diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c b/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
index 97293d541..d7357ae17 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
@@ -324,7 +324,6 @@ u_int32_t getDetectorIP() {
 /* initialization */
 
 void initControlServer() {
-    CreateNotificationForCriticalTasks();
     if (initError == OK) {
         setupDetector();
     }
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c b/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
index 80675cf22..7c86e19f8 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
@@ -315,7 +315,6 @@ u_int32_t getDetectorIP() {
 /* initialization */
 
 void initControlServer() {
-    CreateNotificationForCriticalTasks();
     if (initError == OK) {
         setupDetector();
     }
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/programFpgaNios.h b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/programFpgaNios.h
index 27770b478..87633f0c7 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/programFpgaNios.h
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/programFpgaNios.h
@@ -8,16 +8,6 @@
 /** Notify microcontroller of successful server start up */
 void NotifyServerStartSuccess();
 
-/** create notification file to notify watchdog of critical tasks (to not
- * shutdown) */
-void CreateNotificationForCriticalTasks();
-
-/** write 1 to notification file to postpone shut down process if requested*/
-void NotifyCriticalTask();
-
-/** write 0 to notification file to allow shut down process if requested */
-void NotifyCriticalTaskDone();
-
 /** reset fpga and controller(only implemented for >= v1.1 boards) */
 void rebootControllerAndFPGA();
 
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programFpgaNios.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programFpgaNios.c
index d4310529b..92ceada2f 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programFpgaNios.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programFpgaNios.c
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 /* global variables */
 #define MTDSIZE 10
 char mtdvalue[MTDSIZE] = {0};
-#define NOTIFICATION_FILE    "/tmp/block_shutdown"
 #define MICROCONTROLLER_FILE "/dev/ttyAL0"
 
 void NotifyServerStartSuccess() {
@@ -20,38 +19,6 @@ void NotifyServerStartSuccess() {
     system(command);
 }
 
-void CreateNotificationForCriticalTasks() {
-    FILE *fd = fopen(NOTIFICATION_FILE, "r");
-    if (fd == NULL) {
-        fd = fopen(NOTIFICATION_FILE, "w");
-        if (fd == NULL) {
-            LOG(logERROR,
-                ("Could not create notication file: %s\n", NOTIFICATION_FILE));
-            return;
-        }
-        LOG(logINFOBLUE,
-            ("Created notification file: %s\n", NOTIFICATION_FILE));
-    }
-    fclose(fd);
-    NotifyCriticalTaskDone();
-}
-
-void NotifyCriticalTask() {
-    LOG(logINFO, ("\tNotifying Critical Task Ongoing\n"));
-    char command[255];
-    memset(command, 0, 255);
-    sprintf(command, "echo 1 > %s", NOTIFICATION_FILE);
-    system(command);
-}
-
-void NotifyCriticalTaskDone() {
-    LOG(logINFO, ("\tNotifying Critical Task Done\n"));
-    char command[255];
-    memset(command, 0, 255);
-    sprintf(command, "echo 0 > %s", NOTIFICATION_FILE);
-    system(command);
-}
-
 void rebootControllerAndFPGA() {
     LOG(logDEBUG1, ("Reseting FPGA...\n"));
     char command[255];
@@ -111,13 +78,11 @@ int eraseAndWriteToFlash(char *mess, char *fpgasrc, uint64_t fsize) {
     if (findFlash(mess) == FAIL) {
         return FAIL;
     }
-    NotifyCriticalTask();
     eraseFlash();
 
     // open file pointer to flash
     FILE *filefp = fopen(mtdvalue, "w");
     if (filefp == NULL) {
-        NotifyCriticalTaskDone();
         sprintf(mess, "Unable to open %s in write mode\n", mtdvalue);
         LOG(logERROR, (mess));
         return FAIL;
@@ -126,13 +91,11 @@ int eraseAndWriteToFlash(char *mess, char *fpgasrc, uint64_t fsize) {
 
     // write to flash
     if (writeFPGAProgram(mess, fpgasrc, fsize, filefp) == FAIL) {
-        NotifyCriticalTaskDone();
         fclose(filefp);
         return FAIL;
     }
 
     fclose(filefp);
-    NotifyCriticalTaskDone();
     return OK;
 }