = []
+            d.subscribe("alpha", lambda n: got.append(n))
+            d.start()
+            try:
+                # Wait for the second open (post-reconnect).
+                assert reopen_event.wait(3.0), "dispatcher did not reopen after disconnect"
+                # Reconcile should be delivered shortly after the reopen.
+                deadline = time.monotonic() + 2.0
+                while time.monotonic() < deadline:
+                    if any(n.payload == "reconcile" for n in got):
+                        break
+                    time.sleep(0.02)
+                assert any(n.payload == "reconcile" for n in got), (
+                    f"no reconcile delivered; sequence={sequence}, got={got}"
+                )
+                # The reconcile must NOT fire before the second open —
+                # if it did, the index of 'open_2' in sequence would
+                # come after any reconcile-emitting work.  Check ordering:
+                # 'open_1' < 'poll_raises' < 'open_2' (synthesize happens
+                # inside the with-block of the SECOND open).
+                ix_open_1 = sequence.index("open_1")
+                ix_raises = sequence.index("poll_raises")
+                ix_open_2 = sequence.index("open_2")
+                assert ix_open_1 < ix_raises < ix_open_2
+            finally:
+                d.stop(timeout=2.0)
+        finally:
+            nd_mod._RECONNECT_BACKOFF_INITIAL = original_backoff
+
+    def test_generic_exception_path_also_synthesizes_reconcile(self):
+        """Exceptions thrown during ``listen()`` (not via stream.poll) still trigger reconcile.
+
+        Models the ``psycopg.connect()`` / initial ``LISTEN`` failure
+        shape, which doesn't go through the stream's exception
+        translator and would hit the generic ``except Exception``
+        branch.  Pre-fix, that branch emitted no reconcile.
+        """
+        from turnstone.console.notify_dispatcher import NotifyDispatcher
+
+        reopen_event = threading.Event()
+
+        class _StubStream:
+            def __init__(self):
+                self._closed = False
+
+            def poll(self, _timeout):
+                if self._closed:
+                    return []
+                time.sleep(0.5)
+                return []
+
+            def close(self):
+                self._closed = True
+
+        class _StubStorage:
+            def __init__(self):
+                self._open_count = 0
+
+            def listen(self, _channels):
+                import contextlib as _contextlib
+
+                self._open_count += 1
+                if self._open_count == 1:
+                    # First open raises a generic exception (e.g.
+                    # ``psycopg.OperationalError`` from a failed connect)
+                    # — landing in the dispatcher's generic except branch.
+                    msg = "fake-connect-failure"
+                    raise RuntimeError(msg)
+
+                @_contextlib.contextmanager
+                def _cm():
+                    reopen_event.set()
+                    stream = _StubStream()
+                    try:
+                        yield stream
+                    finally:
+                        stream.close()
+
+                return _cm()
+
+        import turnstone.console.notify_dispatcher as nd_mod
+
+        original_backoff = nd_mod._RECONNECT_BACKOFF_INITIAL
+        nd_mod._RECONNECT_BACKOFF_INITIAL = 0.05
+        try:
+            d = NotifyDispatcher(_StubStorage(), channels=["alpha"])
+            got: list = []
+            d.subscribe("alpha", lambda n: got.append(n))
+            d.start()
+            try:
+                assert reopen_event.wait(3.0), "dispatcher did not reopen after generic exception"
+                deadline = time.monotonic() + 2.0
+                while time.monotonic() < deadline:
+                    if any(n.payload == "reconcile" for n in got):
+                        break
+                    time.sleep(0.02)
+                assert any(n.payload == "reconcile" for n in got), (
+                    "no reconcile delivered after generic-exception recovery"
+                )
+            finally:
+                d.stop(timeout=2.0)
+        finally:
+            nd_mod._RECONNECT_BACKOFF_INITIAL = original_backoff
+
+
+class TestCoalescing:
+    """Same-channel burst collapses to one handler invocation per batch."""
+
+    def test_burst_coalesces_to_one_handler_call_per_channel(self, dispatcher_factory, storage):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        invocations: list = []
+        # Slow handler to ensure all bursts queue up before the first
+        # call returns — gives the dispatch loop time to coalesce.
+        coalesce_gate = threading.Event()
+
+        def _slow_handler(n):
+            invocations.append(n)
+            coalesce_gate.wait(0.05)
+
+        d.subscribe("alpha", _slow_handler)
+        d.start()
+        # Burst of 10 notifies on the same channel — should coalesce
+        # down to many fewer handler invocations.
+        for i in range(10):
+            storage.notify("alpha", str(i))
+        # Wait until the dispatch settles (handler is called at least once
+        # and the queue empties).
+        deadline = time.monotonic() + 2.0
+        while time.monotonic() < deadline:
+            if invocations and d._dispatch_queue.empty():
+                time.sleep(0.1)  # allow any final coalesced call to land
+                break
+            time.sleep(0.02)
+        coalesce_gate.set()
+        # At least one handler call; well fewer than 10 (coalescing
+        # collapsed the burst).  Exact count depends on timing — typical
+        # is 1-2 invocations per burst on a fast machine.
+        assert invocations, "handler never fired"
+        assert len(invocations) < 10, (
+            f"expected coalescing to collapse burst of 10; got {len(invocations)} invocations"
+        )
+
+
+class TestLifecycle:
+    def test_start_is_idempotent(self, dispatcher_factory):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        d.start()
+        d.start()  # No-op, no thread doubling
+        # Single listener + single dispatch thread are spawned regardless.
+        # Inspect by name so we don't depend on the exact thread count of
+        # the test runner.
+        listener_threads = [
+            t for t in threading.enumerate() if t.name == "notify-dispatcher-listener"
+        ]
+        dispatch_threads = [
+            t for t in threading.enumerate() if t.name == "notify-dispatcher-dispatch"
+        ]
+        assert len(listener_threads) == 1
+        assert len(dispatch_threads) == 1
+
+    def test_stop_is_idempotent(self, dispatcher_factory):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        d.start()
+        d.stop(timeout=2.0)
+        d.stop(timeout=2.0)  # No-op, no error
+
+    def test_stop_without_start_is_noop(self, dispatcher_factory):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        d.stop(timeout=1.0)  # No-op, no thread to join
+
+    def test_stop_joins_threads(self, dispatcher_factory):
+        d = dispatcher_factory(channels=["alpha"])
+        d.start()
+        # Capture thread references then stop and assert they exited.
+        threads_before = [
+            t
+            for t in threading.enumerate()
+            if t.name in {"notify-dispatcher-listener", "notify-dispatcher-dispatch"}
+        ]
+        assert threads_before
+        d.stop(timeout=3.0)
+        time.sleep(0.05)
+        for t in threads_before:
+            assert not t.is_alive(), f"{t.name} still alive after stop"
diff --git a/tests/test_storage_notify.py b/tests/test_storage_notify.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a59332cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_storage_notify.py
@@ -0,0 +1,212 @@
+"""Tests for the storage layer's cross-process ``notify`` / ``listen`` API.
+
+Covers SQLite (synthetic-sweep + in-process fan-out) and PostgreSQL
+(real ``LISTEN``/``NOTIFY``).  The PG-only cases are gated on the
+``--storage-backend=postgresql`` flag so they no-op on default CI runs.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import threading
+import time
+
+import pytest
+
+
+def _drain_until(stream, predicate, deadline_sec: float = 5.0):
+    """Poll ``stream`` until ``predicate`` matches one of the drained notifies.
+
+    Returns the matching notify or raises ``TimeoutError``.  Tests use
+    this so timing flakes against the bounded-blocking ``poll`` shape
+    don't masquerade as logic bugs.
+    """
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + deadline_sec
+    while time.monotonic() < deadline:
+        remaining = max(0.05, deadline - time.monotonic())
+        for n in stream.poll(min(0.5, remaining)):
+            if predicate(n):
+                return n
+    msg = "no matching notify drained before deadline"
+    raise TimeoutError(msg)
+
+
+class TestSqliteNotify:
+    """SQLite path: in-process fan-out + synthetic sweep."""
+
+    def test_notify_no_listeners_is_noop(self, storage):
+        # No exception, no side effect — safe to always call from dispatch.
+        storage.notify("services", '{"op": "INSERT"}')
+
+    def test_notify_delivers_to_in_process_listener(self, storage):
+        with storage.listen(["services"]) as stream:
+            storage.notify("services", '{"op": "INSERT"}')
+            got = _drain_until(stream, lambda n: n.payload == '{"op": "INSERT"}')
+            assert got.channel == "services"
+            assert got.pid == 0
+
+    def test_notify_filters_by_channel(self, storage):
+        with storage.listen(["services"]) as stream:
+            storage.notify("other_channel", "ignored")
+            storage.notify("services", "wanted")
+            got = _drain_until(stream, lambda n: True)
+            assert got.payload == "wanted"
+
+    def test_multiple_listeners_each_get_event(self, storage):
