diff --git a/packages/server/modules/notifications/domain/operations.ts b/packages/server/modules/notifications/domain/operations.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c659dc96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/modules/notifications/domain/operations.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { NotificationPreferences } from '@/modules/notifications/helpers/types'
+
+export type GetSavedUserNotificationPreferences = (
+  userId: string
+) => Promise<NotificationPreferences>
diff --git a/packages/server/modules/notifications/graph/resolvers/userNotificationPreferences.ts b/packages/server/modules/notifications/graph/resolvers/userNotificationPreferences.ts
index c489ee9a6..debe9c522 100644
--- a/packages/server/modules/notifications/graph/resolvers/userNotificationPreferences.ts
+++ b/packages/server/modules/notifications/graph/resolvers/userNotificationPreferences.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,18 @@
+import { db } from '@/db/knex'
 import { Resolvers } from '@/modules/core/graph/generated/graphql'
+import { getSavedUserNotificationPreferencesFactory } from '@/modules/notifications/repositories'
 import {
   updateNotificationPreferences,
-  getUserNotificationPreferences
+  getUserNotificationPreferencesFactory
 } from '@/modules/notifications/services/notificationPreferences'
 
-module.exports = {
+const getUserNotificationPreferences = getUserNotificationPreferencesFactory({
+  getSavedUserNotificationPreferences: getSavedUserNotificationPreferencesFactory({
+    db
+  })
+})
+
+export = {
   User: {
     async notificationPreferences(parent) {
       const preferences = await getUserNotificationPreferences(parent.id)
@@ -12,12 +20,8 @@ module.exports = {
     }
   },
   Mutation: {
-    async userNotificationPreferencesUpdate(
-      _parent,
-      args,
-      context: { userId: string }
-    ) {
-      await updateNotificationPreferences(context.userId, args.preferences)
+    async userNotificationPreferencesUpdate(_parent, args, context) {
+      await updateNotificationPreferences(context.userId!, args.preferences)
       return true
     }
   }
diff --git a/packages/server/modules/notifications/repositories.ts b/packages/server/modules/notifications/repositories.ts
index 296feac24..4a2569302 100644
--- a/packages/server/modules/notifications/repositories.ts
+++ b/packages/server/modules/notifications/repositories.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,26 @@
 import { UserNotificationPreferences } from '@/modules/core/dbSchema'
+import { GetSavedUserNotificationPreferences } from '@/modules/notifications/domain/operations'
 import {
   NotificationPreferences,
   UserNotificationPreferencesRecord
 } from '@/modules/notifications/helpers/types'
+import { Knex } from 'knex'
 
-export async function getUserNotificationPreferences(
-  userId: string
-): Promise<NotificationPreferences> {
-  const userPreferences =
-    await UserNotificationPreferences.knex<UserNotificationPreferencesRecord>()
+const tables = {
+  userNotificationPreferences: (db: Knex) =>
+    db<UserNotificationPreferencesRecord>(UserNotificationPreferences.name)
+}
+
+export const getSavedUserNotificationPreferencesFactory =
+  (deps: { db: Knex }): GetSavedUserNotificationPreferences =>
+  async (userId: string): Promise<NotificationPreferences> => {
+    const userPreferences = await tables
+      .userNotificationPreferences(deps.db)
       .where({ userId })
       .first()
 
-  return userPreferences?.preferences ?? {}
-}
+    return userPreferences?.preferences ?? {}
+  }
 
 export async function saveUserNotificationPreferences(
   userId: string,
diff --git a/packages/server/modules/notifications/services/handlers/activityDigest.ts b/packages/server/modules/notifications/services/handlers/activityDigest.ts
index dba7a5ed2..cdb650da1 100644
--- a/packages/server/modules/notifications/services/handlers/activityDigest.ts
+++ b/packages/server/modules/notifications/services/handlers/activityDigest.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import {
 } from '@/modules/activitystream/helpers/types'
 import { getServerInfo } from '@/modules/core/services/generic'
 import { ServerInfo, UserRecord } from '@/modules/core/helpers/types'
-import { getUserNotificationPreferences } from '@/modules/notifications/services/notificationPreferences'
 import { sendEmail, SendEmailParams } from '@/modules/emails/services/sending'
 import { groupBy } from 'lodash'
 import { packageRoot } from '@/bootstrap'
@@ -26,6 +25,9 @@ import {
   EmailInput,
   renderEmail
 } from '@/modules/emails/services/emailRendering'
+import { getUserNotificationPreferencesFactory } from '@/modules/notifications/services/notificationPreferences'
+import { getSavedUserNotificationPreferencesFactory } from '@/modules/notifications/repositories'
+import { db } from '@/db/knex'
 
