diff --git a/thirdparty/notifier/notifier.go b/thirdparty/notifier/notifier.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5549c90ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/thirdparty/notifier/notifier.go
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+// Package notifier provides a simple notification dispatcher
+// meant to be embedded in larger structres who wish to allow
+// clients to sign up for event notifications.
+package notifier
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+)
+
+// Notifiee is a generic interface. Clients implement
+// their own Notifiee interfaces to ensure type-safety
+// of notifications:
+//
+//  type RocketNotifiee interface{
+//    Countdown(r Rocket, countdown time.Duration)
+//    LiftedOff(Rocket)
+//    ReachedOrbit(Rocket)
+//    Detached(Rocket, Capsule)
+//    Landed(Rocket)
+//  }
+//
+type Notifiee interface{}
+
+// Notifier is a notification dispatcher. It's meant
+// to be composed, and its zero-value is ready to be used.
+//
+//  type Rocket struct {
+//    notifier notifier.Notifier
+//  }
+//
+type Notifier struct {
+	mu   sync.RWMutex // guards notifiees
+	nots map[Notifiee]struct{}
+}
+
+// Notify signs up Notifiee e for notifications. This function
+// is meant to be called behind your own type-safe function(s):
+//
+//   // generic function for pattern-following
+//   func (r *Rocket) Notify(n Notifiee) {
+//     r.notifier.Notify(n)
+//   }
+//
+//   // or as part of other functions
+//   func (r *Rocket) Onboard(a Astronaut) {
+//     r.astronauts = append(r.austronauts, a)
+//     r.notifier.Notify(a)
+//   }
+//
+func (n *Notifier) Notify(e Notifiee) {
+	n.mu.Lock()
+	if n.nots == nil { // so that zero-value is ready to be used.
+		n.nots = make(map[Notifiee]struct{})
+	}
+	n.nots[e] = struct{}{}
+	n.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
+// StopNotifying stops notifying Notifiee e. This function
+// is meant to be called behind your own type-safe function(s):
+//
+//   // generic function for pattern-following
+//   func (r *Rocket) StopNotify(n Notifiee) {
+//     r.notifier.StopNotify(n)
+//   }
+//
+//   // or as part of other functions
+//   func (r *Rocket) Detach(c Capsule) {
+//     r.notifier.StopNotify(c)
+//     r.capsule = nil
+//   }
+//
+func (n *Notifier) StopNotify(e Notifiee) {
+	n.mu.Lock()
+	if n.nots != nil { // so that zero-value is ready to be used.
+		delete(n.nots, e)
+	}
+	n.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
+// NotifyAll messages the notifier's notifiees with a given notification.
+// This is done by calling the given function with each notifiee. It is
+// meant to be called with your own type-safe notification functions:
+//
+//  func (r *Rocket) Launch() {
+//    r.notifyAll(func(n Notifiee) {
+//      n.Launched(r)
+//    })
+//  }
+//
+//  // make it private so only you can use it. This function is necessary
+//  // to make sure you only up-cast in one place. You control who you added
+//  // to be a notifiee. If Go adds generics, maybe we can get rid of this
+//  // method but for now it is like wrapping a type-less container with
+//  // a type safe interface.
+//  func (r *Rocket) notifyAll(notify func(Notifiee)) {
+//    r.notifier.NotifyAll(func(n notifier.Notifiee) {
+//      notify(n.(Notifiee))
+//    })
+//  }
+//
+func (n *Notifier) NotifyAll(notify func(Notifiee)) {
+	n.mu.Lock()
+	if n.nots != nil { // so that zero-value is ready to be used.
+		for notifiee := range n.nots {
+			// we spin out a goroutine so that whatever the notification does
+			// it _never_ blocks out the client. This is so that consumers
+			// _cannot_ add hooks into your object that block you accidentally.