+        # Two streams open on the same channel; each gets its own copy.
+        with storage.listen(["services"]) as s1, storage.listen(["services"]) as s2:
+            storage.notify("services", "broadcast")
+            got1 = _drain_until(s1, lambda n: True)
+            got2 = _drain_until(s2, lambda n: True)
+            assert got1.payload == "broadcast"
+            assert got2.payload == "broadcast"
+
+    def test_close_stops_stream(self, storage):
+        with storage.listen(["services"]) as stream:
+            pass
+        # After context exit, the stream is closed; poll returns [] without
+        # blocking.  A second close() is idempotent.
+        assert stream.poll(0.05) == []
+        stream.close()
+
+    def test_synthetic_sweep_emits_after_interval(self, storage):
+        # Force a short sweep interval via direct attribute override —
+        # the production default (``_SQLITE_NOTIFY_SWEEP_INTERVAL``) is
+        # tuned for an idle dev backstop and is way too long for a test.
+        with storage.listen(["services"]) as stream:
+            stream._sweep_interval = 0.1
+            # First poll: not yet at the interval, so likely empty.
+            stream.poll(0.05)
+            # Wait past the interval, then poll again — should emit a
+            # synthetic-sweep notify per declared channel.
+            time.sleep(0.15)
+            got = _drain_until(stream, lambda n: n.payload == "sweep")
+            assert got.channel == "services"
+            assert got.payload == "sweep"
+
+    def test_empty_channel_list_yields_empty_stream(self, storage):
+        with storage.listen([]) as stream:
+            # No channels — poll returns [] regardless of how long we wait.
+            assert stream.poll(0.05) == []
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# PostgreSQL path — gated on --storage-backend=postgresql.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def _is_postgres(storage):
+    """Skip the wrapped test when the active backend isn't Postgres."""
+    if storage.__class__.__name__ != "PostgreSQLBackend":
+        pytest.skip("PostgreSQL-specific test")
+    return True
+
+
+class TestPostgresNotify:
+    def test_round_trip(self, storage, _is_postgres):
+        # Open a listener, fire a notify on a regular pooled connection,
+        # drain the listener within a reasonable bound (PG NOTIFY is
+        # typically sub-100ms on a local socket).
+        with storage.listen(["pytest_round_trip"]) as stream:
+            # Tiny sleep so the LISTEN settles before the NOTIFY fires —
+            # otherwise the notify can arrive on the connection before
+            # the LISTEN is registered (race only visible in tests).
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+            storage.notify("pytest_round_trip", '{"hello": "world"}')
+            got = _drain_until(stream, lambda n: True, deadline_sec=3.0)
+            assert got.channel == "pytest_round_trip"
+            assert got.payload == '{"hello": "world"}'
+            assert got.pid > 0
+
+    def test_concurrent_notifies_all_arrive(self, storage, _is_postgres):
+        with storage.listen(["pytest_concurrent"]) as stream:
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+            for i in range(5):
+                storage.notify("pytest_concurrent", str(i))
+            seen: set[str] = set()
+            deadline = time.monotonic() + 3.0
+            while len(seen) < 5 and time.monotonic() < deadline:
+                for n in stream.poll(0.2):
+                    seen.add(n.payload)
+            assert seen == {"0", "1", "2", "3", "4"}
+
+    def test_close_aborts_blocked_poll(self, storage, _is_postgres):
+        # poll() should return promptly once close() runs on another thread.
+        with storage.listen(["pytest_close"]) as stream:
+            done = threading.Event()
+            result: list[list] = []
+
+            def _poll_long():
+                result.append(stream.poll(5.0))
+                done.set()
+
+            t = threading.Thread(target=_poll_long, daemon=True)
+            t.start()
+            time.sleep(0.1)
+            stream.close()
+            assert done.wait(2.0), "close() did not unblock poll()"
+            # No notify arrived, so the polled batch is empty — but the
+            # poll loop must have exited well under the 5 s timeout.
+            assert result == [[]]
+
+
+class TestServicesTriggerFilter:
+    """Migration 053's trigger: fires on real changes, quiet on heartbeats.
+
+    PG-only — the SQLite path has no trigger and is covered by
+    :class:`TestSqliteNotify`.  Verifies the in-trigger ``IS NOT DISTINCT
+    FROM`` filter — a heartbeat-only UPDATE (same url + same metadata,
+    only ``last_heartbeat`` changed) must NOT emit a NOTIFY, since
+    ``register_service`` runs the same UPSERT on every 30 s tick × N
+    nodes and the channel would otherwise flood.
+    """
+
+    def test_insert_fires_notify(self, storage, _is_postgres):
+        with storage.listen(["services"]) as stream:
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+            storage.register_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node", "http://127.0.0.1:1")
+            got = _drain_until(stream, lambda n: True, deadline_sec=3.0)
+            assert got.channel == "services"
+            assert '"op": "INSERT"' in got.payload or "INSERT" in got.payload
+            # Cleanup so concurrent suites don't pick up the row.
+            storage.deregister_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node")
+
+    def test_delete_fires_notify(self, storage, _is_postgres):
+        storage.register_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node-del", "http://127.0.0.1:2")
+        with storage.listen(["services"]) as stream:
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+            storage.deregister_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node-del")
+            got = _drain_until(stream, lambda n: True, deadline_sec=3.0)
+            assert "DELETE" in got.payload
+
+    def test_url_change_update_fires_notify(self, storage, _is_postgres):
+        storage.register_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node-url", "http://127.0.0.1:3")
+        with storage.listen(["services"]) as stream:
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+            # UPSERT with different url — UPDATE path with url diff,
+            # trigger must fire.
+            storage.register_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node-url", "http://127.0.0.1:9")
+            got = _drain_until(stream, lambda n: True, deadline_sec=3.0)
+            assert "UPDATE" in got.payload
+            storage.deregister_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node-url")
+
+    def test_heartbeat_only_update_is_quiet(self, storage, _is_postgres):
+        # Open the LISTEN session FIRST so PG delivers the INSERT NOTIFY
+        # to this connection — pg_notify routes only to sessions that
+        # have LISTENed at COMMIT time, so an INSERT committed before the
+        # listen opens would be lost and the drain would time out instead
+        # of exercising the heartbeat-quiet check below.
+        with storage.listen(["services"]) as stream:
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+            storage.register_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node-hb", "http://127.0.0.1:4")
+            # Drain the INSERT notify so subsequent polls see only what
+            # heartbeats emit (if anything).
+            _drain_until(stream, lambda n: True, deadline_sec=2.0)
+            # Now fire a heartbeat tick — same url + same metadata,
+            # only last_heartbeat updates.  Trigger must NOT emit.
+            storage.heartbeat_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node-hb")
+            # Poll long enough that any spurious notify would have
+            # arrived; the channel must stay silent.
+            spurious = stream.poll(0.5)
+            assert spurious == [], f"heartbeat-only update emitted unexpected notify: {spurious}"
+            storage.deregister_service("server", "pytest-trigger-node-hb")
diff --git a/turnstone.example.toml b/turnstone.example.toml
index d3072914..3b3d9aa1 100644
--- a/turnstone.example.toml
+++ b/turnstone.example.toml
@@ -62,6 +62,13 @@
 [database]
 # url = ""                     # postgres://user:pass@host/db or /path/to.db
                                # env: TURNSTONE_DB_URL
+# listen_url = ""              # direct-to-postgres URL for the console's
+                               # dedicated LISTEN connection.  Set this when
+                               # `url` points at pgbouncer in transaction
+                               # pooling mode (LISTEN holds session state and
+                               # is incompatible with transaction pooling —
+                               # see docs/pgbouncer.md).  Defaults to `url`
+                               # when unset.  env: TURNSTONE_DB_LISTEN_URL
 # SSL params (passed through to SQLAlchemy connection):
 # sslmode = "prefer"           # disable, allow, prefer, require, verify-ca, verify-full
 # sslrootcert = ""             # path to CA cert for verify-ca/verify-full
diff --git a/turnstone/console/collector.py b/turnstone/console/collector.py
index 781ae07c..8cd6c082 100644
--- a/turnstone/console/collector.py
+++ b/turnstone/console/collector.py
@@ -25,9 +25,13 @@ import httpx_sse
 from turnstone.core.workstream import WorkstreamKind
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Callable
+
     from turnstone.console.metrics import ConsoleMetrics
+    from turnstone.console.notify_dispatcher import NotifyDispatcher
     from turnstone.console.router import ConsoleRouter
     from turnstone.core.auth import ServiceTokenManager
+    from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify
     from turnstone.core.storage._protocol import StorageBackend
 
