diff --git a/client/ui/services/daemon_feed.go b/client/ui/services/daemon_feed.go
index 03836bdbb..632581fe9 100644
--- a/client/ui/services/daemon_feed.go
+++ b/client/ui/services/daemon_feed.go
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ const (
 	StatusNeedsLogin     = "NeedsLogin"
 	StatusLoginFailed    = "LoginFailed"
 	StatusSessionExpired = "SessionExpired"
+
+	// SeverityCritical is the lower-cased proto SystemEvent_CRITICAL severity, as
+	// emitted by systemEventFromProto. Critical events bypass the notifications gate.
+	SeverityCritical = "critical"
 )
 
 // Emitter sends a named payload to the frontend. Satisfied by Wails app.Event.
diff --git a/client/ui/tray_events.go b/client/ui/tray_events.go
index 8172e7060..12da68a5c 100644
--- a/client/ui/tray_events.go
+++ b/client/ui/tray_events.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (t *Tray) onSystemEvent(ev *application.CustomEvent) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	critical := strings.EqualFold(se.Severity, "critical")
+	critical := strings.EqualFold(se.Severity, services.SeverityCritical)
 	t.profileMu.Lock()
 	enabled := t.notificationsEnabled
 	t.profileMu.Unlock()