diff --git a/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml b/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml
--- a/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml
+++ b/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@
             RowLayout {
                 id: dndRow
                 spacing: units.smallSpacing
+                enabled: NotificationManager.Server.valid
 
                 PlasmaComponents3.CheckBox {
                     id: dndCheck
@@ -590,7 +591,37 @@
                 level: 3
                 opacity: 0.6
                 text: i18n("No unread notifications.")
-                visible: list.count === 0
+                visible: list.count === 0 && NotificationManager.Server.valid
+            }
+
+            ColumnLayout {
+                id: serverUnavailableColumn
+
+                width: list.width
+                visible: list.count === 0 && !NotificationManager.Server.valid
+
+                PlasmaExtras.Heading {
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                    level: 3
+                    opacity: 0.6
+                    text: i18n("Notification service not available")
+                    wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
+                }
+
+                PlasmaComponents.Label {
+                    // Checking valid to avoid creating ServerInfo object if everything is alright
+                    readonly property NotificationManager.ServerInfo currentOwner: !NotificationManager.Server.valid ? NotificationManager.Server.currentOwner
+                                                                                                                     : null
+
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                    wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
+                    text: currentOwner ? i18nc("Vendor and product name",
+                                         "Notifications are currently provided by '%1 %2'",
+                                         currentOwner.vendor,
+                                         currentOwner.name)
+                                       : ""
+                    visible: currentOwner && currentOwner.vendor && currentOwner.name
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/global/Globals.qml b/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/global/Globals.qml
--- a/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/global/Globals.qml
+++ b/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/global/Globals.qml
@@ -200,6 +200,10 @@
         globals.inhibited = Qt.binding(function() {
             var inhibited = false;
 
+            if (!NotificationManager.Server.valid) {
+                return false;
+            }
+
             var inhibitedUntil = notificationSettings.notificationsInhibitedUntil;
             if (!isNaN(inhibitedUntil.getTime())) {
                 inhibited |= (new Date().getTime() < inhibitedUntil.getTime());
diff --git a/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/main.qml
--- a/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/applets/notifications/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -46,24 +46,28 @@
             lines.push(i18np("%1 running job", "%1 running jobs", historyModel.activeJobsCount));
         }
 
-        // Any notification that is newer than "lastRead" is "unread"
-        // since it doesn't know the popup is on screen which makes the user see it
-        var actualUnread = historyModel.unreadNotificationsCount - Globals.popupNotificationsModel.activeNotificationsCount;
-        if (actualUnread > 0) {
-            lines.push(i18np("%1 unread notification", "%1 unread notifications", actualUnread));
-        }
-
-        if (Globals.inhibited) {
-            var inhibitedUntil = notificationSettings.notificationsInhibitedUntil
-            var inhibitedUntilValid = !isNaN(inhibitedUntil.getTime());
+        if (!NotificationManager.Server.valid) {
+            lines.push(i18n("Notification service not available"));
+        } else {
+            // Any notification that is newer than "lastRead" is "unread"
+            // since it doesn't know the popup is on screen which makes the user see it
+            var actualUnread = historyModel.unreadNotificationsCount - Globals.popupNotificationsModel.activeNotificationsCount;
+            if (actualUnread > 0) {
+                lines.push(i18np("%1 unread notification", "%1 unread notifications", actualUnread));
+            }
 
-            // TODO check app inhibition, too
-            if (inhibitedUntilValid) {
-                lines.push(i18n("Do not disturb until %1",
-                             KCoreAddons.Format.formatRelativeDateTime(inhibitedUntil, Locale.ShortFormat)));
+            if (Globals.inhibited) {
+                var inhibitedUntil = notificationSettings.notificationsInhibitedUntil
+                var inhibitedUntilValid = !isNaN(inhibitedUntil.getTime());
+
+                // TODO check app inhibition, too
+                if (inhibitedUntilValid) {
+                        lines.push(i18n("Do not disturb until %1",
+                                     KCoreAddons.Format.formatRelativeDateTime(inhibitedUntil, Locale.ShortFormat)));
+                }
+            } else if (lines.length === 0) {
+                lines.push(i18n("No unread notifications"));
             }
-        } else if (lines.length === 0) {
-            lines.push(i18n("No unread notifications"));
         }
 
         return lines.join("\n");
@@ -92,7 +96,7 @@
         jobsCount: historyModel.activeJobsCount
         jobsPercentage: historyModel.jobsPercentage
 
-        inhibited: Globals.inhibited
+        inhibited: Globals.inhibited || !NotificationManager.Server.valid
     }
 
     Plasmoid.fullRepresentation: FullRepresentation {