 log = logging.getLogger("turnstone.console.collector")
@@ -73,6 +77,7 @@ class ClusterCollector:
         tls_cert: tuple[str, str] | None = None,
         router: ConsoleRouter | None = None,
         console_metrics: ConsoleMetrics | None = None,
+        notify_dispatcher: NotifyDispatcher | None = None,
     ):
         self._storage = storage
         self._discovery_interval = discovery_interval
@@ -82,6 +87,8 @@ class ClusterCollector:
         self._console_metrics = console_metrics
         self._tls_verify = tls_verify
         self._tls_cert = tls_cert
+        self._notify_dispatcher = notify_dispatcher
+        self._notify_unsubscribe: Callable[[], None] | None = None
 
         self._lock = threading.Lock()
         self._nodes: dict[str, NodeSnapshot] = {}
@@ -128,6 +135,15 @@ class ClusterCollector:
     def start(self) -> None:
         """Start background threads."""
         self._running = True
+        # Subscribe to the ``services`` channel for reactive node discovery.
+        # NOTIFY-driven wake-ups bring new-node visibility from up-to-60 s
+        # (next discovery tick) down to ~500 ms on Postgres; the 60 s
+        # discovery loop still runs as the backstop for crash-shaped node
+        # loss (NOTIFY only fires on actual writes, not on crash exits).
+        if self._notify_dispatcher is not None:
+            self._notify_unsubscribe = self._notify_dispatcher.subscribe(
+                "services", self._on_services_notify
+            )
         for target, name in [
             (self._discovery_loop, "console-discovery"),
             (self._sse_manager_thread, "console-sse"),
@@ -145,6 +161,10 @@ class ClusterCollector:
         its ``finally`` cleanup (cancel tasks, close AsyncClient).
         """
         self._running = False
+        if self._notify_unsubscribe is not None:
+            with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+                self._notify_unsubscribe()
+            self._notify_unsubscribe = None
         # Request cancellation of all SSE tasks so they don't block the
         # manager's cleanup. The manager coroutine exits when _running is
         # False and handles remaining task cancellation in its finally block.
@@ -156,6 +176,26 @@ class ClusterCollector:
             t.join(timeout=5)
         log.info("ClusterCollector stopped")
 
