diff --git a/app/__init__.py b/app/__init__.py
index f7427f9f1..1fa2481e4 100644
--- a/app/__init__.py
+++ b/app/__init__.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy as _SQLAlchemy
 from sqlalchemy import event
 from werkzeug.exceptions import HTTPException as WerkzeugHTTPException
 from werkzeug.local import LocalProxy
+from flask_socketio import SocketIO
 
 from app import config
 from app.clients import NotificationProviderClients
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ notification_provider_clients = NotificationProviderClients()
 api_user = LocalProxy(lambda: g.api_user)
 authenticated_service = LocalProxy(lambda: g.authenticated_service)
 
-
+socketio = SocketIO(cors_allowed_origins="*")  # ← Global instance
 def create_app(application):
     from app.config import configs
 
@@ -111,6 +112,8 @@ def create_app(application):
     application.config["NOTIFY_APP_NAME"] = application.name
     init_app(application)
 
+    socketio.init_app(application)
+
     request_helper.init_app(application)
     db.init_app(application)
     migrate.init_app(application, db=db)
@@ -168,6 +171,7 @@ def register_blueprint(application):
     from app.inbound_number.rest import inbound_number_blueprint
     from app.inbound_sms.rest import inbound_sms as inbound_sms_blueprint
     from app.job.rest import job_blueprint
+    from app.socketio_server.test_socketio import test_bp
     from app.notifications.notifications_ses_callback import ses_callback_blueprint
     from app.notifications.receive_notifications import receive_notifications_blueprint
     from app.notifications.rest import notifications as notifications_blueprint
@@ -189,6 +193,9 @@ def register_blueprint(application):
     from app.user.rest import user_blueprint
     from app.webauthn.rest import webauthn_blueprint
 
+    # this will need to be requires_admin_auth
+    application.register_blueprint(test_bp)
+
     service_blueprint.before_request(requires_admin_auth)
     application.register_blueprint(service_blueprint, url_prefix="/service")
 
diff --git a/app/socketio_server/__init__.py b/app/socketio_server/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/app/socketio_server/test_socketio.py b/app/socketio_server/test_socketio.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..51c706e4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/socketio_server/test_socketio.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+from flask import Blueprint
+from app import socketio
+
+test_bp = Blueprint('test', __name__)
+
+@test_bp.route('/test-emit', methods=["GET"])
+def test_emit():
+    socketio.emit('job_update', {
+        'job_id': 'abc123',
+        'status': 'Test message from API'
+    })
+    return "Event emitted!"