diff --git a/src/eventlog.js b/src/eventlog.js
index abd5e686f..74d37ab83 100644
--- a/src/eventlog.js
+++ b/src/eventlog.js
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ var assert = require('assert'),
     DatabaseError = require('./databaseerror.js'),
     debug = require('debug')('box:eventlog'),
     eventlogdb = require('./eventlogdb.js'),
+    notifications = require('./notifications.js'),
     util = require('util'),
     uuid = require('uuid');
 
@@ -96,6 +97,17 @@ function add(action, source, data, callback) {
     eventlogdb.add(id, action, source, data, function (error) {
         if (error) return callback(new EventLogError(EventLogError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
+        // decide if we want to add notifications as well
+        if (action === exports.ACTION_USER_ADD) {
+            notifications.userAdded(data.user);
+        } if (action === exports.ACTION_USER_REMOVE) {
+            notifications.userRemoved(data.user);
+        } if (action === exports.ACTION_USER_UPDATE && data.adminStatusChanged) {
+            notifications.adminChanged(data.user);
+        } else {
+            // no notification
+        }
+
         callback(null, { id: id });
     });
 }
diff --git a/src/notifications.js b/src/notifications.js
index 4ae9cc0ae..a1527c353 100644
--- a/src/notifications.js
+++ b/src/notifications.js
@@ -128,11 +128,8 @@ function actionForAllAdmins(iterator, callback) {
     });
 }
 
-function userAdded(user, callback) {
+function userAdded(user) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof user, 'object');
-    assert(typeof callback === 'undefined' || typeof callback === 'function');
-
-    callback = callback || NOOP_CALLBACK;
 
     actionForAllAdmins(function (admin, callback) {
         // skip for the same user
@@ -140,14 +137,13 @@ function userAdded(user, callback) {
 
         mailer.userAdded(admin.email, user);
         add(admin.id, 'User added', `User ${user.fallbackEmail} was added`, '/#/users', callback);
-    }, callback);
+    }, function (error) {
+        if (error) console.error(error);
+    });
 }
 
-function userRemoved(user, callback) {
+function userRemoved(user) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof user, 'object');
-    assert(typeof callback === 'undefined' || typeof callback === 'function');
-
-    callback = callback || NOOP_CALLBACK;
 
     actionForAllAdmins(function (admin, callback) {
         // skip for the same user
@@ -155,23 +151,23 @@ function userRemoved(user, callback) {
 
         mailer.userRemoved(admin.email, user);
         add(admin.id, 'User removed', `User ${user.username || user.email || user.fallbackEmail} was removed`, '/#/users', callback);
-    }, callback);
+    }, function (error) {
+        if (error) console.error(error);
+    });
 }
 
-function adminChanged(user, isAdmin, callback) {
+function adminChanged(user) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof user, 'object');
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof isAdmin, 'boolean');
-    assert(typeof callback === 'undefined' || typeof callback === 'function');
-
-    callback = callback || NOOP_CALLBACK;
 
     actionForAllAdmins(function (admin, callback) {
         // skip for the same user
         if (admin.email === user.email || admin.email === user.fallbackEmail) return callback();
 
-        mailer.adminChanged(admin.email, user, isAdmin);
-        add(admin.id, 'Admin status change', `User ${user.username || user.email || user.fallbackEmail} ${isAdmin ? 'is now an admin' : 'is no more an admin'}`, '/#/users', callback);
-    }, callback);
+        mailer.adminChanged(admin.email, user, user.admin);
+        add(admin.id, 'Admin status change', `User ${user.username || user.email || user.fallbackEmail} ${user.admin ? 'is now an admin' : 'is no more an admin'}`, '/#/users', callback);
+    }, function (error) {
+        if (error) console.error(error);
+    });
 }
 
 function oomEvent(program, context, callback) {
diff --git a/src/users.js b/src/users.js
index 3167a8c35..6789f72fb 100644
--- a/src/users.js
+++ b/src/users.js
@@ -204,11 +204,9 @@ function create(username, password, email, displayName, options, auditSource, ca
                 if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.ALREADY_EXISTS) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.ALREADY_EXISTS, error.message));
                 if (error) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-                callback(null, user);
-
                 eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_USER_ADD, auditSource, { userId: user.id, email: user.email, user: removePrivateFields(user), invitor: invitor });
 
-                if (!isOwner) notifications.userAdded(user);
+                callback(null, user);
             });
         });
     });
@@ -296,11 +294,7 @@ function removeUser(userId, auditSource, callback) {
             if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.NOT_FOUND));
             if (error) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-            eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_USER_REMOVE, auditSource, { userId: userId, user: removePrivateFields(user) });
-
-            callback();
-
-            notifications.userRemoved(user);
+            eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_USER_REMOVE, auditSource, { userId: userId, user: removePrivateFields(user) }, callback);
         });
     });
 }
@@ -428,9 +422,11 @@ function updateUser(userId, data, auditSource, callback) {
             get(userId, function (error, result) {
                 if (error) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-                eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_USER_UPDATE, auditSource, { userId: userId, user: removePrivateFields(result) });
-
-                if ((result.admin && !oldUser.admin) || (!result.admin && oldUser.admin)) notifications.adminChanged(result, result.admin);
+                eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_USER_UPDATE, auditSource, {
+                    userId: userId,
+                    user: removePrivateFields(result),
+                    adminStatusChanged: ((result.admin && !oldUser.admin) || (!result.admin && oldUser.admin))
+                });
             });
         });
     });