diff --git a/lapis/db/postgres.lua b/lapis/db/postgres.lua
index 1b42790e..b799b5d3 100644
--- a/lapis/db/postgres.lua
+++ b/lapis/db/postgres.lua
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ do
   type, tostring, pairs, select = _obj_0.type, _obj_0.tostring, _obj_0.pairs, _obj_0.select
 end
 local raw_query
+local get_handle
 local logger
 local FALSE, NULL, TRUE, build_helpers, format_date, is_raw, raw, is_list, list, is_encodable
 do
@@ -47,7 +48,8 @@ local BACKENDS = {
     local config = require("lapis.config").get()
     local pg_config = assert(config.postgres, "missing postgres configuration")
     local pgmoon_conn
-    return function(str)
+    local pgmoon_getter
+    pgmoon_getter = function()
       local pgmoon = ngx and ngx.ctx.pgmoon or pgmoon_conn
       if not (pgmoon) then
         local Postgres
@@ -63,6 +65,11 @@ local BACKENDS = {
           pgmoon_conn = pgmoon
         end
       end
+      return pgmoon
+    end
+    local query_impl
+    query_impl = function(str)
+      local pgmoon = pgmoon_getter()
       local start_time
       if ngx and config.measure_performance then
         ngx.update_time()
@@ -82,6 +89,7 @@ local BACKENDS = {
       end
       return res
     end
+    return query_impl, pgmoon_getter
   end
 }
 local set_backend
@@ -90,7 +98,7 @@ set_backend = function(name, ...)
   if not (backend) then
     error("Failed to find PostgreSQL backend: " .. tostring(name))
   end
-  raw_query = backend(...)
+  raw_query, get_handle = backend(...)
 end
 local set_raw_query
 set_raw_query = function(fn)
@@ -391,6 +399,143 @@ encode_case = function(exp, t, on_else)
   append_all(buff, "\nEND")
   return concat(buff)
 end
+local wait, post
+do
+  local changes_sema
+  local changes = { }
+  local queues = { }
+  setmetatable(queues, {
+    __mode = 'v'
+  })
+  local pending_unlisten = { }
+  local TIMEOUT = 5 * 60
+  local UNLISTEN_TIMEOUT = 15
+  local set_gc
+  set_gc = function(t, finalizer)
+    local mt = {
+      __gc = finalizer
+    }
+    setmetatable(t, mt)
+    if _G.newproxy then
+      mt.newproxy = _G.newproxy(true)
+      getmetatable(mt.newproxy).__gc = finalizer
+    end
+  end
+  local change_channel
+  change_channel = function(action, channel)
+    table.insert(changes, action .. " " .. escape_identifier(channel))
+    return changes_sema:post()
+  end
+  local listen_queues
+  listen_queues = function()
+    changes = { }
+    for channel, queue in pairs(queues) do
+      if queue.sema:count() < 0 then
+        change_channel("LISTEN", channel)
+      end
+    end
+    for channel in pairs(pending_unlisten) do
+      change_channel("LISTEN", channel)
+    end
+  end
+  local notify
+  notify = function(channel, payload)
+    local queue = queues[channel]
+    if queue then
+      queues[channel] = nil
+      queue.payload = payload
+      local sema = queue.sema
+      if sema:count() < 0 then
+        return sema:post(-sema:count())
+      end
+    end
+  end
+  local notifier
+  notifier = function()
+    if not (get_handle) then
+      init_db()
+    end
+    local handle = get_handle()
+    handle.sock:settimeout(TIMEOUT * 1000)
+    local reader
+    reader = function()
+      while handle do
+        local operation = handle:wait()
+        if not (operation) then
+          handle = nil
+          changes_sema:post()
+          return 
+        end
+        if operation.operation == 'notification' then
+          notify(operation.channel, operation.payload)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+    local writer
+    writer = function()
+      while handle do
+        changes_sema:wait(TIMEOUT)
+        if handle then
+          for _index_0 = 1, #changes do
+            local change = changes[_index_0]
+            if not (handle:post(change)) then
+              handle = nil
+              return 
+            end
+          end
+          changes = { }
+        end
+      end
+    end
+    local reader_co = ngx.thread.spawn(reader)
+    local writer_co = ngx.thread.spawn(writer)
+    ngx.thread.wait(reader_co, writer_co)
+    listen_queues()
+    return ngx.timer.at(0.0, notifier)
+  end
+  post = function(channel, payload)
+    if payload == nil then
+      payload = ''
+    end
+    return query("NOTIFY " .. escape_identifier(channel) .. ", " .. escape_literal(payload))
+  end
+  wait = function(channel)
+    local semaphore = require("ngx.semaphore")
+    if not (changes_sema) then
+      changes_sema = semaphore.new()
+      ngx.timer.at(0.0, notifier)
+    end
+    local queue = queues[channel]
+    if not (queue) then
+      queue = {
+        sema = assert(semaphore.new())
+      }
+      set_gc(queue, function()
+        if not queues[channel] then
+          local label = { }
+          pending_unlisten[channel] = label
+          return ngx.timer.at(UNLISTEN_TIMEOUT, function()
+            if pending_unlisten[channel] == label then
+              pending_unlisten[channel] = nil
+              if not queues[channel] then
+                return change_channel("UNLISTEN", channel)
+              end
+            end
+          end)
+        end
+      end)
+      queues[channel] = queue
+      pending_unlisten[channel] = nil
+      change_channel("LISTEN", channel)
+    end
+    while true do
+      if queue.sema:wait(TIMEOUT) then
+        break
+      end
+    end
+    return queue.payload
+  end
+end
 return {
   connect = connect,
   query = query,
@@ -416,6 +561,8 @@ return {
   set_backend = set_backend,
   set_raw_query = set_raw_query,
   get_raw_query = get_raw_query,
+  post = post,
+  wait = wait,
   select = _select,
   insert = _insert,
   update = _update,
diff --git a/lapis/db/postgres.moon b/lapis/db/postgres.moon
index 9aa1c3c5..204fff46 100644
--- a/lapis/db/postgres.moon
+++ b/lapis/db/postgres.moon
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import concat from table
 import type, tostring, pairs, select from _G
 
 local raw_query
+local get_handle
 local logger
 
 import
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ BACKENDS = {
     pg_config = assert config.postgres, "missing postgres configuration"
     local pgmoon_conn
 
