diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index e25d073..94f27a3 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -5,45 +5,25 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"sync"
 )
 
-// LoadBotNodeConfig reads and parses bot_node_config.json and stores it as the
-// global C_botNodeConfig singleton, mirroring LoadGlobalConfig. Unlike the
-// other config files this one is auto-generated and optional: a missing or
-// empty file yields an empty map, so every node falls back to its default
-// enableStatusNotify value (true).
-func LoadBotNodeConfig(configPath string) error {
-	cfg := BotNodeMembers{}
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(configPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			C_botNodeConfig = cfg
-			return nil
-		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to read bot node config file: %w", err)
-	}
-	if len(bytes.TrimSpace(data)) > 0 {
-		if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &cfg); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse bot node config file: %w", err)
-		}
-	}
-	C_botNodeConfig = cfg
-	return nil
-}
+// botNodeConfigMu guards botNodeConfig, the in-memory mirror of
+// bot_node_config.json.
+var (
+	botNodeConfigMu sync.RWMutex
+	botNodeConfig   BotNodeMembers
+)
 
 // NodeStatusNotifyEnabled reports whether the node identified by uuid should
-// broadcast status-change notifications, per bot_node_config.json.
-// enableStatusNotify defaults to true: a node notifies unless its entry
-// explicitly sets the flag to false.
+// broadcast status-change notifications, per bot_node_config.json. The flag is
+// allow-list only: a node notifies when its entry has enableStatusNotify set to
+// true, and stays silent when the entry is absent or not enabled.
 func NodeStatusNotifyEnabled(uuid string) bool {
-	if C_botNodeConfig == nil {
-		return true
-	}
-	opts, ok := C_botNodeConfig[uuid]
-	if !ok || opts.EnableStatusNotify == nil {
-		return true
-	}
-	return *opts.EnableStatusNotify
+	botNodeConfigMu.RLock()
+	opts, ok := botNodeConfig[uuid]
+	botNodeConfigMu.RUnlock()
+	return ok && opts.EnableStatusNotify
 }
 
 // LoadGlobalConfig reads and parses the configuration file, applies defaults,
@@ -155,16 +135,16 @@ func LoadBotUserConfig(configPath string) (*BotUserConfig, error) {
 	return &cfg, nil
 }
 
-// SaveBotNodeConfig persists the given node UUIDs to the bot node config file,
-// which is a plain registry of the nodes Komari reports (read back at startup
-// by LoadBotNodeConfig). Entries already present are always preserved: a UUID
-// Komari no longer reports on a given fetch is kept rather than deleted, and
-// any enableStatusNotify a user set by hand is left untouched. UUIDs seen for
-// the first time are added as an empty object, i.e. no parameter is written, so
-// they inherit the enableStatusNotify default (true). The resulting JSON has
-// its object keys emitted in sorted order by encoding/json, keeping the file
-// deterministic across writes. The path is supplied by the caller (typically
-// global.ConfigPath.BotNodeConfig).
+// SaveBotNodeConfig persists the given node UUIDs to the bot node config file
+// and refreshes the in-memory mirror read by NodeStatusNotifyEnabled. Entries
+// already present in the file are always preserved: a UUID Komari no longer
+// reports on a given fetch is kept rather than deleted, so per-node settings
+// for stale nodes survive a node-list refresh that does not include them. UUIDs
+// seen for the first time are added disabled (enableStatusNotify defaults to
+// false); enable a node's status notifications by setting the flag to true in
+// the file. The resulting JSON has its object keys emitted in sorted order by
+// encoding/json, keeping the file deterministic across writes. The path is
+// supplied by the caller (typically global.ConfigPath.BotNodeConfig).
 func SaveBotNodeConfig(configPath string, uuids []string) error {
 	// Start from whatever is already on disk so nothing is dropped. An empty or
 	// missing file is treated as an empty map.
@@ -192,6 +172,10 @@ func SaveBotNodeConfig(configPath string, uuids []string) error {
 	if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, data, 0o644); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write bot node config %s: %w", configPath, err)
 	}
+
+	botNodeConfigMu.Lock()
+	botNodeConfig = members
+	botNodeConfigMu.Unlock()
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/config/variables.go b/config/variables.go
index 0e7b3ae..03f7a75 100644
--- a/config/variables.go
+++ b/config/variables.go
@@ -175,18 +175,14 @@ var C_botUserConfig *BotUserConfig
 // file is auto-populated by the node tracker for every node Komari reports;
 // per-node options are edited by hand in the JSON file.
 type BotNodeOptions struct {
-	// EnableStatusNotify controls whether this node broadcasts status-change
-	// notifications. It defaults to true: only an explicit false in the JSON
-	// file disables a node's notifications. The pointer (rather than a plain
-	// bool) lets an absent field be told apart from an explicit false, and
-	// omitempty keeps untouched nodes stored as {}.
-	EnableStatusNotify *bool `json:"enableStatusNotify,omitempty"`
+	// EnableStatusNotify is an allow-list switch: a node broadcasts status-change
+	// notifications only when this is true. Nodes default to false (silent)
+	// unless explicitly enabled.
+	EnableStatusNotify bool `json:"enableStatusNotify"`
 }
 
 // BotNodeMembers maps a node UUID (as reported by Komari) to its per-node
-// options.
-type BotNodeMembers map[string]BotNodeOptions
-
-// C_botNodeConfig is the global singleton mirroring bot_node_config.json,
-// populated by LoadBotNodeConfig.
-var C_botNodeConfig BotNodeMembers
\ No newline at end of file
+// options, e.g. bot_node_config.json:
+//
+//	{"<uuid1>": {"enableStatusNotify": true}, "<uuid2>": {}}
+type BotNodeMembers map[string]BotNodeOptions
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index f6102a4..f6d0c5c 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -47,13 +47,6 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatalf("Failed to load bot user config: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	// Load the node registry config. Unlike the other files it is optional:
-	// missing or empty bot_node_config.json simply means every node keeps its
-	// default enableStatusNotify (true).
-	if err := config.LoadBotNodeConfig(global.ConfigPath.BotNodeConfig); err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Failed to load bot node config: %v", err)
-	}
-
 	// Initialize logging.
 	postLog.SetDebugMode(cfg.System.DebugMode)
 	postLog.InitLogBroadcaster()