diff --git a/keyserver/src/creators/message-creator.js b/keyserver/src/creators/message-creator.js
--- a/keyserver/src/creators/message-creator.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/creators/message-creator.js
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@
   appendSQLArray,
   mergeOrConditions,
 } from '../database/database';
-import { fetchMessageInfoForLocalID } from '../fetchers/message-fetchers';
+import {
+  fetchMessageInfoForLocalID,
+  fetchMessageInfoByID,
+} from '../fetchers/message-fetchers';
 import { fetchOtherSessionsForViewer } from '../fetchers/session-fetchers';
 import { fetchServerThreadInfos } from '../fetchers/thread-fetchers';
 import { sendPushNotifs } from '../push/send';
@@ -388,7 +391,10 @@
           }
           const { generatesNotifs } = messageSpecs[type];
           const doesGenerateNotif = await generatesNotifs(messageInfo, {
+            notifTargetUserID: userID,
             userNotMemberOfSubthreads,
+            fetchMessageInfoByID: (messageID: string) =>
+              fetchMessageInfoByID(viewer, messageID),
           });
           return doesGenerateNotif ? messageInfo : undefined;
         }),
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/message-spec.js
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@
 };
 
 export type GeneratesNotifsParams = {
+  +notifTargetUserID: string,
   +userNotMemberOfSubthreads: Set<string>,
+  +fetchMessageInfoByID: (messageID: string) => Promise<?RawMessageInfo>,
 };
 
 export type MessageSpec<Data, RawInfo, Info> = {
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/reaction-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/reaction-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/reaction-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/reaction-message-spec.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
   MessageSpec,
   MessageTitleParam,
   NotificationTextsParams,
+  GeneratesNotifsParams,
 } from './message-spec';
 import { assertSingleMessageInfo, joinResult } from './utils';
 
@@ -208,5 +209,14 @@
     );
   },
 
-  generatesNotifs: async () => true,
+  generatesNotifs: async (
+    rawMessageInfo: RawReactionMessageInfo,
+    params: GeneratesNotifsParams,
+  ) => {
+    const { notifTargetUserID, fetchMessageInfoByID } = params;
+    const targetMessageInfo = await fetchMessageInfoByID(
+      rawMessageInfo.targetMessageID,
+    );
+    return targetMessageInfo?.creatorID === notifTargetUserID;
+  },
 });