+    def _on_services_notify(self, notify: Notify) -> None:
+        """Run a discovery tick when the ``services`` channel fires.
+
+        The dispatcher delivers both real Postgres notifications and
+        synthetic ``reconcile`` wake-ups after a reconnect — both shape
+        the same way: re-read ``services`` and diff against in-memory
+        state.  Re-uses :meth:`_discover_nodes` so the timer-driven
+        backstop and the NOTIFY-driven fast-path share one code path.
+        """
+        from turnstone.core.storage._registry import StorageUnavailableError
+
+        if not self._running:
+            return
+        try:
+            self._discover_nodes()
+        except StorageUnavailableError:
+            pass  # already logged by storage layer
+        except Exception:
+            log.exception("Node discovery error (notify-driven)")
+
     def _fanout(self, event: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         """Copy an event to all registered SSE listener queues."""
         with self._listeners_lock:
diff --git a/turnstone/console/notify_dispatcher.py b/turnstone/console/notify_dispatcher.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a713393
--- /dev/null
+++ b/turnstone/console/notify_dispatcher.py
@@ -0,0 +1,326 @@
+"""Console-side multiplexer for PostgreSQL ``LISTEN``/``NOTIFY`` events.
+
+Holds a single dedicated listen connection (via :meth:`StorageBackend.listen`),
+drains it on a listener thread, and fans notifications out to per-channel
+handlers on a dedicated dispatch thread so a slow handler doesn't back up
+the connection.
+
+Consumers register at construction time by passing their channel in
+:attr:`channels`, then call :meth:`subscribe` to attach a handler.
+Registering an undeclared channel raises — the construction list is the
+single source of truth so wire-in is explicit (each future consumer
+touches the dispatcher construction call site at
+``turnstone/console/server.py::main`` to add its channel).
+
+On connection loss the listener wakes its handlers with a synthetic
+``Notify(channel, payload="reconcile", pid=0)`` so every consumer
+re-reads the underlying rows; their normal "reconcile on any wake-up"
+code path covers both real notifications and reconnect recovery
+identically.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import contextlib
+import queue
+import threading
+import time
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+from turnstone.core.log import get_logger
+from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify, NotifyConnectionError
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable
+
+    from turnstone.core.storage._protocol import StorageBackend
+
+
+log = get_logger(__name__)
+
+
+# Backoff (seconds) between reconnect attempts after :class:`NotifyConnectionError`.
+# Doubles each failure, capped at the max — long enough that a Postgres outage
+# doesn't burn CPU on reconnect spins, short enough that recovery is fast.
+_RECONNECT_BACKOFF_INITIAL: float = 1.0
+_RECONNECT_BACKOFF_MAX: float = 30.0
+
+# Poll cadence on the listener thread.  Short enough that ``stop`` lands
+# promptly without joining a long-blocked notifies() call; long enough
+# that we don't burn CPU on empty polls.
+_LISTENER_POLL_TIMEOUT: float = 1.0
+
+# Cap on the inter-thread dispatch queue.  Drops oldest if a slow handler
+# falls behind (logs once per drop bucket).  Sized larger than the expected
+# steady-state notification rate (services trigger fires only on
+# register/restart/deregister — order of hundreds per hour at the 100-node
+# design ceiling).
+_DISPATCH_QUEUE_MAX: int = 1024
+
+
+class NotifyDispatcher:
+    """Holds the dedicated listen connection and fans events to handlers.
+
+    Lifecycle: construct with the declared channel list, attach
+    handlers via :meth:`subscribe`, then call :meth:`start`.  :meth:`stop`
+    closes the connection and joins the worker threads.  Idempotent in
+    both directions so console teardown can call stop unconditionally.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, storage: StorageBackend, channels: Iterable[str]) -> None:
+        ch_list = [str(c) for c in channels if c]
+        if not ch_list:
+            msg = "NotifyDispatcher requires at least one declared channel"
+            raise ValueError(msg)
+        self._storage = storage
+        self._channels: list[str] = list(dict.fromkeys(ch_list))  # de-dupe, preserve order
+        self._handlers: dict[str, list[Callable[[Notify], None]]] = {
+            ch: [] for ch in self._channels
+        }
+        self._handlers_lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._lifecycle_lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._started = False
+        self._stopping = threading.Event()
+        self._listener_thread: threading.Thread | None = None
+        self._dispatch_thread: threading.Thread | None = None
+        self._dispatch_queue: queue.Queue[Notify | None] = queue.Queue(maxsize=_DISPATCH_QUEUE_MAX)
+        self._drop_count = 0
+
+    @property
+    def channels(self) -> list[str]:
+        """Snapshot copy of declared channels."""
+        return list(self._channels)
+
+    def subscribe(self, channel: str, handler: Callable[[Notify], None]) -> Callable[[], None]:
+        """Attach ``handler`` to ``channel``; return an unsubscribe callable.
+
+        Safe to call before or after :meth:`start`.  Raises if the
+        channel was not declared at construction time — the channel
+        list is fixed so the dispatcher knows up-front which LISTENs
+        to issue (consumers added in follow-up PRs touch the
+        construction call site).
+        """
+        if channel not in self._handlers:
+            msg = (
+                f"channel {channel!r} not declared at construction; "
+                f"declared channels: {sorted(self._handlers)}"
+            )
+            raise ValueError(msg)
+        with self._handlers_lock:
+            self._handlers[channel].append(handler)
+
+        def _unsubscribe() -> None:
+            with self._handlers_lock, contextlib.suppress(ValueError):
+                self._handlers[channel].remove(handler)
+
+        return _unsubscribe
+
+    def start(self) -> None:
+        """Open the listen stream and start the listener + dispatch threads.
+
+        Idempotent — repeat calls log a debug line and return without
+        spawning a second listener.
+        """
+        with self._lifecycle_lock:
+            if self._started:
+                log.debug("notify_dispatcher.start_noop_already_started")
+                return
+            self._started = True
+            self._stopping.clear()
+            self._listener_thread = threading.Thread(
+                target=self._listener_loop,
+                name="notify-dispatcher-listener",
+                daemon=True,
+            )
+            self._dispatch_thread = threading.Thread(
+                target=self._dispatch_loop,
+                name="notify-dispatcher-dispatch",
+                daemon=True,
+            )
+            self._listener_thread.start()
+            self._dispatch_thread.start()
+        log.info(
+            "notify_dispatcher.started",
+            channels=self._channels,
+        )
+
+    def stop(self, timeout: float = 5.0) -> None:
+        """Signal shutdown and join the worker threads.
+
+        Idempotent — safe to call multiple times.  Workers exit on the
+        next iteration of their poll loops; :meth:`stop` blocks up to
+        ``timeout`` seconds per thread before giving up (the threads are
+        daemons so the process can exit regardless).
+        """
+        with self._lifecycle_lock:
+            if not self._started:
+                return
+            self._stopping.set()
+            listener = self._listener_thread
+            dispatcher = self._dispatch_thread
+            # Sentinel wakes the dispatch loop out of queue.get().
+            with contextlib.suppress(queue.Full):
+                self._dispatch_queue.put_nowait(None)
+        if listener is not None:
+            listener.join(timeout=timeout)
+        if dispatcher is not None:
+            dispatcher.join(timeout=timeout)
+        with self._lifecycle_lock:
+            self._listener_thread = None
+            self._dispatch_thread = None
+            self._started = False
+        log.info("notify_dispatcher.stopped")
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Internal threading
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def _listener_loop(self) -> None:
+        """Drain the storage stream onto the dispatch queue, reconnecting on loss.
+
+        After any disconnect — whether surfaced through the stream's
+        :class:`NotifyConnectionError` (post-open ``poll`` failure) or
+        through the generic exception path (``psycopg.connect`` /
+        initial ``LISTEN`` execute failures during reopen, which are
+        NOT wrapped by the stream) — the loop sets a ``reconcile_pending``
+        flag, waits the backoff, then enqueues one synthetic ``reconcile``
+        notify per channel ONLY after the next stream successfully
+        reopens.  Handlers see the synthetic notify and re-read the
+        relevant rows on the same code path they use for any real event,
+        closing the missed-notification window regardless of which
+        exception type caused the disconnect.
+        """
+        backoff = _RECONNECT_BACKOFF_INITIAL
+        reconcile_pending = False
+        while not self._stopping.is_set():
+            try:
+                with self._storage.listen(self._channels) as stream:
+                    log.debug(
+                        "notify_dispatcher.stream_open",
+                        channels=self._channels,
+                    )
+                    # Stream is open — reset backoff for the next outage
+                    # and flush any pending reconcile so consumers see a
+                    # wake-up against a now-live DB.
+                    backoff = _RECONNECT_BACKOFF_INITIAL
+                    if reconcile_pending:
+                        self._synthesize_reconcile()
+                        reconcile_pending = False
+                    while not self._stopping.is_set():
+                        batch = stream.poll(_LISTENER_POLL_TIMEOUT)
+                        for n in batch:
+                            self._enqueue(n)
+            except NotifyConnectionError as exc:
+                if self._stopping.is_set():
+                    return
+                log.warning(
+                    "notify_dispatcher.connection_lost",
+                    error=str(exc),
+                    backoff_seconds=backoff,
+                )
+                reconcile_pending = True
+                if self._stopping.wait(backoff):
+                    return
+                backoff = min(backoff * 2.0, _RECONNECT_BACKOFF_MAX)
+            except Exception:
+                if self._stopping.is_set():
+                    return
+                log.exception("notify_dispatcher.listener_unexpected_error")
+                reconcile_pending = True
+                if self._stopping.wait(backoff):
+                    return
+                backoff = min(backoff * 2.0, _RECONNECT_BACKOFF_MAX)
+        log.debug("notify_dispatcher.listener_exiting")
+
+    def _synthesize_reconcile(self) -> None:
+        """Push one synthetic ``reconcile`` notify per channel on reconnect.
+
+        Reconcile-on-wake is the same logic handlers run for any real
+        notification, so a single synthetic event per channel covers
+        any notifications missed during the connection-loss window.
+        """
+        for ch in self._channels:
+            self._enqueue(Notify(channel=ch, payload="reconcile", pid=0))
+
+    def _enqueue(self, notify: Notify) -> None:
+        """Put a notify on the dispatch queue, dropping oldest on overflow."""
+        try:
+            self._dispatch_queue.put_nowait(notify)
+        except queue.Full:
+            # Drop oldest to make room — a slow handler shouldn't be able
+            # to silently block the listener thread.  Log once per power
+            # of two so a sustained backpressure problem shows up
+            # in logs without flooding.
+            self._drop_count += 1
+            if self._drop_count & (self._drop_count - 1) == 0:
+                log.warning(
+                    "notify_dispatcher.dispatch_queue_full_dropping_oldest",
+                    drops_total=self._drop_count,
+                    channel=notify.channel,
+                )
+            with contextlib.suppress(queue.Empty):
+                self._dispatch_queue.get_nowait()
+            with contextlib.suppress(queue.Full):
+                self._dispatch_queue.put_nowait(notify)
+
+    def _dispatch_loop(self) -> None:
+        """Pull notifies off the queue and invoke handlers per channel.
+
+        Notifies queued on the same channel coalesce per dispatch batch:
+        after blocking ``get()`` returns one notify, the loop drains
+        whatever else is already queued and collapses to one
+        ``per-channel`` notify before invoking handlers.  The payload is
+        signal-only by design (handlers reconcile by re-reading the
+        underlying rows), so N same-channel notifies have the same
+        observable effect as one — coalescing turns an N-node deploy
+        burst into a single ``_discover_nodes`` per channel instead of N.
+
+        Each handler runs under exception suppression so one buggy
+        consumer can't take down the dispatch thread.
+        """
+        while not self._stopping.is_set():
+            try:
+                first = self._dispatch_queue.get(timeout=_LISTENER_POLL_TIMEOUT)
+            except queue.Empty:
+                continue
+            if first is None:
+                # Sentinel from :meth:`stop`.
+                return
+            # Coalesce by channel: keep the most recent payload per
+            # channel from this drain batch.  Drops a stop sentinel
+            # silently — the next loop iteration will see _stopping set
+            # and exit anyway, so we don't need to re-queue the sentinel.
+            per_channel: dict[str, Notify] = {first.channel: first}
+            stop_seen = False
+            while True:
+                try:
+                    nxt = self._dispatch_queue.get_nowait()
+                except queue.Empty:
+                    break
+                if nxt is None:
+                    stop_seen = True
+                    continue
+                per_channel[nxt.channel] = nxt
+            for notify in per_channel.values():
+                with self._handlers_lock:
+                    handlers = list(self._handlers.get(notify.channel, ()))
+                for handler in handlers:
+                    t0 = time.monotonic()
+                    try:
+                        handler(notify)
+                    except Exception:
+                        log.exception(
+                            "notify_dispatcher.handler_failed",
+                            channel=notify.channel,
+                        )
+                    else:
+                        elapsed_ms = (time.monotonic() - t0) * 1000.0
+                        if elapsed_ms > 100.0:
+                            log.debug(
+                                "notify_dispatcher.handler_slow",
+                                channel=notify.channel,
+                                elapsed_ms=round(elapsed_ms, 1),
+                            )
+            if stop_seen:
+                return
+        log.debug("notify_dispatcher.dispatch_exiting")
diff --git a/turnstone/console/server.py b/turnstone/console/server.py
index c5f5f265..2df534b1 100644
--- a/turnstone/console/server.py
+++ b/turnstone/console/server.py
@@ -4770,6 +4770,12 @@ async def _lifespan(app: Starlette) -> AsyncGenerator[None, None]:
 
