diff --git a/phpBB/develop/create_schema_files.php b/phpBB/develop/create_schema_files.php
index 88aa9b70dd..a2f7463dd4 100644
--- a/phpBB/develop/create_schema_files.php
+++ b/phpBB/develop/create_schema_files.php
@@ -1297,7 +1297,7 @@ function get_schema_struct()
 
 	$schema_data['phpbb_notifications'] = array(
 		'COLUMNS'			=> array(
-			'item_type'			=> array('UINT', 0),
+			'item_type'			=> array('VCHAR:25', ''),
 			'item_id'			=> array('UINT', 0),
 			'user_id'			=> array('UINT', 0),
 			'unread'			=> array('BOOL', 1),
@@ -1775,7 +1775,7 @@ function get_schema_struct()
 
 	$schema_data['phpbb_user_notifications'] = array(
 		'COLUMNS'			=> array(
-			'item_type'			=> array('UINT', 0),
+			'item_type'			=> array('VCHAR:25', ''),
 			'item_id'			=> array('UINT', 0),
 			'user_id'			=> array('UINT', 0),
 			'method'			=> array('VCHAR:25', ''),
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/notifications/service.php b/phpBB/includes/notifications/service.php
index ba57fe9f72..a689e1c68a 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/notifications/service.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/notifications/service.php
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class phpbb_notifications_service
 		*/
 
 		// find out which users want to receive this type of notification
-		$notify_users = $item_type_class_name::find_users_for_notification($data);
+		$notify_users = $item_type_class_name::find_users_for_notification($this->phpbb_container, $data);
 
 		// Make sure not to send new notifications to users who've already been notified about this item
 		// This may happen when an item was added, but now new users are able to see the item
@@ -155,6 +155,11 @@ class phpbb_notifications_service
 		}
 		$this->db->sql_freeresult($result);
 
+		if (!sizeof($notify_users))
+		{
+			return;
+		}
+
 		// Go through each user so we can insert a row in the DB and then notify them by their desired means
 		foreach ($notify_users as $user => $methods)
 		{
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/interface.php b/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/interface.php
index b710a75606..ccd963ba06 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/interface.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/interface.php
@@ -31,5 +31,5 @@ interface phpbb_notifications_type_interface
 
 	public function create_insert_array($type_data);
 
-	public function find_users_for_notification($type_data);
+	public static function find_users_for_notification(ContainerBuilder $phpbb_container, $type_data);
 }
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/pm.php b/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/pm.php
index 7685a49614..2b2a835470 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/pm.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/pm.php
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 *
 */
 
+use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerBuilder;
+
 /**
 * @ignore
 */
@@ -101,12 +103,13 @@ class phpbb_notifications_type_pm extends phpbb_notifications_type_base
 	* @param array $pm Data from
 	* @return array
 	*/
-	public function find_users_for_notification($pm)
+	public static function find_users_for_notification(ContainerBuilder $phpbb_container, $pm)
 	{
-		$user = $this->phpbb_container->get('user');
+		$db = $phpbb_container->get('dbal.conn');
+		$user = $phpbb_container->get('user');
 
 		// Exclude guests, current user and banned users from notifications
-		unset($pm['recipients'][ANONYMOUS], $pm['recipients'][$user->data['user_id']]);
+		unset($pm['recipients'][ANONYMOUS]);//, $pm['recipients'][$user->data['user_id']]);
 
 		if (!sizeof($pm['recipients']))
 		{
@@ -115,7 +118,7 @@ class phpbb_notifications_type_pm extends phpbb_notifications_type_base
 
 		if (!function_exists('phpbb_get_banned_user_ids'))
 		{
-			include($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_user.' . $phpEx);
+			include($phpbb_container->getParameter('core.root_path') . 'includes/functions_user.' . $phpbb_container->getParameter('core.php_ext'));
 		}
 		$banned_users = phpbb_get_banned_user_ids(array_keys($pm['recipients']));
 		$pm['recipients'] = array_diff(array_keys($pm['recipients']), $banned_users);
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/post.php b/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/post.php
index addaa30ea6..920a53bcf2 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/post.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/notifications/type/post.php
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 *
 */
 
+use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerBuilder;
+
 /**
 * @ignore
 */
diff --git a/phpBB/install/database_update.php b/phpBB/install/database_update.php
index 99e40ddee9..c3c2da4451 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/database_update.php
+++ b/phpBB/install/database_update.php
@@ -1107,7 +1107,7 @@ function database_update_info()
 				),
 				NOTIFICATIONS_TABLE		=> array(
 					'COLUMNS'			=> array(
-						'item_type'			=> array('UINT', 0),
+						'item_type'			=> array('VCHAR:25', ''),
 						'item_id'			=> array('UINT', 0),
 						'user_id'			=> array('UINT', 0),
 						'unread'			=> array('BOOL', 1),
@@ -1128,7 +1128,7 @@ function database_update_info()
 				),
 				USER_NOTIFICATIONS_TABLE	=> array(
 					'COLUMNS'			=> array(
-						'item_type'			=> array('UINT', 0),
+						'item_type'			=> array('VCHAR:25', ''),
 						'item_id'			=> array('UINT', 0),
 						'user_id'			=> array('UINT', 0),
 						'method'			=> array('VCHAR:25', ''),
@@ -2676,10 +2676,10 @@ function change_database_data(&$no_updates, $version)
 
 			// Create config value for displaying last subject on forum list
 			if (!isset($config['display_last_subject']))
-			{			
+			{
 				$config->set('display_last_subject', '1');
 			}
-			
+
 			$no_updates = false;
 
 			if (!isset($config['assets_version']))