 const handler: NotificationHandler<ActivityDigestMessage> = async (msg) => {
   const {
@@ -44,6 +46,12 @@ const digestNotificationEmailHandler = async (
   end: Date,
   emailSender: (params: SendEmailParams) => Promise<boolean>
 ): Promise<boolean | null> => {
+  const getUserNotificationPreferences = getUserNotificationPreferencesFactory({
+    getSavedUserNotificationPreferences: getSavedUserNotificationPreferencesFactory({
+      db
+    })
+  })
+
   const wantDigests =
     (await (await getUserNotificationPreferences(userId)).activityDigest?.email) !==
     false
diff --git a/packages/server/modules/notifications/services/notificationPreferences.ts b/packages/server/modules/notifications/services/notificationPreferences.ts
index 07b8dc28f..3134091ac 100644
--- a/packages/server/modules/notifications/services/notificationPreferences.ts
+++ b/packages/server/modules/notifications/services/notificationPreferences.ts
@@ -5,15 +5,18 @@ import {
   NotificationPreferences
 } from '@/modules/notifications/helpers/types'
 import { InvalidArgumentError } from '@/modules/shared/errors'
+import { GetSavedUserNotificationPreferences } from '@/modules/notifications/domain/operations'
 
-export async function getUserNotificationPreferences(
-  userId: string
-): Promise<NotificationPreferences> {
-  const savedPreferences = await repo.getUserNotificationPreferences(userId)
-  return addDefaultPreferenceValues(savedPreferences)
-}
+export const getUserNotificationPreferencesFactory =
+  (deps: {
+    getSavedUserNotificationPreferences: GetSavedUserNotificationPreferences
+  }) =>
+  async (userId: string): Promise<NotificationPreferences> => {
+    const savedPreferences = await deps.getSavedUserNotificationPreferences(userId)
+    return addDefaultPreferenceValues(savedPreferences)
+  }
 
-export function addDefaultPreferenceValues(
+function addDefaultPreferenceValues(
   preferences: NotificationPreferences
 ): NotificationPreferences {
   const savedPreferences = { ...preferences }
diff --git a/packages/server/modules/notifications/tests/notificationsPreferences.spec.ts b/packages/server/modules/notifications/tests/notificationsPreferences.spec.ts
index 913d39544..372d9a16f 100644
--- a/packages/server/modules/notifications/tests/notificationsPreferences.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/modules/notifications/tests/notificationsPreferences.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { truncateTables } from '@/test/hooks'
 import { UserNotificationPreferences, Users } from '@/modules/core/dbSchema'
 import { BasicTestUser, createTestUsers } from '@/test/authHelper'
-import * as repo from '@/modules/notifications/repositories'
 import * as services from '@/modules/notifications/services/notificationPreferences'
 import { expect } from 'chai'
 import {
@@ -9,6 +8,16 @@ import {
   NotificationChannel
 } from '@/modules/notifications/helpers/types'
 import { BaseError } from '@/modules/shared/errors'
+import { getUserNotificationPreferencesFactory } from '@/modules/notifications/services/notificationPreferences'
+import { getSavedUserNotificationPreferencesFactory } from '@/modules/notifications/repositories'
+import { db } from '@/db/knex'
+
+const getSavedUserNotificationPreferences = getSavedUserNotificationPreferencesFactory({
+  db
+})
+const getUserNotificationPreferences = getUserNotificationPreferencesFactory({
+  getSavedUserNotificationPreferences
+})
 
 const cleanup = async () => {
   await truncateTables([Users.name, UserNotificationPreferences.name])
@@ -28,10 +37,10 @@ describe('User notification preferences @notifications', () => {
 
   describe('services', () => {
     it('gets default preferences if none saved', async () => {
-      const savedPreferences = await repo.getUserNotificationPreferences(userA.id)
+      const savedPreferences = await getSavedUserNotificationPreferences(userA.id)
       expect(savedPreferences).to.deep.equal({})
       expect(savedPreferences).to.be.empty
-      const preferences = await services.getUserNotificationPreferences(userA.id)
+      const preferences = await getUserNotificationPreferences(userA.id)
       expect(preferences).to.not.be.empty
       for (const val of Object.values(preferences)) {
         for (const setting of Object.values(val)) {
@@ -43,13 +52,13 @@ describe('User notification preferences @notifications', () => {
       await services.updateNotificationPreferences(userA.id, {
         activityDigest: { email: false }
       })
-      let preferences = await services.getUserNotificationPreferences(userA.id)
+      let preferences = await getUserNotificationPreferences(userA.id)
       expect(preferences).to.not.be.empty
       expect(preferences.activityDigest?.email).to.be.false
       await services.updateNotificationPreferences(userA.id, {
         activityDigest: { email: true }
       })
-      preferences = await services.getUserNotificationPreferences(userA.id)
+      preferences = await getUserNotificationPreferences(userA.id)
       expect(preferences.activityDigest?.email).to.be.true
     })
     it("doesn't store invalid preference keys", async () => {