diff --git a/src/backend/models/domain-models.ts b/src/backend/models/domain-models.ts
index b9fc34c..ea16048 100644
--- a/src/backend/models/domain-models.ts
+++ b/src/backend/models/domain-models.ts
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ export enum DIRECTORY_NAME {
 }
 
 export interface Reaction {
+  id?: string;
   resource_id: string;
   resource_type: "ARTICLE" | "COMMENT" | "GIST";
   reaction_type: REACTION_TYPE;
diff --git a/src/backend/services/comment.action.ts b/src/backend/services/comment.action.ts
index fe84df7..d7f6309 100644
--- a/src/backend/services/comment.action.ts
+++ b/src/backend/services/comment.action.ts
@@ -47,9 +47,11 @@ export const createMyComment = async (
 
   await assertCommentResourceExists(resource_id, resource_type);
 
+  const commentId = input.comment_id ?? crypto.randomUUID();
+
   const created = await persistenceRepository.comment.insert([
     {
-      id: input.comment_id ?? crypto.randomUUID(),
+      id: commentId,
       body,
       resource_id,
       resource_type,
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ export const createMyComment = async (
 
   inngest
     .send({
+      id: `notif:comment:${commentId}`,
       name: "app/notification.requested",
       data: {
         actor_id: sessionId,
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ export const createMyComment = async (
       console.error("[inngest] Failed to send notification event:", err);
     });
 
-  void publishMessage(
+  await publishMessage(
     `resource.${resource_type}.${resource_id}`,
     REALTIME_PUSHER_EVENTS.COMMENT_CREATED,
     { scope: "comments" },
@@ -107,7 +110,7 @@ export const updateMyComment = async (
       data: { body: input.body, updated_at: new Date() },
     });
 
-    void publishMessage(
+    await publishMessage(
       `resource.${existing.resource_type}.${existing.resource_id}`,
       REALTIME_PUSHER_EVENTS.COMMENT_UPDATED,
       { scope: "comments" },
@@ -165,7 +168,7 @@ export const deleteMyComment = async (
       where: inArray("id", ids),
     });
 
-    void publishMessage(
+    await publishMessage(
       `resource.${root.resource_type}.${root.resource_id}`,
       REALTIME_PUSHER_EVENTS.COMMENT_DELETED,
       { scope: "comments" },
diff --git a/src/backend/services/reaction.actions.ts b/src/backend/services/reaction.actions.ts
index cba6f87..ae99c0e 100644
--- a/src/backend/services/reaction.actions.ts
+++ b/src/backend/services/reaction.actions.ts
@@ -69,9 +69,12 @@ export async function toogleReaction(
       };
     }
 
+    const reactionId = crypto.randomUUID();
+
     // If reaction does not exist, create it
     await persistenceRepository.reaction.insert([
       {
+        id: reactionId,
         resource_id: input.resource_id,
         resource_type: input.resource_type,
         reaction_type: input.reaction_type,
@@ -83,6 +86,7 @@ export async function toogleReaction(
     // Send notification event for insert path only (log errors, don't fail mutation)
     inngest
       .send({
+        id: `notif:reaction:${reactionId}`,
         name: "app/notification.requested",
         data: {
           actor_id: sessionUserId,
diff --git a/src/lib/inngest.ts b/src/lib/inngest.ts
index f8c6349..92fb52a 100644
--- a/src/lib/inngest.ts
+++ b/src/lib/inngest.ts
@@ -122,13 +122,13 @@ export const persistNotificationFn = inngest.createFunction(
     id: "persist-notification",
     triggers: [{ event: "app/notification.requested" }],
   },
-  async ({ event }: { event: { data: NotificationEventData } }) => {
+  async ({ event, step }) => {
     const parsed = notificationEventSchema.safeParse(event.data);
     if (!parsed.success) {
       return { skipped: true, reason: "invalid-notification-payload" };
     }
 
-    let data = parsed.data;
+    let data: NotificationEventData = parsed.data;
 
     if (data.reaction_request && data.actor_id) {
       const built = await buildPersistableNotification({
@@ -182,23 +182,46 @@ export const persistNotificationFn = inngest.createFunction(
       return { skipped: true, reason: "self-notification" };
     }
 
-    await persistenceRepository.notification.insert([
-      {
-        recipient_id: data.recipient_id,
-        actor_id: data.actor_id ?? null,
-        type: data.type as NotificationType,
-        payload: (data.payload ?? null) as NotificationPayload | null,
-        created_at: new Date(),
-      },
-    ]);
+    const row = {
+      recipient_id: data.recipient_id,
+      actor_id: data.actor_id ?? null,
+      type: data.type as NotificationType,
+      payload: (data.payload ?? null) as NotificationPayload | null,
+      created_at: new Date(),
+    };
 
-    // Broadcast a lightweight signal so the recipient's browser can invalidate
-    // its TanStack Query caches without polling.
-    await publishMessage(
-      `private-user.${data.recipient_id}`,
-      REALTIME_PUSHER_EVENTS.NOTIFICATION_NEW,
-      { scope: "notifications" },
-    );
+    await step.run("insert-notification-row", async () => {
+      try {
+        const result = await persistenceRepository.notification.insert([row]);
+        return {
+          insertedRow: result?.rows?.[0],
+        };
+      } catch (err) {
+        return {
+          insertedRow: null,
+          message: "Failed to insert notification row",
+        };
+      }
+    });
+
+    await step.run("publish-notification-realtime", async () => {
+      try {
+        await publishMessage(
+          `private-user.${data.recipient_id}`,
+          REALTIME_PUSHER_EVENTS.NOTIFICATION_NEW,
+          { scope: "notifications" },
+        );
+        return {
+          published: true,
+          message: "Notification published successfully",
+        };
+      } catch (err) {
+        return {
+          published: false,
+          message: "Failed to publish notification",
+        };
+      }
+    });
 
     return { success: true };
   },
diff --git a/src/lib/pusher/pusher.server.ts b/src/lib/pusher/pusher.server.ts
index c57b473..c6fcfb9 100644
--- a/src/lib/pusher/pusher.server.ts
+++ b/src/lib/pusher/pusher.server.ts
@@ -36,17 +36,12 @@ export async function publishMessage(
   channel: string,
   event: RealtimePusherEvent,
   data: Record<string, unknown> = {},
-): Promise<void> {
-  console.log(`
-    [pusher] Publishing message to channel ${channel} with event ${event} and data ${JSON.stringify(data)}
-  `);
-
-  pusherServer
-    ?.trigger(channel, event, data)
-    .then((data) => {
-      console.log("[pusher] Published message successfully");
-    })
-    .catch((err) => {
-      console.error("[pusher] Failed to publish message:", JSON.stringify(err));
-    });
+) {
+  if (!pusherServer) return;
+  try {
+    return await pusherServer.trigger(channel, event, data);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error("[pusher] Failed to publish message:", JSON.stringify(err));
+    return null;
+  }
 }