diff --git a/simvue/api/objects/run.py b/simvue/api/objects/run.py
index 9841ded5..dfb21c1f 100644
--- a/simvue/api/objects/run.py
+++ b/simvue/api/objects/run.py
@@ -214,14 +214,16 @@ def heartbeat_timeout(self, time_seconds: int | None) -> None:
 
     @property
     @staging_check
-    def notifications(self) -> typing.Literal["none", "email"]:
-        return self._get_attribute("notifications")
+    def notifications(self) -> typing.Literal["none", "all", "error", "lost"]:
+        return self._get_attribute("notifications")["state"]
 
     @notifications.setter
     @write_only
     @pydantic.validate_call
-    def notifications(self, notifications: typing.Literal["none", "email"]) -> None:
-        self._staging["notifications"] = notifications
+    def notifications(
+        self, notifications: typing.Literal["none", "all", "error", "lost"]
+    ) -> None:
+        self._staging["notifications"] = {"state": notifications}
 
     @property
     @staging_check
diff --git a/simvue/run.py b/simvue/run.py
index af7a5aa0..141ca3cc 100644
--- a/simvue/run.py
+++ b/simvue/run.py
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ def _start(self, reconnect: bool = False) -> bool:
 
         logger.debug("Starting run")
 
-        if self._sv_obj:
+        if self._sv_obj and self._sv_obj.status != "running":
             self._sv_obj.status = self._status
             self._sv_obj.commit()
 
@@ -565,6 +565,7 @@ def init(
         folder: typing.Annotated[
             str, pydantic.Field(None, pattern=FOLDER_REGEX)
         ] = None,
+        notification: typing.Literal["none", "all", "error", "lost"] = "none",
         running: bool = True,
         retention_period: str | None = None,
         timeout: int | None = 180,
@@ -586,6 +587,9 @@ def init(
             description of the run, by default None
         folder : str, optional
             folder within which to store the run, by default "/"
+        notification: typing.Literal["none", "all", "error", "lost"], optional
+            whether to notify the user by email upon completion of the run if
+            the run is in the specified state, by default "none"
         running : bool, optional
             whether to set the status as running or created, the latter implying
             the run will be commenced at a later time. Default is True.
@@ -686,6 +690,7 @@ def init(
         self._sv_obj.tags = tags
         self._sv_obj.metadata = (metadata or {}) | git_info(os.getcwd()) | environment()
         self._sv_obj.heartbeat_timeout = timeout
+        self._sv_obj.notifications = notification
 
         if self._status == "running":
             self._sv_obj.system = get_system()