diff --git a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/client.rs b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/client.rs
index 9830771a00..52c7da824d 100644
--- a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/client.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/client.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use std::time::Duration;
 
 use tokio::io::AsyncRead;
 use tokio::io::AsyncWrite;
+use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 use tokio::time::timeout;
 use tokio_tungstenite::connect_async;
 use tracing::warn;
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ use crate::protocol::InitializeResponse;
 use crate::rpc::RpcCallError;
 use crate::rpc::RpcClient;
 use crate::rpc::RpcClientEvent;
+use crate::rpc::RpcNotificationSender;
 
 mod local_backend;
 use local_backend::LocalBackend;
@@ -126,7 +128,10 @@ impl ExecServerClient {
     pub async fn connect_in_process(
         options: ExecServerClientConnectOptions,
     ) -> Result<Self, ExecServerError> {
-        let backend = LocalBackend::new(crate::server::ExecServerHandler::new());
+        let (outgoing_tx, _outgoing_rx) = mpsc::channel(1);
+        let backend = LocalBackend::new(crate::server::ExecServerHandler::new(
+            RpcNotificationSender::new(outgoing_tx),
+        ));
         let inner = Arc::new(Inner {
             backend: ClientBackend::InProcess(backend),
             reader_task: tokio::spawn(async {}),
diff --git a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/handler.rs b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/handler.rs
index 4d033030b8..6a8119b274 100644
--- a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/handler.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/handler.rs
@@ -2,15 +2,18 @@ use codex_app_server_protocol::JSONRPCErrorError;
 
 use crate::protocol::InitializeResponse;
 use crate::protocol::PROTOCOL_VERSION;
+use crate::rpc::RpcNotificationSender;
 
 pub(crate) struct ExecServerHandler {
+    _notifications: RpcNotificationSender,
     initialize_requested: bool,
     initialized: bool,
 }
 
 impl ExecServerHandler {
-    pub(crate) fn new() -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn new(notifications: RpcNotificationSender) -> Self {
         Self {
+            _notifications: notifications,
             initialize_requested: false,
             initialized: false,
         }
diff --git a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/processor.rs b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/processor.rs
index aa4da92d0f..ddb7978be4 100644
--- a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/processor.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/processor.rs
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ pub(crate) async fn run_connection(connection: JsonRpcConnection) {
     let (json_outgoing_tx, mut incoming_rx, _connection_tasks) = connection.into_parts();
     let (outgoing_tx, mut outgoing_rx) =
         mpsc::channel::<RpcServerOutboundMessage>(CHANNEL_CAPACITY);
-    let handler = Arc::new(Mutex::new(ExecServerHandler::new()));
-    let _notifications = RpcNotificationSender::new(outgoing_tx.clone());
+    let notifications = RpcNotificationSender::new(outgoing_tx.clone());
+    let handler = Arc::new(Mutex::new(ExecServerHandler::new(notifications)));
 
     let outbound_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
         while let Some(message) = outgoing_rx.recv().await {