-    (str) ->
+    pgmoon_getter = ->
       pgmoon = ngx and ngx.ctx.pgmoon or pgmoon_conn
 
       unless pgmoon
@@ -56,6 +57,11 @@ BACKENDS = {
         else
           pgmoon_conn = pgmoon
 
+      pgmoon
+
+    query_impl = (str) ->
+      pgmoon = pgmoon_getter!
+
       start_time = if ngx and config.measure_performance
         ngx.update_time!
         ngx.now!
@@ -71,6 +77,8 @@ BACKENDS = {
       if not res and err
         error "#{str}\n#{err}"
       res
+
+    return query_impl, pgmoon_getter
 }
 
 set_backend = (name, ...) ->
@@ -78,7 +86,7 @@ set_backend = (name, ...) ->
   unless backend
     error "Failed to find PostgreSQL backend: #{name}"
 
-  raw_query = backend ...
+  raw_query, get_handle = backend ...
 
 set_raw_query = (fn) ->
   raw_query = fn
@@ -314,6 +322,128 @@ encode_case = (exp, t, on_else) ->
   append_all buff, "\nEND"
   concat buff
 
+local wait, post
+
+do
+  local changes_sema
+  changes = {}
+  queues = {}
+  setmetatable queues, {
+    __mode: 'v'
+  }
+  pending_unlisten = {}
+  TIMEOUT = 5 * 60 -- 5 minutes
+  UNLISTEN_TIMEOUT = 15 -- seconds
+
+  set_gc = (t, finalizer) ->
+    mt = {__gc: finalizer}
+    setmetatable t, mt
+    if _G.newproxy
+      -- tables' finalizers don't work in Lua 5.1
+      mt.newproxy = _G.newproxy true
+      getmetatable(mt.newproxy).__gc = finalizer
+
+  change_channel = (action, channel) ->
+    -- push SQL command to "notifier"
+    table.insert changes, action .. " " .. escape_identifier(channel)
+    changes_sema\post!
+
+  listen_queues = ->
+    -- resume used channels
+    changes = {}
+    for channel, queue in pairs(queues)
+      if queue.sema\count! < 0
+        change_channel "LISTEN", channel
+    for channel in pairs(pending_unlisten)
+      change_channel "LISTEN", channel
+
+  notify = (channel, payload) ->
+    queue = queues[channel]
+    if queue
+      queues[channel] = nil
+      queue.payload = payload
+      sema = queue.sema
+      if sema\count! < 0
+        sema\post(-sema\count!)
+
+  notifier = ->
+    unless get_handle
+      init_db! -- replaces get_handle to default backend
+    handle = get_handle!
+    handle.sock\settimeout(TIMEOUT * 1000)
+
+    reader = ->
+      while handle
+        operation = handle\wait!
+        unless operation
+          handle = nil
+          changes_sema\post!
+          return
+        if operation.operation == 'notification'
+          notify operation.channel, operation.payload
+
+    writer = ->
+      while handle
+        changes_sema\wait TIMEOUT
+        if handle
+          for change in *changes
+            unless handle\post change
+              handle = nil
+              return
+          changes = {}
+
+    reader_co = ngx.thread.spawn reader
+    writer_co = ngx.thread.spawn writer
+
+    ngx.thread.wait reader_co, writer_co
+
+    -- timeout or other error occurred
+    listen_queues!
+    -- restart
+    ngx.timer.at 0.0, notifier
+
+  post = (channel, payload='') ->
+    query "NOTIFY " .. escape_identifier(channel) ..
+      ", " .. escape_literal(payload)
+
+  wait = (channel) ->
+    semaphore = require "ngx.semaphore"
+
+    unless changes_sema
+      -- start backgroud light thread "notifier"
+      -- which (un)listens on channels
+      -- and waits for notifications
+      changes_sema = semaphore.new!
+      ngx.timer.at 0.0, notifier
+
+    queue = queues[channel]
+    unless queue
+      queue = {
+        sema: assert semaphore.new!
+      }
+      set_gc queue, ->
+        -- Prevent losing notifications. Send UNLISTEN command after
+        -- a channel being unused for some time.
+        if not queues[channel]
+          label = {}
+          pending_unlisten[channel] = label
+          ngx.timer.at UNLISTEN_TIMEOUT, ->
+            if pending_unlisten[channel] == label
+              pending_unlisten[channel] = nil
+              if not queues[channel]
+                change_channel "UNLISTEN", channel
+
+      queues[channel] = queue
+      pending_unlisten[channel] = nil
+
+      change_channel "LISTEN", channel
+
+    while true
+      if queue.sema\wait TIMEOUT
+        break
+
+    return queue.payload
+
 {
   :connect
   :query, :raw, :is_raw, :list, :is_list, :array, :is_array, :NULL, :TRUE,
@@ -327,6 +457,8 @@ encode_case = (exp, t, on_else) ->
   :set_raw_query
   :get_raw_query
 
+  :post, :wait,
+
   select: _select
   insert: _insert
   update: _update