     await close_oidc_state(app.state)
     app.state.collector.stop()
+    # Stop the dispatcher after the collector — collector.stop() drops its
+    # subscription, so the dispatcher's dispatch thread won't fire into a
+    # half-torn-down collector during shutdown.
+    notify_dispatcher = getattr(app.state, "notify_dispatcher", None)
+    if notify_dispatcher is not None:
+        notify_dispatcher.stop()
     audit_exec_shutdown = getattr(app.state, "audit_executor", None)
     if audit_exec_shutdown is not None:
         _set_audit_executor(None)
@@ -11882,6 +11888,7 @@ def create_app(
     console_url: str = "",
     router: ConsoleRouter | None = None,
     console_metrics: ConsoleMetrics | None = None,
+    notify_dispatcher: Any = None,
 ) -> Starlette:
     """Build the Starlette ASGI application for the console dashboard."""
     _spec = build_console_spec()
@@ -12508,6 +12515,7 @@ def create_app(
         lifespan=_lifespan,
     )
     app.state.collector = collector
+    app.state.notify_dispatcher = notify_dispatcher
     app.state.jwt_secret = jwt_secret
     app.state.auth_storage = auth_storage
     app.state.proxy_token_mgr = proxy_token_mgr
@@ -12603,7 +12611,7 @@ def main() -> None:
     from turnstone.core.config import add_config_arg, apply_config
 
     add_config_arg(parser)
-    apply_config(parser, ["console", "auth"])
+    apply_config(parser, ["console", "auth", "database"])
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     from turnstone.core.log import configure_logging_from_args
@@ -12622,6 +12630,13 @@ def main() -> None:
         db_backend = os.environ.get("TURNSTONE_DB_BACKEND", "sqlite")
         db_url = os.environ.get("TURNSTONE_DB_URL", "")
         db_path = os.environ.get("TURNSTONE_DB_PATH", "")
+        # Optional dedicated LISTEN URL — config.toml ``[database] listen_url``
+        # (lifted onto args by ``apply_config``) wins over env, and an empty
+        # value falls through to the main DB URL inside the storage layer.
+        # Only used by the ``NotifyDispatcher``; ignored on SQLite.
+        db_listen_url = getattr(args, "db_listen_url", None) or os.environ.get(
+            "TURNSTONE_DB_LISTEN_URL", ""
+        )
         auth_storage = init_storage(
             db_backend,
             path=db_path,
@@ -12630,6 +12645,7 @@ def main() -> None:
             sslrootcert=os.environ.get("TURNSTONE_DB_SSLROOTCERT", ""),
             sslcert=os.environ.get("TURNSTONE_DB_SSLCERT", ""),
             sslkey=os.environ.get("TURNSTONE_DB_SSLKEY", ""),
+            listen_url=db_listen_url,
         )
     except Exception:
         log.info("Console storage not available — admin API disabled, JWT-only auth")
@@ -12659,11 +12675,21 @@ def main() -> None:
     router = ConsoleRouter(storage=auth_storage)
     console_metrics = ConsoleMetrics()
 
+    # NotifyDispatcher multiplexes the dedicated LISTEN connection for all
+    # console-side consumers.  Currently one channel: ``services`` for
+    # reactive node discovery.  Followup PRs (ConfigStore live reload,
+    # scheduler immediate dispatch) add additional channels here.
+    from turnstone.console.notify_dispatcher import NotifyDispatcher
+
+    notify_dispatcher = NotifyDispatcher(auth_storage, channels=["services"])
+    notify_dispatcher.start()
+
     collector = ClusterCollector(
         storage=auth_storage,
         token_manager=collector_token_mgr,
         router=router,
         console_metrics=console_metrics,
+        notify_dispatcher=notify_dispatcher,
     )
     collector.start()
 
@@ -12755,6 +12781,7 @@ def main() -> None:
         console_url=console_url,
         router=router,
         console_metrics=console_metrics,
+        notify_dispatcher=notify_dispatcher,
     )
 
     log.info("Console starting on %s", console_url)
diff --git a/turnstone/core/config.py b/turnstone/core/config.py
index 8eb6d4f0..60ca523b 100644
--- a/turnstone/core/config.py
+++ b/turnstone/core/config.py
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ _CONFIG_MAP: dict[str, dict[str, str]] = {
         "sslrootcert": "db_sslrootcert",
         "sslcert": "db_sslcert",
         "sslkey": "db_sslkey",
+        "listen_url": "db_listen_url",
     },
     "judge": {
         "enabled": "judge_enabled",
diff --git a/turnstone/core/storage/_notify.py b/turnstone/core/storage/_notify.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0896f266
--- /dev/null
+++ b/turnstone/core/storage/_notify.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+"""Cross-process notification primitive shared by all storage backends.
+
+Provides a uniform ``notify`` / ``listen`` shape over PostgreSQL's
+``LISTEN`` / ``NOTIFY`` and a SQLite synthetic-sweep fallback.
+
+Consumers subscribe to one or more channels, drain a
+:class:`NotifyStream` via :meth:`NotifyStream.poll`, and reconcile by
+re-reading the relevant rows on every wake-up. Payloads are signal-only
+(<= 8 KiB on Postgres) — full event content is delivered by SSE or
+in-process callbacks elsewhere; this primitive is the "go re-read these
+rows" wake-up channel, nothing more.
+
+The PostgreSQL implementation requires a session-mode connection
+(``pgbouncer`` in transaction mode is incompatible with LISTEN).  See
+the ``listen`` docs on each backend for the deployment-config detail.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Protocol
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class Notify:
+    """One notification draining out of a :class:`NotifyStream`."""
+
+    channel: str
+    payload: str
+    pid: int
+
+
+class NotifyConnectionError(Exception):
+    """Raised when a :class:`NotifyStream`'s underlying connection drops.
+
+    Consumers handle this by closing the stream, reconciling against the
+    relevant table (re-reading whatever rows the channel describes), and
+    reopening with a fresh :meth:`StorageBackend.listen` call.
+    """
+
+
+class NotifyStream(Protocol):
+    """Bounded-blocking pull interface for cross-process notifications.
+
+    Returned by :meth:`StorageBackend.listen` as a context manager; the
+    consumer drains via :meth:`poll` in a loop, typically with a short
+    timeout so the loop can also observe a shutdown flag.
+    """
+
+    def poll(self, timeout: float) -> list[Notify]:
+        """Wait up to ``timeout`` seconds for notifications.
+
+        Returns the list of notifications received during the wait
+        (possibly empty on timeout).  Raises :class:`NotifyConnectionError`
+        if the underlying connection was dropped — the caller reconciles
+        and re-listens.
+        """
+        ...
+
+    def close(self) -> None:
+        """Stop the stream; subsequent :meth:`poll` calls return ``[]``."""
+        ...
diff --git a/turnstone/core/storage/_postgresql.py b/turnstone/core/storage/_postgresql.py
index 8b2c15d5..23b59101 100644
--- a/turnstone/core/storage/_postgresql.py
+++ b/turnstone/core/storage/_postgresql.py
@@ -3,13 +3,16 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import contextlib
+import os
 import threading
 import time
 from datetime import UTC, datetime, timedelta
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from collections.abc import Iterator
+    from collections.abc import Iterable, Iterator
+
+    from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify, NotifyStream
 
 import sqlalchemy as sa
 
@@ -120,11 +123,105 @@ def _escape_ilike(s: str) -> str:
     return s.replace("\\", "\\\\").replace("%", "\\%").replace("_", "\\_")
 