+			go notify(notifiee)
+		}
+	}
+	n.mu.Unlock()
+}
diff --git a/thirdparty/notifier/notifier_test.go b/thirdparty/notifier/notifier_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..15741bf38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/thirdparty/notifier/notifier_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+package notifier
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// test data structures
+type Router struct {
+	queue    chan Packet
+	notifier Notifier
+}
+
+type Packet struct{}
+
+type RouterNotifiee interface {
+	Enqueued(*Router, Packet)
+	Forwarded(*Router, Packet)
+	Dropped(*Router, Packet)
+}
+
+func (r *Router) Notify(n RouterNotifiee) {
+	r.notifier.Notify(n)
+}
+
+func (r *Router) StopNotify(n RouterNotifiee) {
+	r.notifier.StopNotify(n)
+}
+
+func (r *Router) notifyAll(notify func(n RouterNotifiee)) {
+	r.notifier.NotifyAll(func(n Notifiee) {
+		notify(n.(RouterNotifiee))
+	})
+}
+
+func (r *Router) Receive(p Packet) {
+
+	select {
+	case r.queue <- p: // enqueued
+		r.notifyAll(func(n RouterNotifiee) {
+			n.Enqueued(r, p)
+		})
+
+	default: // drop
+		r.notifyAll(func(n RouterNotifiee) {
+			n.Dropped(r, p)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func (r *Router) Forward() {
+	p := <-r.queue
+	r.notifyAll(func(n RouterNotifiee) {
+		n.Forwarded(r, p)
+	})
+}
+
+type Metrics struct {
+	enqueued  int
+	forwarded int
+	dropped   int
+	received  chan struct{}
+	sync.Mutex
+}
+
+func (m *Metrics) Enqueued(*Router, Packet) {
+	m.Lock()
+	m.enqueued++
+	m.Unlock()
+	if m.received != nil {
+		m.received <- struct{}{}
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *Metrics) Forwarded(*Router, Packet) {
+	m.Lock()
+	m.forwarded++
+	m.Unlock()
+	if m.received != nil {
+		m.received <- struct{}{}
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *Metrics) Dropped(*Router, Packet) {
+	m.Lock()
+	m.dropped++
+	m.Unlock()
+	if m.received != nil {
+		m.received <- struct{}{}
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *Metrics) String() string {
+	m.Lock()
+	defer m.Unlock()
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%d enqueued, %d forwarded, %d in queue, %d dropped",
+		m.enqueued, m.forwarded, m.enqueued-m.forwarded, m.dropped)
+}
+
+func TestNotifies(t *testing.T) {
+
+	m := Metrics{received: make(chan struct{})}
+	r := Router{queue: make(chan Packet, 10)}
+	r.Notify(&m)
+
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		r.Receive(Packet{})
+		<-m.received
+		if m.enqueued != (1 + i) {
+			t.Error("not notifying correctly", m.enqueued, 1+i)
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		r.Receive(Packet{})
+		<-m.received
+		if m.enqueued != 10 {
+			t.Error("not notifying correctly", m.enqueued, 10)
+		}
+		if m.dropped != (1 + i) {
+			t.Error("not notifying correctly", m.dropped, 1+i)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStopsNotifying(t *testing.T) {
+	m := Metrics{received: make(chan struct{})}
+	r := Router{queue: make(chan Packet, 10)}
+	r.Notify(&m)
+
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		r.Receive(Packet{})
+		<-m.received
+		if m.enqueued != (1 + i) {
+			t.Error("not notifying correctly")
+		}
+	}
+
+	r.StopNotify(&m)
+
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		r.Receive(Packet{})
+		select {
+		case <-m.received:
+			t.Error("did not stop notifying")
+		default:
+		}
+		if m.enqueued != 5 {
+			t.Error("did not stop notifying")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestThreadsafe(t *testing.T) {
+	N := 1000
+	r := Router{queue: make(chan Packet, 10)}
+	m1 := Metrics{received: make(chan struct{})}
+	m2 := Metrics{received: make(chan struct{})}
+	m3 := Metrics{received: make(chan struct{})}
+	r.Notify(&m1)
+	r.Notify(&m2)
+	r.Notify(&m3)
+
+	var n int
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
+		n++
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			r.Receive(Packet{})
+		}()
+
+		if i%3 == 0 {
+			n++
+			wg.Add(1)
+			go func() {
+				defer wg.Done()
+				r.Forward()
+			}()
+		}
+	}
+
+	// drain queues
+	for i := 0; i < (n * 3); i++ {
+		select {
+		case <-m1.received:
+		case <-m2.received:
+		case <-m3.received:
+		}
+	}
+
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	// counts should be correct and all agree. and this should
+	// run fine under `go test -race -cpu=5`
+
+	t.Log("m1", m1.String())
+	t.Log("m2", m2.String())
+	t.Log("m3", m3.String())
+
+	if m1.String() != m2.String() || m2.String() != m3.String() {
+		t.Error("counts disagree")
+	}
+}