diff --git a/src/Notifier.ts b/src/Notifier.ts
index 875402d982d..64f4a6547f6 100644
--- a/src/Notifier.ts
+++ b/src/Notifier.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { M_LOCATION } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/location";
 import {
     PermissionChanged as PermissionChangedEvent,
 } from "@matrix-org/analytics-events/types/typescript/PermissionChanged";
+import { ISyncStateData, SyncState } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/sync";
 
 import { MatrixClientPeg } from './MatrixClientPeg';
 import { PosthogAnalytics } from "./PosthogAnalytics";
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ import { localNotificationsAreSilenced } from "./utils/notifications";
 import { getIncomingCallToastKey, IncomingCallToast } from "./toasts/IncomingCallToast";
 import ToastStore from "./stores/ToastStore";
 import { ElementCall } from "./models/Call";
+import { createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded } from './utils/notifications';
 
 /*
  * Dispatches:
@@ -351,12 +353,20 @@ export const Notifier = {
         return this.toolbarHidden;
     },
 
-    onSyncStateChange: function(state: string) {
-        if (state === "SYNCING") {
+    onSyncStateChange: function(state: SyncState, prevState?: SyncState, data?: ISyncStateData) {
+        if (state === SyncState.Syncing) {
             this.isSyncing = true;
-        } else if (state === "STOPPED" || state === "ERROR") {
+        } else if (state === SyncState.Stopped || state === SyncState.Error) {
             this.isSyncing = false;
         }
+
+        // wait for first non-cached sync to complete
+        if (
+            ![SyncState.Stopped, SyncState.Error].includes(state) &&
+            !data?.fromCache
+        ) {
+            createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded(MatrixClientPeg.get());
+        }
     },
 
     onEvent: function(ev: MatrixEvent) {
diff --git a/src/utils/notifications.ts b/src/utils/notifications.ts
index f41edd24bb7..7e8aff6d0bd 100644
--- a/src/utils/notifications.ts
+++ b/src/utils/notifications.ts
@@ -14,14 +14,40 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
+import { MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/client";
 import { LOCAL_NOTIFICATION_SETTINGS_PREFIX } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/event";
 import { LocalNotificationSettings } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/local_notifications";
-import { MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/client";
+
+import SettingsStore from "../settings/SettingsStore";
+
+export const deviceNotificationSettingsKeys = [
+    "notificationsEnabled",
+    "notificationBodyEnabled",
+    "audioNotificationsEnabled",
+];
 
 export function getLocalNotificationAccountDataEventType(deviceId: string): string {
     return `${LOCAL_NOTIFICATION_SETTINGS_PREFIX.name}.${deviceId}`;
 }
 
+export async function createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded(cli: MatrixClient): Promise<void> {
+    const eventType = getLocalNotificationAccountDataEventType(cli.deviceId);
+    const event = cli.getAccountData(eventType);
+    // New sessions will create an account data event to signify they support
+    // remote toggling of push notifications on this device. Default `is_silenced=true`
+    // For backwards compat purposes, older sessions will need to check settings value
+    // to determine what the state of `is_silenced`
+    if (!event) {
+        // If any of the above is true, we fall in the "backwards compat" case,
+        // and `is_silenced` will be set to `false`
+        const isSilenced = !deviceNotificationSettingsKeys.some(key => SettingsStore.getValue(key));
+
+        await cli.setAccountData(eventType, {
+            is_silenced: isSilenced,
+        });
+    }
+}
+
 export function localNotificationsAreSilenced(cli: MatrixClient): boolean {
     const eventType = getLocalNotificationAccountDataEventType(cli.deviceId);
     const event = cli.getAccountData(eventType);
diff --git a/test/Notifier-test.ts b/test/Notifier-test.ts
index 4bac0a54233..eb5d5c7fced 100644
--- a/test/Notifier-test.ts
+++ b/test/Notifier-test.ts
@@ -14,20 +14,30 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-import { MockedObject } from "jest-mock";
-import { MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/client";
+import { mocked, MockedObject } from "jest-mock";
+import { ClientEvent, MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/client";
 import { Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
 import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
+import { SyncState } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/sync";
 
 import BasePlatform from "../src/BasePlatform";
 import { ElementCall } from "../src/models/Call";
 import Notifier from "../src/Notifier";
 import SettingsStore from "../src/settings/SettingsStore";
 import ToastStore from "../src/stores/ToastStore";
-import { getLocalNotificationAccountDataEventType } from "../src/utils/notifications";
+import {
+    createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded,
+    getLocalNotificationAccountDataEventType,
+} from "../src/utils/notifications";
 import { getMockClientWithEventEmitter, mkEvent, mkRoom, mockPlatformPeg } from "./test-utils";
 import { IncomingCallToast } from "../src/toasts/IncomingCallToast";
 
