diff --git a/notebook/static/base/js/promises.js b/notebook/static/base/js/promises.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7513c6d158
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notebook/static/base/js/promises.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// Copyright (c) Jupyter Development Team.
+// Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
+
+// Give us an object to bind all events to. This object should be created
+// before all other objects so it exists when others register event handlers.
+// To register an event handler:
+//
+// require(['base/js/events'], function (events) {
+//     events.on("event.Namespace", function () { do_stuff(); });
+// });
+
+define(['base/js/events', 'base/js/namespace'], function(events, Jupyter) {
+    "use strict";
+
+    // Promise to be resolved when the application is initialized.
+    // The value is the name of the app on the current page.
+    var app_initialized = new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
+        events.on('app_initialized.NotebookApp', function() {
+            resolve('NotebookApp');
+        });
+        events.on('app_initialized.DashboardApp', function() {
+            resolve('DashboardApp');
+        });
+    });
+
+    var promises = {
+        app_initialized: app_initialized
+    };
+    Jupyter.promises = promises;
+
+    return promises;
+});
diff --git a/notebook/static/custom/custom.js b/notebook/static/custom/custom.js
index 17b06f49da..4af700f6c5 100644
--- a/notebook/static/custom/custom.js
+++ b/notebook/static/custom/custom.js
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@
  * Instances are created after the loading of this file and might need to be accessed using events:
  *     define([
  *        'base/js/namespace',
- *        'base/js/events'
- *     ], function(IPython, events) {
- *         events.on("app_initialized.NotebookApp", function () {
+ *        'base/js/promises'
+ *     ], function(IPython, promises) {
+ *         promises.app_initialized.then(function (appName) {
+ *             if (appName !== 'NotebookApp') return;
  *             IPython.keyboard_manager....
  *         });
  *     });
@@ -34,9 +35,10 @@
  *
  *    define([
  *        'base/js/namespace',
- *        'base/js/events'
- *    ], function(IPython, events) {
- *        events.on('app_initialized.NotebookApp', function(){
+ *        'base/js/promises'
+ *    ], function(IPython, promises) {
+ *        promises.app_initialized.then(function (appName) {
+ *            if (appName !== 'NotebookApp') return;
  *            IPython.toolbar.add_buttons_group([
  *                {
  *                    'label'   : 'run qtconsole',
diff --git a/notebook/static/notebook/js/main.js b/notebook/static/notebook/js/main.js
index fec68fd708..213bc9c1bd 100644
--- a/notebook/static/notebook/js/main.js
+++ b/notebook/static/notebook/js/main.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ require([
     'base/js/utils',
     'base/js/page',
     'base/js/events',
+    'base/js/promises',
     'auth/js/loginwidget',
     'notebook/js/maintoolbar',
     'notebook/js/pager',
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ require([
     utils,
     page,
     events,
+    promises,
     loginwidget,
     maintoolbar,
     pager,
diff --git a/notebook/static/tree/js/main.js b/notebook/static/tree/js/main.js
index 40580c2f32..c8c9abda23 100644
--- a/notebook/static/tree/js/main.js
+++ b/notebook/static/tree/js/main.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ require([
     'base/js/namespace',
     'base/js/dialog',
     'base/js/events',
+    'base/js/promises',
     'base/js/page',
     'base/js/utils',
     'services/config',
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ require([
     IPython,
     dialog,
     events,
+    promises,
     page,
     utils,
     config,