diff --git a/flow/cmd/worker.go b/flow/cmd/worker.go
index a42ac76b47..eea0e9184f 100644
--- a/flow/cmd/worker.go
+++ b/flow/cmd/worker.go
@@ -132,9 +132,15 @@ func WorkerMain(opts *WorkerOptions) error {
 	w.RegisterWorkflow(peerflow.XminFlowWorkflow)
 	w.RegisterWorkflow(peerflow.DropFlowWorkflow)
 	w.RegisterWorkflow(peerflow.HeartbeatFlowWorkflow)
+
+	alerter, err := alerting.NewAlerter(conn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to create alerter: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	w.RegisterActivity(&activities.FlowableActivity{
 		CatalogPool: conn,
-		Alerter:     alerting.NewAlerter(conn),
+		Alerter:     alerter,
 	})
 
 	err = w.Run(worker.InterruptCh())
diff --git a/flow/e2e/test_utils.go b/flow/e2e/test_utils.go
index 13ca8044e5..8bea8cf984 100644
--- a/flow/e2e/test_utils.go
+++ b/flow/e2e/test_utils.go
@@ -60,9 +60,15 @@ func RegisterWorkflowsAndActivities(env *testsuite.TestWorkflowEnvironment, t *t
 	env.RegisterWorkflow(peerflow.QRepFlowWorkflow)
 	env.RegisterWorkflow(peerflow.XminFlowWorkflow)
 	env.RegisterWorkflow(peerflow.QRepPartitionWorkflow)
+
+	alerter, err := alerting.NewAlerter(conn)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unable to create alerter: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	env.RegisterActivity(&activities.FlowableActivity{
 		CatalogPool: conn,
-		Alerter:     alerting.NewAlerter(conn),
+		Alerter:     alerter,
 	})
 	env.RegisterActivity(&activities.SnapshotActivity{})
 }
diff --git a/flow/shared/alerting/alerting.go b/flow/shared/alerting/alerting.go
index a3a3d6c6e0..394623825d 100644
--- a/flow/shared/alerting/alerting.go
+++ b/flow/shared/alerting/alerting.go
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ type Alerter struct {
 	logger      *slog.Logger
 }
 
-func registerSendersFromPool(catalogPool *pgxpool.Pool) ([]*slackAlertSender, error) {
-	rows, err := catalogPool.Query(context.Background(),
+func registerSendersFromPool(ctx context.Context, catalogPool *pgxpool.Pool) ([]*slackAlertSender, error) {
+	rows, err := catalogPool.Query(ctx,
 		"SELECT service_type,service_config FROM peerdb_stats.alerting_config")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read alerter config from catalog: %w", err)
@@ -47,11 +47,17 @@ func registerSendersFromPool(catalogPool *pgxpool.Pool) ([]*slackAlertSender, er
 }
 
 // doesn't take care of closing pool, needs to be done externally.
-func NewAlerter(catalogPool *pgxpool.Pool) *Alerter {
+func NewAlerter(catalogPool *pgxpool.Pool) (*Alerter, error) {
+	logger := slog.Default()
+	if catalogPool == nil {
+		logger.Error("catalog pool is nil for Alerter")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("catalog pool is nil for Alerter")
+	}
+
 	return &Alerter{
 		catalogPool: catalogPool,
-		logger:      slog.Default(),
-	}
+		logger:      logger,
+	}, nil
 }
 
 // Only raises an alert if another alert with the same key hasn't been raised
@@ -62,40 +68,47 @@ func (a *Alerter) AlertIf(ctx context.Context, alertKey string, alertMessage str
 		return
 	}
 
-	if a.catalogPool != nil {
-		slackAlertSenders, err := registerSendersFromPool(a.catalogPool)
-		if err != nil {
-			a.logger.WarnContext(ctx, "failed to set Slack senders", slog.Any("error", err))
-			return
-		}
-		if len(slackAlertSenders) == 0 {
-			a.logger.WarnContext(ctx, "no Slack senders configured, returning")
-			return
-		}
-
-		row := a.catalogPool.QueryRow(context.Background(),
-			`SELECT created_timestamp FROM peerdb_stats.alerts_v1 WHERE alert_key=$1
+	var err error
+	row := a.catalogPool.QueryRow(ctx,
+		`SELECT created_timestamp FROM peerdb_stats.alerts_v1 WHERE alert_key=$1
 		 ORDER BY created_timestamp DESC LIMIT 1`,
-			alertKey)
-		var createdTimestamp time.Time
-		err = row.Scan(&createdTimestamp)
-		if err != nil && err != pgx.ErrNoRows {
-			a.logger.Warn("failed to send alert: %v", err)
+		alertKey)
+	var createdTimestamp time.Time
+	err = row.Scan(&createdTimestamp)
+	if err != nil && err != pgx.ErrNoRows {
+		a.logger.Warn("failed to send alert: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	if time.Since(createdTimestamp) >= peerdbenv.PeerDBAlertingGapMinutesAsDuration() {
+		a.AddAlertToCatalog(ctx, alertKey, alertMessage)
+		a.AlertToSlack(ctx, alertKey, alertMessage)
+	}
+}
+
+func (a *Alerter) AlertToSlack(ctx context.Context, alertKey string, alertMessage string) {
+	slackAlertSenders, err := registerSendersFromPool(ctx, a.catalogPool)
+	if err != nil {
+		a.logger.WarnContext(ctx, "failed to set Slack senders", slog.Any("error", err))
+		return
+	}
+
+	for _, slackAlertSender := range slackAlertSenders {
+		err = slackAlertSender.sendAlert(ctx,
+			fmt.Sprintf(":rotating_light:Alert:rotating_light:: %s", alertKey), alertMessage)
+		if err != nil {
+			a.logger.WarnContext(ctx, "failed to send alert", slog.Any("error", err))
 			return
 		}
+	}
+}
 
-		if time.Since(createdTimestamp) >= peerdbenv.PeerDBAlertingGapMinutesAsDuration() {
-			for _, slackAlertSender := range slackAlertSenders {
-				err = slackAlertSender.sendAlert(context.Background(),
-					fmt.Sprintf(":rotating_light:Alert:rotating_light:: %s", alertKey), alertMessage)
-				if err != nil {
-					a.logger.WarnContext(ctx, "failed to send alert", slog.Any("error", err))
-					return
-				}
-				_, _ = a.catalogPool.Exec(context.Background(),
-					"INSERT INTO peerdb_stats.alerts_v1(alert_key,alert_message) VALUES($1,$2)",
-					alertKey, alertMessage)
-			}
-		}
+func (a *Alerter) AddAlertToCatalog(ctx context.Context, alertKey string, alertMessage string) {
+	_, err := a.catalogPool.Exec(ctx,
+		"INSERT INTO peerdb_stats.alerts_v1(alert_key,alert_message) VALUES($1,$2)",
+		alertKey, alertMessage)
+	if err != nil {
+		a.logger.WarnContext(ctx, "failed to insert alert", slog.Any("error", err))
+		return
 	}
 }