Stop Polling Your Outbox: Lightweight Event Streaming with Postgres LISTEN/NOTIFY and Java Virtual Threads

📰 Dev.to · Machine coding Master

Learn to implement lightweight event streaming using Postgres LISTEN/NOTIFY and Java Virtual Threads, reducing the need for polling and improving system efficiency

intermediate Published 25 May 2026

Action Steps

Set up a Postgres database with the LISTEN/NOTIFY feature enabled
Create a Java application using Virtual Threads to listen for notifications from Postgres
Configure the Java application to react to events received from Postgres
Test the event streaming setup using a sample application
Optimize the event streaming setup for production use

Who Needs to Know This

Backend developers and architects can benefit from this approach to improve the scalability and responsiveness of their systems, while reducing the load on databases and improving overall system efficiency

Key Insight

💡 Postgres LISTEN/NOTIFY and Java Virtual Threads can be used together to create a lightweight event streaming system that reduces the need for polling and improves system efficiency

Key Takeaways

Learn to implement lightweight event streaming using Postgres LISTEN/NOTIFY and Java Virtual Threads, reducing the need for polling and improving system efficiency