+jest.mock("../src/utils/notifications", () => ({
+    // @ts-ignore
+    ...jest.requireActual("../src/utils/notifications"),
+    createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
 describe("Notifier", () => {
     const roomId = "!room1:server";
     const testEvent = mkEvent({
@@ -111,7 +121,7 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
                 tweaks: {},
             });
 
-            Notifier.onSyncStateChange("SYNCING");
+            Notifier.onSyncStateChange(SyncState.Syncing);
         });
 
         afterEach(() => {
@@ -169,4 +179,46 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
             expect(ToastStore.sharedInstance().addOrReplaceToast).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
         });
     });
+
+    describe('local notification settings', () => {
+        const createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeededMock = mocked(createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded);
+        let hasStartedNotiferBefore = false;
+        beforeEach(() => {
+            // notifier defines some listener functions in start
+            // and references them in stop
+            // so blows up if stopped before it was started
+            if (hasStartedNotiferBefore) {
+                Notifier.stop();
+            }
+            Notifier.start();
+            hasStartedNotiferBefore = true;
+            createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeededMock.mockClear();
+        });
+
+        afterAll(() => {
+            Notifier.stop();
+        });
+
+        it('does not create local notifications event after a sync error', () => {
+            mockClient.emit(ClientEvent.Sync, SyncState.Error, SyncState.Syncing);
+            expect(createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeededMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        });
+
+        it('does not create local notifications event after sync stops', () => {
+            mockClient.emit(ClientEvent.Sync, SyncState.Stopped, SyncState.Syncing);
+            expect(createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeededMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        });
+
+        it('does not create local notifications event after a cached sync', () => {
+            mockClient.emit(ClientEvent.Sync, SyncState.Syncing, SyncState.Syncing, {
+                fromCache: true,
+            });
+            expect(createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeededMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        });
+
+        it('creates local notifications event after a non-cached sync', () => {
+            mockClient.emit(ClientEvent.Sync, SyncState.Syncing, SyncState.Syncing, {});
+            expect(createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeededMock).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        });
+    });
 });
diff --git a/test/utils/notifications-test.ts b/test/utils/notifications-test.ts
index b27a660ebff..ba134c14808 100644
--- a/test/utils/notifications-test.ts
+++ b/test/utils/notifications-test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ import { mocked } from "jest-mock";
 import {
     localNotificationsAreSilenced,
     getLocalNotificationAccountDataEventType,
+    createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded,
+    deviceNotificationSettingsKeys,
 } from "../../src/utils/notifications";
 import SettingsStore from "../../src/settings/SettingsStore";
 import { getMockClientWithEventEmitter } from "../test-utils/client";
@@ -46,6 +48,38 @@ describe('notifications', () => {
         mocked(SettingsStore).getValue.mockReturnValue(false);
     });
 
+    describe('createLocalNotification', () => {
+        it('creates account data event', async () => {
+            await createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded(mockClient);
+            const event = mockClient.getAccountData(accountDataEventKey);
+            expect(event?.getContent().is_silenced).toBe(true);
+        });
+
+        it.each(deviceNotificationSettingsKeys)(
+            'unsilenced for existing sessions when %s setting is truthy',
+            async (settingKey) => {
+                mocked(SettingsStore)
+                    .getValue
+                    .mockImplementation((key) => {
+                        return key === settingKey;
+                    });
+
+                await createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded(mockClient);
+                const event = mockClient.getAccountData(accountDataEventKey);
+                expect(event?.getContent().is_silenced).toBe(false);
+            });
+
+        it("does not override an existing account event data", async () => {
+            mockClient.setAccountData(accountDataEventKey, {
+                is_silenced: false,
+            });
+
+            await createLocalNotificationSettingsIfNeeded(mockClient);
+            const event = mockClient.getAccountData(accountDataEventKey);
+            expect(event?.getContent().is_silenced).toBe(false);
+        });
+    });
+
     describe('localNotificationsAreSilenced', () => {
         it('defaults to true when no setting exists', () => {
             expect(localNotificationsAreSilenced(mockClient)).toBeTruthy();