diff --git a/app/models/app.rb b/app/models/app.rb
index e7be608..6f9640e 100644
--- a/app/models/app.rb
+++ b/app/models/app.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ class App
   before_validation :generate_api_key, on: :create
   before_save :normalize_github_repo
   before_create :build_notice_fingerprinter
+  after_find :build_notice_fingerprinter
   after_update :store_cached_attributes_on_problems
 
   validates :name, :api_key, presence: true, uniqueness: { allow_blank: true }
@@ -54,6 +55,9 @@ class App
   }
 
   def build_notice_fingerprinter
+    # no need to build a notice_fingerprinter if we already have one
+    return if notice_fingerprinter.present?
+
     attrs = SiteConfig.document.notice_fingerprinter_attributes
     self.notice_fingerprinter = attrs
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/app_spec.rb b/spec/models/app_spec.rb
index c48a9e0..c8407af 100644
--- a/spec/models/app_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/app_spec.rb
@@ -220,4 +220,19 @@ describe App, type: 'model' do
       end.to raise_error(Mongoid::Errors::DocumentNotFound)
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#notice_fingerprinter' do
+    it 'app acquires a notice_fingerprinter when it doesn\'t have one' do
+      app = Fabricate(:app, name: 'Errbit')
+      app.notice_fingerprinter.delete
+
+      # has a notice_fingerprinter because it's been accessed when blank
+      expect(app.reload.notice_fingerprinter).to be_a(NoticeFingerprinter)
+    end
+
+    it 'brand new app has a notice_fingerprinter' do
+      app = Fabricate(:app, name: 'Errbit')
+      expect(app.notice_fingerprinter).to be_a(NoticeFingerprinter)
+    end
+  end
 end
--
libgit2 0.21.2