diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 04ffa78..acdcc87 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -63,6 +63,15 @@ vim.notify("This is an error message.\nSomething went wrong!", "error", {
 })
 ```
 
+You can get a list of past notifications with the history function
+```lua
+require("notify").history()
+```
+which returns a list of tables with the following keys:
+- `message: string[]` Lines of the message
+- `level: string` Log level
+- `time: number` Time of message, as returned by `vim.fn.localtime()`
+
 ## Configuration
 
 ### Setup
diff --git a/lua/notify/config/init.lua b/lua/notify/config/init.lua
index 849440c..6ef9a69 100644
--- a/lua/notify/config/init.lua
+++ b/lua/notify/config/init.lua
@@ -31,15 +31,17 @@ local function validate_highlight(colour_or_group, needs_opacity)
   local group_bg = vim.fn.synIDattr(vim.fn.synIDtrans(vim.fn.hlID(colour_or_group)), "bg")
   if group_bg == "" then
     if needs_opacity then
-      vim.notify(
-        "Highlight group '"
-          .. colour_or_group
-          .. "' has no background highlight.\n\n"
-          .. "Please provide an RGB hex value or highlight group with a background value for 'background_colour' option\n\n"
-          .. "Defaulting to #000000",
-        "warn",
-        { title = "nvim-notify" }
-      )
+      vim.schedule(function()
+        vim.notify(
+          "Highlight group '"
+            .. colour_or_group
+            .. "' has no background highlight.\n\n"
+            .. "Please provide an RGB hex value or highlight group with a background value for 'background_colour' option\n\n"
+            .. "Defaulting to #000000",
+          "warn",
+          { title = "nvim-notify" }
+        )
+      end)
     end
     return "#000000"
   end
diff --git a/lua/notify/init.lua b/lua/notify/init.lua
index ec6a962..95c9c61 100644
--- a/lua/notify/init.lua
+++ b/lua/notify/init.lua
@@ -2,14 +2,20 @@ local util = require("notify.util")
 
 local config = util.lazy_require("notify.config")
 local stages = util.lazy_require("notify.stages")
+---@type fun(message: string | string[], level: string | number, opts: NotifyOptions): Notification
+local Notification = util.lazy_require("notify.service.notification")
 ---@type fun(stages: function[]): WindowAnimator
 local WindowAnimator = util.lazy_require("notify.windows")
 ---@type fun(receiver: fun(pending: FIFOQueue, time: number): table | nil): NotificationService
 local NotificationService = util.lazy_require("notify.service")
 
 local service
+---@type Notification[]
+local notifications = {}
 
-local function setup(user_config)
+local M = {}
+
+function M.setup(user_config)
   config.setup(user_config)
   local animator_stages = config.stages()
   animator_stages = type(animator_stages) == "string" and stages[animator_stages] or animator_stages
@@ -22,17 +28,31 @@ end
 ---@param message string | string[]
 ---@param level string | number
 ---@param opts NotifyOptions
-local function notify(_, message, level, opts)
-  vim.schedule(function()
-    if not service then
-      setup()
-    end
-    service:push(message, level, opts)
-  end)
+local function notify(message, level, opts)
+  if not service then
+    M.setup()
+  end
+  local notification = Notification(message, level, opts or {})
+  table.insert(notifications, notification)
+  service:push(notification)
 end
 
-local M = { setup = setup }
+function M.history()
+  return vim.tbl_map(function(notif)
+    return { message = notif.message, level = notif.level, time = notif.time }
+  end, notifications)
+end
 
-setmetatable(M, { __call = notify })
+setmetatable(M, {
+  __call = function(_, m, l, o)
+    if vim.in_fast_event() then
+      vim.schedule(function()
+        notify(m, l, o)
+      end)
+    else
+      notify(m, l, o)
+    end
+  end,
+})
 
 return M
diff --git a/lua/notify/service/buffer/highlights.lua b/lua/notify/service/buffer/highlights.lua
index 0ff0479..04d3b62 100644
--- a/lua/notify/service/buffer/highlights.lua
+++ b/lua/notify/service/buffer/highlights.lua
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ function NotifyBufHighlights:new(level, buffer)
       orig = "NotifyINFO" .. section
     end
     local new = orig .. buffer
-    vim.cmd("hi link " .. new .. " " .. orig)
+    vim.cmd("silent! hi link " .. new .. " " .. orig)
     return new
   end
   local title = linked_group("Title")
diff --git a/lua/notify/service/buffer/init.lua b/lua/notify/service/buffer/init.lua
index 0efdd30..9d96321 100644
--- a/lua/notify/service/buffer/init.lua
+++ b/lua/notify/service/buffer/init.lua
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ function NotificationBuf:open(win)
   end
   self._state = BufState.OPEN
   if self._notif.on_open then
-    self._notif.on_open(win)
+    vim.schedule(function()
+      self._notif.on_open(win)
+    end)
   end
 end
 
@@ -47,7 +49,9 @@ function NotificationBuf:close(win)
   end
   self._state = BufState.CLOSED
   if self._notif.on_close then
-    self._notif.on_close(win)
+    vim.schedule(function()
+      self._notif.on_close(win)
+    end)
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/lua/notify/service/init.lua b/lua/notify/service/init.lua
index b7d51fb..114e7d4 100644
--- a/lua/notify/service/init.lua
+++ b/lua/notify/service/init.lua
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 local util = require("notify.util")
 local NotificationBuf = require("notify.service.buffer")
-local Notification = require("notify.service.notification")
 
 ---@class NotificationService
 ---@field private _running boolean
 ---@field private _pending FIFOQueue
 ---@field private _receiver fun(pending: FIFOQueue, time: number): boolean
----@field private _notifications Notification[]
 local NotificationService = {}
 
 function NotificationService:new(receiver)
@@ -14,7 +12,6 @@ function NotificationService:new(receiver)
     _receiver = receiver,
     _pending = util.FIFOQueue(),
     _running = false,
-    _notifications = {},
   }
   self.__index = self
   setmetatable(service, self)
@@ -38,11 +35,7 @@ function NotificationService:_run()
   end, 30)
 end
 
----@param message string | string[]
----@param level string | number
----@param opts NotifyOptions
-function NotificationService:push(message, level, opts)
-  local notif = Notification(message, level, opts or {})
+function NotificationService:push(notif)
   local buf = vim.api.nvim_create_buf(false, true)
   local notif_buf = NotificationBuf(buf, notif)
   notif_buf:render()
diff --git a/lua/notify/service/notification.lua b/lua/notify/service/notification.lua
index 5f0881f..695b561 100644
--- a/lua/notify/service/notification.lua
+++ b/lua/notify/service/notification.lua
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ local config = require("notify.config")
 
 ---@class Notification
 ---@field level string
----@field message string
+---@field message string[]
 ---@field timeout number | nil
 ---@field title string[]
 ---@field icon string
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ local config = require("notify.config")
 local Notification = {}
 
 function Notification:new(message, level, opts)
+  opts = opts or {}
   if type(level) == "number" then
     level = vim.lsp.log_levels[level]
   end
diff --git a/tests/unit/init_spec.lua b/tests/unit/init_spec.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6bd767
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/init_spec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+describe("checking public interface", function()
+  local notify = require("notify")
+  require("notify").setup({ background_colour = "#000000" })
+
+  describe("notifications", function()
+    it("returns all previous notifications", function()
+      notify("test", "error")
+      local notifs = notify.history()
+      assert.are.same({ { message = { "test" }, level = "ERROR", time = notifs[1].time } }, notifs)
+    end)
+  end)
+end)