diff --git a/lib/naughty/dbus.lua b/lib/naughty/dbus.lua
index 25c6a09a3..20dc0d50e 100644
--- a/lib/naughty/dbus.lua
+++ b/lib/naughty/dbus.lua
@@ -120,151 +120,168 @@ local function convert_icon(w, h, rowstride, channels, data)
     return res
 end
 
-local function protected_method_call(_, sender, object_path, interface, method, parameters, invocation)
-    if method == "Notify" then
-        local appname, replaces_id, icon, title, text, actions, hints, expire =
-            unpack(parameters.value)
-        local args = {}
-        if text ~= "" then
-            args.message = text
-            if title ~= "" then
-                args.title = title
-            end
+local notif_methods = {}
+
+function notif_methods.Notify(sender, object_path, interface, method, parameters, invocation)
+    local appname, replaces_id, icon, title, text, actions, hints, expire =
+        unpack(parameters.value)
+
+    local args = {}
+    if text ~= "" then
+        args.message = text
+        if title ~= "" then
+            args.title = title
+        end
+    else
+        if title ~= "" then
+            args.message = title
         else
-            if title ~= "" then
-                args.message = title
-            else
-                -- FIXME: We have to reply *something* to the DBus invocation.
-                -- Right now this leads to a memory leak, I think.
-                return
-            end
-        end
-        if appname ~= "" then
-            args.appname = appname
-        end
-        for _, obj in pairs(dbus.config.mapping) do
-            local filter, preset = obj[1], obj[2]
-            if (not filter.urgency or filter.urgency == hints.urgency) and
-            (not filter.category or filter.category == hints.category) and
-            (not filter.appname or filter.appname == appname) then
-                args.preset = gtable.join(args.preset, preset)
-            end
-        end
-        local preset = args.preset or cst.config.defaults
-        local notification
-        if actions then
-            args.actions = {}
-
-            for i = 1,#actions,2 do
-                local action_id = actions[i]
-                local action_text = actions[i + 1]
-
-                if action_id == "default" then
-                    args.run = function()
-                        sendActionInvoked(notification.id, "default")
-                        notification:destroy(cst.notification_closed_reason.dismissed_by_user)
-                    end
-                elseif action_id ~= nil and action_text ~= nil then
-                    local a = naction {
-                        name     = action_text,
-                        position = action_id,
-                    }
-
-                    a:connect_signal("invoked", function()
-                        sendActionInvoked(notification.id, action_id)
-                        notification:destroy(cst.notification_closed_reason.dismissed_by_user)
-                    end)
-
-                    table.insert(args.actions, a)
-                end
-            end
-        end
-        args.destroy = function(reason)
-            sendNotificationClosed(notification.id, reason)
-        end
-        local legacy_data = { -- This data used to be generated by AwesomeWM's C code
-            type = "method_call", interface = interface, path = object_path,
-            member = method, sender = sender, bus = "session"
-        }
-        if not preset.callback or (type(preset.callback) == "function" and
-            preset.callback(legacy_data, appname, replaces_id, icon, title, text, actions, hints, expire)) then
-            if icon ~= "" then
-                args.icon = icon
-            elseif hints.icon_data or hints.image_data then
-                -- Icon data is a bit complex and hence needs special care:
-                -- .value breaks with the array of bytes (ay) that we get here.
-                -- So, bypass it and look up the needed value differently
-                local icon_data
-                for k, v in parameters:get_child_value(7 - 1):pairs() do
-                    if k == "icon_data" then
-                        icon_data = v
-                    elseif k == "image_data" and icon_data == nil then
-                        icon_data = v
-                    end
-                end
-
-                -- icon_data is an array:
-                -- 1 -> width
-                -- 2 -> height
-                -- 3 -> rowstride
-                -- 4 -> has alpha
-                -- 5 -> bits per sample
-                -- 6 -> channels
-                -- 7 -> data
-
-                -- Get the value as a GVariant and then use LGI's special
-                -- GVariant.data to get that as an LGI byte buffer. That one can
-                -- then by converted to a string via its __tostring metamethod.
-                local data = tostring(icon_data:get_child_value(7 - 1).data)
-                args.icon = convert_icon(icon_data[1], icon_data[2], icon_data[3], icon_data[6], data)
-            end
-            if replaces_id and replaces_id ~= "" and replaces_id ~= 0 then
-                args.replaces_id = replaces_id
-            end
-            if expire and expire > -1 then
-                args.timeout = expire / 1000
-            end
-            args.freedesktop_hints = hints
-
-            -- Try to update existing objects when possible
-            notification = naughty.get_by_id(replaces_id)
-
-            if notification then
-                for k, v in pairs(args) do
-                    if k == "destroy" then k = "destroy_cb" end
-                    notification[k] = v