 
+def _resolve_pg_listen_url(override: str, sqlalchemy_url: str) -> str:
+    """Resolve the URL used by the dedicated LISTEN connection.
+
+    Precedence:
+
+    1. ``override`` — explicitly passed via :class:`PostgreSQLBackend`
+       constructor, typically wired from ``[database] listen_url`` in
+       ``config.toml`` or ``--db-listen-url`` on the CLI.
+    2. ``TURNSTONE_DB_LISTEN_URL`` environment variable.
+    3. The engine's main DB URL.
+
+    The override is for deployments where the regular ``TURNSTONE_DB_URL``
+    points at a ``pgbouncer`` running in transaction pooling mode (the
+    project default per ``docs/pgbouncer.md``).  LISTEN holds session
+    state and is incompatible with transaction pooling; the dispatcher
+    needs to bypass pgbouncer for that single connection.  When neither
+    override is set and ``TURNSTONE_DB_URL`` already points at Postgres
+    directly (no pooler in between), the fallback uses the engine URL
+    as-is.
+
+    The SQLAlchemy ``+psycopg`` driver suffix is stripped so the URL is
+    consumable by ``psycopg.connect`` directly.
+    """
+    raw = override.strip() or os.environ.get("TURNSTONE_DB_LISTEN_URL", "").strip()
+    raw = raw or sqlalchemy_url
+    return raw.replace("postgresql+psycopg://", "postgresql://", 1)
+
+
+class _PostgreSQLNotifyStream:
+    """PostgreSQL ``listen`` stream — drains ``conn.notifies`` per poll.
+
+    Owns a dedicated psycopg autocommit connection.  Each :meth:`poll`
+    waits up to ``timeout`` seconds for notifications and returns them
+    as a list — empty on timeout, raises :class:`NotifyConnectionError`
+    on connection loss (caller reconciles + re-listens).
+
+    Closing the stream from another thread is the supported abort path:
+    ``close`` calls ``conn.close()``, which causes the in-flight
+    :meth:`poll` to wake (the next call returns ``[]`` because
+    ``_closed`` is set).
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, conn: Any, channels: list[str]) -> None:
+        self._conn = conn
+        self._channels = list(channels)
+        self._closed = False
+        self._close_lock = threading.Lock()
+
+    def poll(self, timeout: float) -> list[Notify]:
+        from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify, NotifyConnectionError
+
+        if self._closed:
+            return []
+        out: list[Notify] = []
+        try:
+            # psycopg3 generator yields whatever's available within the
+            # window, then stops — bounded blocking semantics.  Per-call
+            # generator (not a long-lived one) so close() can abort by
+            # closing the connection without leaving a half-consumed
+            # generator behind.
+            for n in self._conn.notifies(timeout=max(0.0, timeout)):
+                out.append(Notify(channel=n.channel, payload=n.payload, pid=n.pid))
+        except Exception as exc:
+            if self._closed:
+                # Graceful close-from-another-thread surfaced as an
+                # operational error inside notifies() — swallow it,
+                # let the caller observe close via the next poll
+                # returning ``[]``.
+                return out
+            raise NotifyConnectionError(str(exc)) from exc
+        return out
+
+    def close(self) -> None:
+        with self._close_lock:
+            if self._closed:
+                return
+            self._closed = True
+            conn = self._conn
+        # Best-effort UNLISTEN + close.  An already-broken connection
+        # raises here; the consumer's reconciliation logic will catch
+        # the underlying ``NotifyConnectionError`` on the next poll if
+        # any waiter is still blocked.
+        with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+            conn.execute("UNLISTEN *")
+        with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+            conn.close()
+
+
 class PostgreSQLBackend:
     """PostgreSQL implementation of the StorageBackend protocol."""
 
     def __init__(
-        self, url: str, pool_size: int = 2, max_overflow: int = 3, *, create_tables: bool = True
+        self,
+        url: str,
+        pool_size: int = 2,
+        max_overflow: int = 3,
+        *,
+        create_tables: bool = True,
+        listen_url: str = "",
     ) -> None:
         self._engine = sa.create_engine(
             url,
@@ -134,6 +231,12 @@ class PostgreSQLBackend:
         )
         self._db_unavailable = False
         self._db_unavailable_lock = threading.Lock()
+        # Operator override for the dedicated LISTEN connection's URL.
+        # Empty string means "fall back through env var, then the main
+        # engine URL" — see :func:`_resolve_pg_listen_url` for the full
+        # precedence rules.  Threaded through ``init_storage`` from
+        # ``config.toml [database] listen_url`` / ``--db-listen-url``.
+        self._listen_url_override = listen_url
         if create_tables:
             metadata.create_all(self._engine)
 
@@ -1863,6 +1966,61 @@ class PostgreSQLBackend:
             conn.commit()
             return result.rowcount > 0
 
+    # -- Cross-process notifications -------------------------------------------
+
+    def notify(self, channel: str, payload: str = "") -> None:
+        """Broadcast a wake-up via ``pg_notify`` on a pooled connection.
+
+        ``channel`` and ``payload`` are bound as parameters so this is
+        safe to call with operator-supplied strings without quoting
+        gymnastics.  Postgres caps the payload at 8 KiB — keep payloads
+        signal-only (a JSON id list, an op name) and let consumers
+        re-read the underlying rows on wake-up.
+        """
+        with self._conn() as conn:
+            conn.execute(
+                sa.text("SELECT pg_notify(:channel, :payload)"),
+                {"channel": channel, "payload": payload},
+            )
+            conn.commit()
+
+    @contextlib.contextmanager
+    def listen(self, channels: Iterable[str]) -> Iterator[NotifyStream]:
+        """Subscribe to channels on a dedicated session-mode connection.
+
+        Opens a fresh ``psycopg`` connection in autocommit mode (the
+        SQLAlchemy pool is incompatible with LISTEN — it recycles
+        connections back into a pool that may be transaction-pooled by
+        pgbouncer).  Channel names are interpolated via
+        ``psycopg.sql.Identifier`` so caller-supplied channel strings
+        can't inject SQL.
+
+        ``TURNSTONE_DB_LISTEN_URL`` overrides the engine URL — see
+        :func:`_resolve_pg_listen_url` for the bypass-URL rationale.
+
+        Yields a :class:`_PostgreSQLNotifyStream`; the connection is
+        closed on context exit.
+        """
+        import psycopg
+        from psycopg import sql
+
+        ch_list = [str(c) for c in channels if c]
+        sqlalchemy_url = self._engine.url.render_as_string(hide_password=False)
+        listen_url = _resolve_pg_listen_url(self._listen_url_override, sqlalchemy_url)
+        conn = psycopg.connect(listen_url, autocommit=True)
+        stream: _PostgreSQLNotifyStream | None = None
+        try:
+            for ch in ch_list:
+                conn.execute(sql.SQL("LISTEN {}").format(sql.Identifier(ch)))
+            stream = _PostgreSQLNotifyStream(conn, ch_list)
+            yield stream
+        finally:
+            if stream is not None:
+                stream.close()
+            else:
+                with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+                    conn.close()
+
     # -- Node metadata ---------------------------------------------------------
 
     def get_node_metadata(self, node_id: str) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
diff --git a/turnstone/core/storage/_protocol.py b/turnstone/core/storage/_protocol.py
index f330b88c..dfef0147 100644
--- a/turnstone/core/storage/_protocol.py
+++ b/turnstone/core/storage/_protocol.py
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Protocol, TypedDict, runtime_checkable
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Iterable
     from contextlib import AbstractContextManager
 
+    from turnstone.core.storage._notify import NotifyStream
     from turnstone.core.workstream import WorkstreamKind
 
 
@@ -1020,6 +1022,33 @@ class StorageBackend(Protocol):
         """Remove a service registration. Returns True if existed."""
         ...
 
