diff --git a/dtool/src/dconfig/notifyCategory.I b/dtool/src/dconfig/notifyCategory.I
index d92a885797..2c4c49756d 100644
--- a/dtool/src/dconfig/notifyCategory.I
+++ b/dtool/src/dconfig/notifyCategory.I
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ is_on(NotifySeverity severity) const {
   return (int)severity >= (int)_severity;
 }
 
-#ifdef NOTIFY_DEBUG
+#if defined(NOTIFY_DEBUG) || defined(CPPPARSER)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: NotifyCategory::is_spam
 //       Access: Public
diff --git a/dtool/src/dconfig/notifyCategory.h b/dtool/src/dconfig/notifyCategory.h
index 182116d1dd..8f307d225e 100644
--- a/dtool/src/dconfig/notifyCategory.h
+++ b/dtool/src/dconfig/notifyCategory.h
@@ -35,7 +35,13 @@ PUBLISHED:
   
   INLINE bool is_on(NotifySeverity severity) const;
 
-#ifdef NOTIFY_DEBUG
+  // When NOTIFY_DEBUG is not defined, the categories will never be
+  // set to "spam" or "debug" severities, and these methods are
+  // redefined to be static to make it more obvious to the compiler.
+  // However, we still want to present a consistent interface to our
+  // scripting language, so during the interrogate pass (that is, when
+  // CPPPARSER is defined), we still pretend they're nonstatic.
+#if defined(NOTIFY_DEBUG) || defined(CPPPARSER)
   INLINE bool is_spam() const;
   INLINE bool is_debug() const;
 #else