-                end
-            else
-                notification = nnotif(args)
-            end
-
-            invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("(u)", { notification.id }))
+            -- FIXME: We have to reply *something* to the DBus invocation.
+            -- Right now this leads to a memory leak, I think.
             return
         end
-
-        invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("(u)", { nnotif._gen_next_id() }))
-    elseif method == "CloseNotification" then
-        local obj = naughty.get_by_id(parameters.value[1])
-        if obj then
-            obj:destroy(cst.notification_closed_reason.dismissed_by_command)
-        end
-        invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("()"))
-    elseif method == "GetServerInfo" or method == "GetServerInformation" then
-        -- name of notification app, name of vender, version, specification version
-        invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("(ssss)", {
-            "naughty", "awesome", capi.awesome.version, "1.0"
-        }))
-    elseif method == "GetCapabilities" then
-        -- We actually do display the body of the message, we support <b>, <i>
-        -- and <u> in the body and we handle static (non-animated) icons.
-        invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("(as)", {
-            { "body", "body-markup", "icon-static", "actions" }
-        }))
     end
+    if appname ~= "" then
+        args.appname = appname
+    end
+    for _, obj in pairs(dbus.config.mapping) do
+        local filter, preset = obj[1], obj[2]
+        if (not filter.urgency or filter.urgency == hints.urgency) and
+        (not filter.category or filter.category == hints.category) and
+        (not filter.appname or filter.appname == appname) then
+            args.preset = gtable.join(args.preset, preset)
+        end
+    end
+    local preset = args.preset or cst.config.defaults
+    local notification
+    if actions then
+        args.actions = {}
+
+        for i = 1,#actions,2 do
+            local action_id = actions[i]
+            local action_text = actions[i + 1]
+
+            if action_id == "default" then
+                args.run = function()
+                    sendActionInvoked(notification.id, "default")
+                    notification:destroy(cst.notification_closed_reason.dismissed_by_user)
+                end
+            elseif action_id ~= nil and action_text ~= nil then
+                local a = naction {
+                    name     = action_text,
+                    position = action_id,
+                }
+
+                a:connect_signal("invoked", function()
+                    sendActionInvoked(notification.id, action_id)
+                    notification:destroy(cst.notification_closed_reason.dismissed_by_user)
+                end)
+
+                table.insert(args.actions, a)
+            end
+        end
+    end
+    args.destroy = function(reason)
+        sendNotificationClosed(notification.id, reason)
+    end
+    local legacy_data = { -- This data used to be generated by AwesomeWM's C code
+        type = "method_call", interface = interface, path = object_path,
+        member = method, sender = sender, bus = "session"
+    }
+    if not preset.callback or (type(preset.callback) == "function" and
+        preset.callback(legacy_data, appname, replaces_id, icon, title, text, actions, hints, expire)) then
+        if icon ~= "" then
+            args.icon = icon
+        elseif hints.icon_data or hints.image_data then
+            -- Icon data is a bit complex and hence needs special care:
+            -- .value breaks with the array of bytes (ay) that we get here.
+            -- So, bypass it and look up the needed value differently
+            local icon_data
+            for k, v in parameters:get_child_value(7 - 1):pairs() do
+                if k == "icon_data" then
+                    icon_data = v
+                elseif k == "image_data" and icon_data == nil then
+                    icon_data = v
+                end
+            end
+
+            -- icon_data is an array:
+            -- 1 -> width
+            -- 2 -> height
+            -- 3 -> rowstride
+            -- 4 -> has alpha
+            -- 5 -> bits per sample
+            -- 6 -> channels
+            -- 7 -> data
+
+            -- Get the value as a GVariant and then use LGI's special
+            -- GVariant.data to get that as an LGI byte buffer. That one can
+            -- then by converted to a string via its __tostring metamethod.
+            local data = tostring(icon_data:get_child_value(7 - 1).data)
+            args.icon = convert_icon(icon_data[1], icon_data[2], icon_data[3], icon_data[6], data)
+        end
+        if replaces_id and replaces_id ~= "" and replaces_id ~= 0 then
+            args.replaces_id = replaces_id
+        end
+        if expire and expire > -1 then
+            args.timeout = expire / 1000
+        end
+        args.freedesktop_hints = hints
+
+        -- Try to update existing objects when possible
+        notification = naughty.get_by_id(replaces_id)
+
+        if notification then
+            for k, v in pairs(args) do
+                if k == "destroy" then k = "destroy_cb" end
+                notification[k] = v
+            end
+        else
+            notification = nnotif(args)
+        end
+
+        invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("(u)", { notification.id }))
+        return
+    end
+
+    invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("(u)", { nnotif._gen_next_id() }))
 end
 