+    # -- Cross-process notifications -------------------------------------------
+
+    def notify(self, channel: str, payload: str = "") -> None:
+        """Broadcast a wake-up on ``channel`` to any listening process.
+
+        Payloads are signal-only — a JSON-encoded string identifying
+        which rows to re-read, capped well below Postgres's 8 KiB
+        ``NOTIFY`` payload limit.  Full event content is NOT delivered
+        this way; consumers reconcile by reading the relevant table on
+        wake-up.  Safe to call from any thread.
+        """
+        ...
+
+    def listen(self, channels: Iterable[str]) -> AbstractContextManager[NotifyStream]:
+        """Subscribe to one or more channels for cross-process wake-ups.
+
+        Returns a context manager wrapping a :class:`NotifyStream` the
+        caller drains via :meth:`NotifyStream.poll`.  PostgreSQL holds a
+        dedicated session-mode connection for the lifetime of the
+        context (incompatible with ``pgbouncer`` transaction pooling —
+        see :class:`PostgreSQLBackend.listen` for the bypass-URL config).
+        SQLite emits a synthetic-sweep wake on its own cadence (see
+        ``_SQLITE_NOTIFY_SWEEP_INTERVAL``) per subscribed channel so
+        consumer code is identical across backends.
+        """
+        ...
+
     # -- Node metadata ---------------------------------------------------------
 
     def get_node_metadata(self, node_id: str) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
diff --git a/turnstone/core/storage/_registry.py b/turnstone/core/storage/_registry.py
index d1ad9ce8..56066464 100644
--- a/turnstone/core/storage/_registry.py
+++ b/turnstone/core/storage/_registry.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ def init_storage(
     sslrootcert: str = "",
     sslcert: str = "",
     sslkey: str = "",
+    listen_url: str = "",
 ) -> StorageBackend:
     """Initialize the storage backend singleton.
 
@@ -43,6 +44,13 @@ def init_storage(
         url: PostgreSQL connection URL (e.g. postgresql+psycopg://user:pass@host/db)
         pool_size: Connection pool size (PostgreSQL only)
         run_migrations: Whether to run Alembic migrations on init
+        listen_url: Optional dedicated PostgreSQL URL for the dispatcher's
+            ``LISTEN`` connection.  Required only when ``url`` points at a
+            ``pgbouncer`` running in transaction pooling mode (LISTEN
+            holds session state and is incompatible with transaction
+            pooling — see ``docs/pgbouncer.md``).  Empty string means
+            "fall back through ``TURNSTONE_DB_LISTEN_URL`` env var, then
+            the main ``url``."  Ignored on SQLite.
     """
     global _storage
 
@@ -84,7 +92,12 @@ def init_storage(
 
             sep = "&" if "?" in url else "?"
             url += sep + urlencode(ssl_params)
-        _storage = PostgreSQLBackend(url, pool_size=pool_size, create_tables=create_tables)
+        _storage = PostgreSQLBackend(
+            url,
+            pool_size=pool_size,
+            create_tables=create_tables,
+            listen_url=listen_url,
+        )
         log.info("Storage initialized: PostgreSQL")
 
     else:
diff --git a/turnstone/core/storage/_sqlite.py b/turnstone/core/storage/_sqlite.py
index 3396fa16..d81f02c0 100644
--- a/turnstone/core/storage/_sqlite.py
+++ b/turnstone/core/storage/_sqlite.py
@@ -3,14 +3,18 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import contextlib
+import queue
 import threading
+import time
 from datetime import UTC, datetime, timedelta
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
 import sqlalchemy as sa
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from collections.abc import Iterator
+    from collections.abc import Iterable, Iterator
+
+    from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify, NotifyStream
 
 from turnstone.core.log import get_logger
 from turnstone.core.storage._protocol import (
@@ -129,6 +133,90 @@ def _fts5_query(query: str) -> str:
     return " ".join(safe)
 
 
+# Synthetic-sweep cadence for the SQLite ``listen`` fallback.  SQLite is
+# the dev-only path where reactive latency isn't load-bearing — a single
+# console process, no cross-process notify semantics to recover from.
+# 300 s sits comfortably above the existing per-consumer timers
+# (cluster collector's 60 s ``discovery_interval``, any future
+# ConfigStore/scheduler reload cadences) so the sweep is a true backstop
+# rather than a duplicate tick.  Future consumers that need tighter
+# SQLite-mode reactive latency should pass a custom interval through
+# :meth:`SQLiteBackend.listen` rather than lowering this default.
+_SQLITE_NOTIFY_SWEEP_INTERVAL: float = 300.0
+
+
+class _SQLiteNotifyStream:
+    """SQLite ``listen`` stream — synthetic sweep + in-process fan-out.
+
+    Each poll either drains queued in-process notifies (delivered by a
+    same-process :meth:`SQLiteBackend.notify` call) or emits one
+    synthetic ``Notify(channel, payload="sweep", pid=0)`` per subscribed
+    channel once :attr:`_sweep_interval` has elapsed since the previous
+    sweep, whichever happens first.  Consumers handle both shapes the
+    same way: re-read the relevant rows on every wake-up.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        backend: SQLiteBackend,
+        channels: list[str],
+        sweep_interval: float,
+    ) -> None:
+        self._backend = backend
+        self._channels = list(channels)
+        self._sweep_interval = sweep_interval
+        self._queue: queue.Queue[Any] = queue.Queue()
+        self._closed = False
+        self._last_sweep = time.monotonic()
+        if self._channels:
+            backend._notify_register(self._channels, self._queue)
+
+    def poll(self, timeout: float) -> list[Notify]:
+        from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify
+
+        if self._closed:
+            return []
+        deadline = time.monotonic() + max(0.0, timeout)
+        # Emit a synthetic-sweep tick on the first poll where the sweep
+        # interval has elapsed.  Single tick per channel per interval —
+        # PG-equivalent "one wake-up per change" semantics, not a burst.
+        now = time.monotonic()
+        if self._channels and now - self._last_sweep >= self._sweep_interval:
+            self._last_sweep = now
+            for ch in self._channels:
+                with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+                    self._queue.put_nowait(Notify(channel=ch, payload="sweep", pid=0))
+        out: list[Notify] = []
+        try:
+            while True:
+                if self._closed:
+                    break
+                if out:
+                    # Drain everything already queued without further
+                    # blocking — produces "one poll returns the burst"
+                    # semantics so the consumer reconciles once per wake.
+                    item = self._queue.get_nowait()
+                else:
+                    remaining = deadline - time.monotonic()
+                    if remaining <= 0:
+                        break
+                    item = self._queue.get(timeout=remaining)
+                out.append(item)
+        except queue.Empty:
+            # End-of-drain: the blocking get hit its deadline OR a
+            # get_nowait found the queue empty.  Either way we return
+            # whatever was already collected.
+            pass
+        return out
+
+    def close(self) -> None:
+        if self._closed:
+            return
+        self._closed = True
+        if self._channels:
+            self._backend._notify_unregister(self._channels, self._queue)
+
+
 class SQLiteBackend:
     """SQLite implementation of the StorageBackend protocol."""
 
