diff --git a/src/emacs.c b/src/emacs.c
index 0ed3f905bbe..a9db0a32f0d 100644
--- a/src/emacs.c
+++ b/src/emacs.c
@@ -1846,7 +1846,7 @@ Using an Emacs configured with --with-x-toolkit=lucid does not have this problem
   init_keyboard ();	/* This too must precede init_sys_modes.  */
   init_display ();	/* Determine terminal type.  Calls init_sys_modes.  */
 #if HAVE_W32NOTIFY
-  else
+  if (noninteractive)
     init_crit ();	/* w32notify.c needs this in batch mode.  */
 #endif	/* HAVE_W32NOTIFY */
   init_xdisp ();