-local function method_call(...)
-    protected_call(protected_method_call, ...)
+function notif_methods.CloseNotification(_, _, _, _, parameters, invocation)
+    local obj = naughty.get_by_id(parameters.value[1])
+    if obj then
+        obj:destroy(cst.notification_closed_reason.dismissed_by_command)
+    end
+    invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("()"))
+end
+
+function notif_methods.GetServerInformation(_, _, _, _, _, invocation)
+    -- name of notification app, name of vender, version, specification version
+    invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("(ssss)", {
+        "naughty", "awesome", capi.awesome.version, "1.0"
+    }))
+end
+
+function notif_methods.GetCapabilities(_, _, _, _, _, invocation)
+    -- We actually do display the body of the message, we support <b>, <i>
+    -- and <u> in the body and we handle static (non-animated) icons.
+    invocation:return_value(GLib.Variant("(as)", {
+        { "body", "body-markup", "icon-static", "actions" }
+    }))
+end
+
+local function method_call(_, sender, object_path, interface, method, parameters, invocation)
+    if not notif_methods[method] then return end
+
+    protected_call(
+        notif_methods[method],
+        sender,
+        object_path,
+        interface,
+        method,
+        parameters,
+        invocation
+    )
 end
 
 local function on_bus_acquire(conn, _)
@@ -322,6 +339,9 @@ Gio.bus_own_name(Gio.BusType.SESSION, "org.freedesktop.Notifications",
     Gio.BusNameOwnerFlags.NONE, GObject.Closure(on_bus_acquire),
     GObject.Closure(on_name_acquired), GObject.Closure(on_name_lost))
 
+-- For testing
+dbus._notif_methods = notif_methods
+
 return dbus
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/naughty/layout/legacy.lua b/lib/naughty/layout/legacy.lua
index 724278f48..c7a76b48a 100644
--- a/lib/naughty/layout/legacy.lua
+++ b/lib/naughty/layout/legacy.lua
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ local escape_subs    = { ['<'] = "&lt;", ['>'] = "&gt;", ['&'] = "&amp;" }
 
 -- Cache the markup
 local function set_escaped_text(self)
+    if not self.box then return end
+
     local text = self.message or ""
     local title = self.title and self.title .. "\n" or ""
 
@@ -370,7 +372,6 @@ function naughty.default_notification_handler(notification, args)
     textbox:set_font(font)
 
     notification.textbox = textbox
-    set_escaped_text(notification)
 
     -- Update the content if it changes
     notification:connect_signal("property::message", set_escaped_text)
@@ -513,10 +514,14 @@ function naughty.default_notification_handler(notification, args)
     notification.box.visible = true
 
     -- populate widgets
+    set_escaped_text(notification)
+
     local layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal()
+
     if iconmargin then
         layout:add(iconmargin)
     end
+
     layout:add(marginbox)
 
     local completelayout = wibox.layout.fixed.vertical()
diff --git a/tests/examples/shims/dbus.lua b/tests/examples/shims/dbus.lua
index f0e301e58..bcca727c8 100644
--- a/tests/examples/shims/dbus.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/shims/dbus.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,40 @@
+local lgi = require("lgi")
+local Gio = lgi.Gio
+
 local dbus = awesome._shim_fake_class()
 
-function dbus.notify_send(...)
+-- Monkeypatch away the real dbus support
+Gio.bus_own_name = function() end
+
+--HACK it used to be an internal API, which made testing easy, but now it uses
+-- GDBus, so this shims a small subset of its API and use some internal APIs
+-- to access "private" methods. Note that it would be cleaner to implement an
+-- high level (and testable) binding and use signals again.
+local ndbus = nil
+
+local invocation = {
+    return_value = function() end
+}
+
+local function parameters_miss(t, k)
+    if k == "get_child_value" then
+        return function(idx) return t[idx-1] end
+    end
+end
+
+function dbus.notify_send(_--[[appdata]], ...)
+    ndbus = ndbus or require("naughty.dbus")
+
+    ndbus._notif_methods.Notify(
+        "sender",
+        "/org/freedesktop/Notifications",
+        "org.freedesktop.Notifications",
+        "Notify",
+        setmetatable({value={...}}, {__index=parameters_miss}),
+        invocation
+    )
+
+    -- Legacy API
     dbus.emit_signal("org.freedesktop.Notifications", ...)
 end