@@ -155,6 +243,15 @@ class SQLiteBackend:
         self._fts5_available = False
         self._db_unavailable = False
         self._db_unavailable_lock = threading.Lock()
+        # In-process notify fan-out: channel name -> list of stream queues.
+        # SQLite has no cross-process LISTEN/NOTIFY, so notifications are
+        # delivered synchronously to any open ``listen`` stream in the same
+        # process.  Streams register on open + unregister on close; the
+        # synthetic-sweep timer below covers consumers that need a periodic
+        # wake regardless of producer activity (matching the PG-side
+        # discovery-loop cadence).
+        self._notify_lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._notify_subs: dict[str, list[queue.Queue[Any]]] = {}
         if create_tables:
             self._init_schema()
 
@@ -2009,6 +2106,75 @@ class SQLiteBackend:
             conn.commit()
             return result.rowcount > 0
 
+    # -- Cross-process notifications -------------------------------------------
+
+    def notify(self, channel: str, payload: str = "") -> None:
+        """In-process broadcast — SQLite has no cross-process channel.
+
+        SQLite deployments are single-process by design (no shared backend
+        across nodes); the storage layer delivers to any ``listen`` stream
+        open in the same process.  Cross-process consumers wouldn't be
+        served regardless — the synthetic-sweep wake-up in :meth:`listen`
+        is the parity fallback so consumer code stays backend-agnostic.
+        """
+        from turnstone.core.storage._notify import Notify
+
+        with self._notify_lock:
+            subs = list(self._notify_subs.get(channel, ()))
+        for q in subs:
+            with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+                q.put(Notify(channel=channel, payload=payload, pid=0))
+
+    @contextlib.contextmanager
+    def listen(
+        self,
+        channels: Iterable[str],
+        *,
+        sweep_interval: float = _SQLITE_NOTIFY_SWEEP_INTERVAL,
+    ) -> Iterator[NotifyStream]:
+        """Subscribe to channels — synthetic-sweep + in-process fan-out.
+
+        The returned stream wakes every ``sweep_interval`` seconds with
+        one ``Notify(channel, payload="sweep", pid=0)`` per subscribed
+        channel; the default (:data:`_SQLITE_NOTIFY_SWEEP_INTERVAL`)
+        suits a dev backstop with a 60 s consumer-side timer.  Callers
+        that need a tighter cadence (e.g. a future consumer without its
+        own polling timer) pass a smaller value here.  In-process
+        :meth:`notify` calls deliver immediately on top of the sweep.
+        Either path produces a wake-up; consumers reconcile by re-reading
+        the relevant rows.
+
+        Channel names are de-duplicated so callers passing the same name
+        twice don't double-deliver each notify to a single stream.
+        """
+        # de-dupe + preserve insertion order — passing the same channel
+        # twice would otherwise register the stream's queue against that
+        # channel twice and deliver each notify multiple times.
+        ch_list = list(dict.fromkeys(str(c) for c in channels if c))
+        stream = _SQLiteNotifyStream(self, ch_list, sweep_interval=sweep_interval)
+        try:
+            yield stream
+        finally:
+            stream.close()
+
+    def _notify_register(self, channels: list[str], q: queue.Queue[Any]) -> None:
+        """Subscribe a stream's queue to in-process notifies on ``channels``."""
+        with self._notify_lock:
+            for ch in channels:
+                self._notify_subs.setdefault(ch, []).append(q)
+
+    def _notify_unregister(self, channels: list[str], q: queue.Queue[Any]) -> None:
+        """Detach a stream's queue from in-process notifies on ``channels``."""
+        with self._notify_lock:
+            for ch in channels:
+                subs = self._notify_subs.get(ch)
+                if subs is None:
+                    continue
+                with contextlib.suppress(ValueError):
+                    subs.remove(q)
+                if not subs:
+                    self._notify_subs.pop(ch, None)
+
     # -- Node metadata ---------------------------------------------------------
 
     def get_node_metadata(self, node_id: str) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
diff --git a/turnstone/core/storage/migrations/versions/053_services_notify_trigger.py b/turnstone/core/storage/migrations/versions/053_services_notify_trigger.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c3644d3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/turnstone/core/storage/migrations/versions/053_services_notify_trigger.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+"""Trigger ``pg_notify('services', ...)`` on service registry changes.
+
+The console-side :class:`NotifyDispatcher` (`turnstone/console/notify_dispatcher.py`)
+holds a dedicated LISTEN connection and fans channel events out to handlers.
+This migration installs the producer side for the ``services`` channel —
+the cluster collector subscribes so new-node discovery is reactive instead
+of polling every 60 s.
+
+The trigger filters heartbeat-only UPDATEs in-trigger (same url + same
+metadata, only ``last_heartbeat`` changed): ``register_service`` is an
+UPSERT, so a node restart that changes url/metadata still fires; a plain
+heartbeat tick stays quiet to avoid flooding the channel on every
+30 s × N-nodes cluster tick.  Channel payload is a small JSON object —
+service_type, service_id, op — well below PG's 8 KiB NOTIFY limit; the
+handler reconciles by re-reading ``services`` rather than relying on
+the payload content.
+
+SQLite is a no-op for this migration — the SQLite backend's in-process
+:meth:`notify` doesn't go through a trigger, and the synthetic-sweep
+fallback in :meth:`listen` covers consumer parity.
+
+What this trigger does NOT cover: crashed-node detection.  A node that
+dies without running its deregister handshake leaves a stale row that
+ages out via the existing 120 s heartbeat-expiry filter.  The 60 s
+discovery loop in the collector keeps running as the backstop for
+crash-shaped node loss.
+
+Revision ID: 053
+Revises: 052
+Create Date: 2026-05-10
+"""
+
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+from alembic import op
+
+revision = "053"
+down_revision = "052"
+branch_labels = None
+depends_on = None
+
+
+_TRIGGER_FN_NAME = "turnstone_notify_services"
+_TRIGGER_NAME = "services_notify"
+
+
+_TRIGGER_FN_SQL = f"""
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION {_TRIGGER_FN_NAME}() RETURNS trigger AS $$
+BEGIN
+    -- Skip heartbeat-only UPDATEs: same url and metadata, only
+    -- ``last_heartbeat`` changed.  ``register_service`` is an UPSERT
+    -- (on_conflict_do_update), so node restarts that change url or
+    -- metadata MUST still fire — only no-op heartbeat ticks stay
+    -- quiet.  IS NOT DISTINCT FROM treats NULLs as equal so a row
+    -- with NULL metadata before/after doesn't trip the diff.
+    IF TG_OP = 'UPDATE'
+       AND OLD.url IS NOT DISTINCT FROM NEW.url
+       AND OLD.metadata IS NOT DISTINCT FROM NEW.metadata THEN
+        RETURN NULL;
+    END IF;
+
+    PERFORM pg_notify(
+        'services',
+        json_build_object(
+            'service_type', COALESCE(NEW.service_type, OLD.service_type),
+            'service_id',   COALESCE(NEW.service_id,   OLD.service_id),
+            'op',           TG_OP
+        )::text
+    );
+    RETURN NULL;
+END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+"""
+
+
+_TRIGGER_SQL = f"""
+CREATE TRIGGER {_TRIGGER_NAME}
+AFTER INSERT OR UPDATE OR DELETE ON services
+FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE FUNCTION {_TRIGGER_FN_NAME}();
+"""
+
+
+def upgrade() -> None:
+    bind = op.get_bind()
+    if bind.dialect.name != "postgresql":
+        return
+    op.execute(sa.text(_TRIGGER_FN_SQL))
+    op.execute(sa.text(_TRIGGER_SQL))
+
+
+def downgrade() -> None:
+    bind = op.get_bind()
+    if bind.dialect.name != "postgresql":
+        return
+    op.execute(sa.text(f"DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS {_TRIGGER_NAME} ON services"))
+    op.execute(sa.text(f"DROP FUNCTION IF EXISTS {_TRIGGER_FN_NAME}()"))