diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneFirstRunGame.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneFirstRunGame.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..18c6e84950
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Navigation/TestSceneFirstRunGame.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+// Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
+// See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
+
+using NUnit.Framework;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
+using osu.Framework.Platform;
+using osu.Game.Configuration;
+using osu.Game.Online.API;
+using osu.Game.Overlays.Notifications;
+
+namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Navigation
+{
+    [System.ComponentModel.Description("game with first-run setup overlay")]
+    public class TestSceneFirstRunGame : OsuGameTestScene
+    {
+        public override void SetUpSteps()
+        {
+            base.SetUpSteps();
+
+            AddUntilStep("Wait for first-run setup", () => Game.FirstRunOverlay.State.Value == Visibility.Visible);
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void TestImportantNotificationDoesntInterruptSetup()
+        {
+            AddStep("post important notification", () => Game.Notifications.Post(new SimpleNotification { Text = "Important notification" }));
+            AddAssert("no notification posted", () => Game.Notifications.UnreadCount.Value == 0);
+            AddAssert("first-run setup still visible", () => Game.FirstRunOverlay.State.Value == Visibility.Visible);
+
+            AddUntilStep("finish first-run setup", () =>
+            {
+                Game.FirstRunOverlay.NextButton.TriggerClick();
+                return Game.FirstRunOverlay.State.Value == Visibility.Hidden;
+            });
+            AddWaitStep("wait for post delay", 5);
+            AddAssert("notifications shown", () => Game.Notifications.State.Value == Visibility.Visible);
+            AddAssert("notification posted", () => Game.Notifications.UnreadCount.Value == 1);
+        }
+
+        protected override TestOsuGame CreateTestGame() => new FirstRunGame(LocalStorage, API);
+
+        private class FirstRunGame : TestOsuGame
+        {
+            public FirstRunGame(Storage storage, IAPIProvider api, string[] args = null)
+                : base(storage, api, args)
+            {
+            }
+
+            protected override void LoadComplete()
+            {
+                base.LoadComplete();
+                LocalConfig.SetValue(OsuSetting.ShowFirstRunSetup, true);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
index 1f9a1ce938..200f7613a1 100644
--- a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ namespace osu.Game
 
         protected SettingsOverlay Settings;
 
-        private FirstRunSetupOverlay firstRunOverlay;
+        protected FirstRunSetupOverlay FirstRunOverlay { get; private set; }
 
         private VolumeOverlay volume;
 
@@ -845,7 +845,7 @@ namespace osu.Game
             loadComponentSingleFile(CreateUpdateManager(), Add, true);
 
             // overlay elements
-            loadComponentSingleFile(firstRunOverlay = new FirstRunSetupOverlay(), overlayContent.Add, true);
+            loadComponentSingleFile(FirstRunOverlay = new FirstRunSetupOverlay(), overlayContent.Add, true);
             loadComponentSingleFile(new ManageCollectionsDialog(), overlayContent.Add, true);
             loadComponentSingleFile(beatmapListing = new BeatmapListingOverlay(), overlayContent.Add, true);
             loadComponentSingleFile(dashboard = new DashboardOverlay(), overlayContent.Add, true);
@@ -896,7 +896,7 @@ namespace osu.Game
             Add(new MusicKeyBindingHandler());
 
             // side overlays which cancel each other.
-            var singleDisplaySideOverlays = new OverlayContainer[] { Settings, Notifications, firstRunOverlay };
+            var singleDisplaySideOverlays = new OverlayContainer[] { Settings, Notifications, FirstRunOverlay };
 
             foreach (var overlay in singleDisplaySideOverlays)
             {
@@ -921,7 +921,7 @@ namespace osu.Game
             }
 
             // ensure only one of these overlays are open at once.
-            var singleDisplayOverlays = new OverlayContainer[] { firstRunOverlay, chatOverlay, news, dashboard, beatmapListing, changelogOverlay, rankingsOverlay, wikiOverlay };
+            var singleDisplayOverlays = new OverlayContainer[] { FirstRunOverlay, chatOverlay, news, dashboard, beatmapListing, changelogOverlay, rankingsOverlay, wikiOverlay };
 
             foreach (var overlay in singleDisplayOverlays)
             {
diff --git a/osu.Game/Overlays/NotificationOverlay.cs b/osu.Game/Overlays/NotificationOverlay.cs
index f1ed5c4ba6..d83839fa2c 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Overlays/NotificationOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Overlays/NotificationOverlay.cs
@@ -1,20 +1,22 @@
 // Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
 // See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
 
+#nullable enable
+
 using System.Linq;
-using osu.Framework.Extensions.IEnumerableExtensions;
-using osu.Framework.Graphics;
-using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
-using osu.Game.Overlays.Notifications;
-using osu.Framework.Graphics.Shapes;
-using osu.Game.Graphics.Containers;
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Audio;
 using osu.Framework.Bindables;
+using osu.Framework.Extensions.IEnumerableExtensions;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics.Shapes;
 using osu.Framework.Localisation;
 using osu.Framework.Logging;
 using osu.Framework.Threading;
 using osu.Game.Graphics;
+using osu.Game.Graphics.Containers;
+using osu.Game.Overlays.Notifications;
 using osu.Game.Resources.Localisation.Web;
 using NotificationsStrings = osu.Game.Localisation.NotificationsStrings;
 
@@ -30,13 +32,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
 
         public const float TRANSITION_LENGTH = 600;
 
-        private FlowContainer<NotificationSection> sections;
+        private FlowContainer<NotificationSection> sections = null!;
 
         [Resolved]
-        private AudioManager audio { get; set; }
+        private AudioManager audio { get; set; } = null!;
+
+        private readonly IBindable<Visibility> firstRunSetupVisibility = new Bindable<Visibility>();
 
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
-        private void load()
+        private void load(FirstRunSetupOverlay? firstRunSetup)
         {
             X = WIDTH;
             Width = WIDTH;
@@ -75,13 +79,16 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
                     }
                 }
             };
+
+            if (firstRunSetup != null)
+                firstRunSetupVisibility.BindTo(firstRunSetup.State);
         }
 
-        private ScheduledDelegate notificationsEnabler;
+        private ScheduledDelegate? notificationsEnabler;
 
         private void updateProcessingMode()
         {
-            bool enabled = OverlayActivationMode.Value == OverlayActivation.All || State.Value == Visibility.Visible;
+            bool enabled = (OverlayActivationMode.Value == OverlayActivation.All && firstRunSetupVisibility.Value != Visibility.Visible) || State.Value == Visibility.Visible;
 
             notificationsEnabler?.Cancel();
 
@@ -96,7 +103,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
         {
             base.LoadComplete();
 
-            State.ValueChanged += _ => updateProcessingMode();
+            State.BindValueChanged(_ => updateProcessingMode());
+            firstRunSetupVisibility.BindValueChanged(_ => updateProcessingMode());
             OverlayActivationMode.BindValueChanged(_ => updateProcessingMode(), true);
         }
 
diff --git a/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/OsuGameTestScene.cs b/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/OsuGameTestScene.cs
index 6e4adb4d4c..5995b30b60 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/OsuGameTestScene.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/OsuGameTestScene.cs
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
 
             public new NotificationOverlay Notifications => base.Notifications;
 
+            public new FirstRunSetupOverlay FirstRunOverlay => base.FirstRunOverlay;
+
             public new MusicController MusicController => base.MusicController;
 
             public new OsuConfigManager LocalConfig => base.LocalConfig;