diff --git a/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/application.ex b/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/application.ex
index ff5072e6..c60dc956 100644
--- a/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/application.ex
+++ b/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/application.ex
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ defmodule Foundation.Application do
         {Finch, name: Foundation.Finch},
         Foundation.Catalog.Local,
         Foundation.Certificates.Manager.Supervisor,
-        Foundation.Certificate,
         Foundation.Notifications.Supervisor
       ]
 
@@ -29,6 +28,7 @@ defmodule Foundation.Application do
 
     case Supervisor.start_link(children, opts) do
       {:ok, _pid} = response ->
+        Foundation.Certificate.initialize_certificate_manager()
         Foundation.Notifications.initialize_notification_manager()
         response
 
diff --git a/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/certificate.ex b/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/certificate.ex
index b0e56394..b448b792 100644
--- a/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/certificate.ex
+++ b/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/certificate.ex
@@ -1,37 +1,16 @@
 defmodule Foundation.Certificate do
   @moduledoc """
-  GenServer responsible for bootstrapping and coordinating certificate managers
+  Provides functions for bootstrapping and managing certificate managers
   across all registered applications.
-  """
-
-  use GenServer
 
-  import Foundation.Macros
+  On application startup, `initialize_certificate_manager/0` is called to
+  start a certificate manager for each application that declares certificates
+  in its catalog entry. Individual managers can also be started or stopped
+  on demand via `start_certificate_manager/2` and `stop_certificate_manager/1`.
+  """
 
   alias Foundation.Certificates.Manager.Supervisor
 
-  require Logger
-
-  ### ==========================================================================
-  ### Callback functions
-  ### ==========================================================================
-
-  def start_link(args) do
-    GenServer.start_link(__MODULE__, args, name: __MODULE__)
-  end
-
-  @impl true
-  def init(_args) do
-    Logger.info("Initializing Certificate Server")
-    {:ok, %{}, {:continue, :start_certificate_manager}}
-  end
-
-  @impl true
-  def handle_continue(:start_certificate_manager, state) do
-    initialize_certificate_manager()
-    {:noreply, state}
-  end
-
   ### ==========================================================================
   ### Public Functions
   ### ==========================================================================
@@ -53,23 +32,20 @@ defmodule Foundation.Certificate do
   ### Private Functions
   ### ==========================================================================
 
-  if_not_test do
-    alias Foundation.Catalog
-
-    defp initialize_certificate_manager do
-      Catalog.applications()
-      |> Enum.each(fn
-        %{certificates: []} ->
-          :ok
-
-        %{name: app_name, certificates: certificates} ->
-          Enum.each(
-            certificates,
-            &Supervisor.start_certificate_manager(app_name, &1)
-          )
-      end)
-    end
-  else
-    defp initialize_certificate_manager, do: :ok
+  @spec initialize_certificate_manager() :: :ok
+  def initialize_certificate_manager do
+    Foundation.Catalog.applications()
+    |> Enum.each(fn
+      %{certificates: []} ->
+        :ok
+
+      %{name: app_name, certificates: certificates} ->
+        Enum.each(
+          certificates,
+          &Supervisor.start_certificate_manager(app_name, &1)
+        )
+    end)
+
+    :ok
   end
 end
diff --git a/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/notifications.ex b/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/notifications.ex
index fa7b5a28..3977ddac 100644
--- a/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/notifications.ex
+++ b/apps/foundation/lib/foundation/notifications.ex
@@ -85,11 +85,14 @@ defmodule Foundation.Notifications do
   ### ==========================================================================
   ### Public Functions
   ### ==========================================================================
+  @spec initialize_notification_manager() :: :ok
   def initialize_notification_manager do
     :foundation
     |> Application.fetch_env!(:notifications)
     |> Enum.map(&to_notification_struct/1)
-    |> Enum.map(&Foundation.Notifications.Supervisor.start_notification_worker/1)
+    |> Enum.each(&Foundation.Notifications.Supervisor.start_notification_worker/1)
+
+    :ok
   end
 
   @doc """
diff --git a/apps/foundation/test/certificate_test.exs b/apps/foundation/test/certificate_test.exs
index ed6a803a..3064e32e 100644
--- a/apps/foundation/test/certificate_test.exs
+++ b/apps/foundation/test/certificate_test.exs
@@ -1,59 +1,10 @@
 defmodule Foundation.CertificateTest do
   use ExUnit.Case, async: false
 
-  import ExUnit.CaptureLog
   import Mock
 
   alias Foundation.Certificate
   alias Foundation.Certificates.Manager.Supervisor
-
-  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  # init/1
-  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-  describe "init/1" do
-    @tag :capture_log
-    test "logs initialization message" do
-      log =
-        capture_log(fn ->
-          {:ok, pid} = GenServer.start_link(Certificate, [])
-          # Give the continue a moment to fire before we stop.
-          Process.sleep(50)
-          GenServer.stop(pid)
-        end)
-
-      assert log =~ "Initializing Certificate Server"
-    end
-
-    @tag :capture_log
-    test "returns initial state as empty map" do
-      # We inspect via :sys.get_state; the continue callback runs first but
-      # does not modify the state, so it stays %{}.
-      {:ok, pid} = GenServer.start_link(Certificate, [])
-      Process.sleep(50)
-      assert :sys.get_state(pid) == %{}
-      GenServer.stop(pid)
-    end
-  end
-
-  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  # handle_continue :start_certificate_manager (test env)
-  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-  describe "handle_continue :start_certificate_manager (test environment)" do
-    @tag :capture_log
-    test "does not call Supervisor.start_certificate_manager in test env" do
-      # In test mode Foundation.Certificate uses the no-op initialize_certificate_manager/0,
-      # so the supervisor must never be contacted.
-      with_mock Supervisor, start_certificate_manager: fn _name, _cert -> {:ok, self()} end do
-        {:ok, pid} = GenServer.start_link(Certificate, [])
-        Process.sleep(50)
-        refute called(Supervisor.start_certificate_manager(:_, :_))
-        GenServer.stop(pid)
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   # stop_certificate_manager/1
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/config/test.exs b/config/test.exs
index 5e32b90a..f1e8b37d 100644
--- a/config/test.exs
+++ b/config/test.exs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ config :foundation,
       deploy_schedule_interval_ms: 5000,
       replica_ports: [%{key: "PORT", base: 4444}],
       env: ["SECRET=value", "PHX_SERVER=true"],
+      certificates: [],
       monitoring: [
         port: %{
           enable_restart: true,
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ config :foundation,
       deploy_schedule_interval_ms: 5000,
       replica_ports: [%{key: "PORT", base: 5555}],
       env: ["SECRET=value", "PHX_SERVER=true"],
+      certificates: [],
       monitoring: [
         port: %{
           enable_restart: false,
@@ -74,6 +76,7 @@ config :foundation,
       deploy_schedule_interval_ms: 5000,
       replica_ports: [%{key: "PORT", base: 6666}],
       env: ["SECRET=value", "PHX_SERVER=true"],
+      certificates: [],
       monitoring: []
     }
   ]