diff --git a/recipes/bc250-console-gnome.yml b/recipes/bc250-console-gnome.yml
index 1a40eb4..eaee5b6 100644
--- a/recipes/bc250-console-gnome.yml
+++ b/recipes/bc250-console-gnome.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ modules:
       - dconf update # compile the local.d/gdm.d console defaults into the dconf dbs
 
   - type: default-flatpaks@v1
-    notify: true
+    # notify: true is broken on multi-user systems (kid + parent): the
+    # module's per-app notification does `sudo -u` with all users mashed
+    # into one newline-joined string -> "unknown user" -> service fails
+    # mid-install. Seen on first hardware boot 2026-07-13.
+    notify: false
     system:
       install:
         - net.davidotek.pupgui2 # ProtonUp-Qt: Proton-GE manager