diff --git a/nano/core_test/websocket.cpp b/nano/core_test/websocket.cpp
index 890aef5d19..bdb2f20bbb 100644
--- a/nano/core_test/websocket.cpp
+++ b/nano/core_test/websocket.cpp
@@ -160,6 +160,72 @@ TEST (websocket, subscription_edge)
 	node1->stop ();
 }
 
+// Test client subscribing to changes in active_difficulty
+TEST (websocket, active_difficulty)
+{
+	nano::system system (24000, 1);
+	nano::node_init init1;
+	nano::node_config config;
+	nano::node_flags node_flags;
+	config.websocket_config.enabled = true;
+	config.websocket_config.port = 24078;
+
+	auto node1 (std::make_shared<nano::node> (init1, system.io_ctx, nano::unique_path (), system.alarm, config, system.work, node_flags));
+	node1->start ();
+	system.nodes.push_back (node1);
+
+	ASSERT_EQ (0, node1->websocket_server->subscriber_count (nano::websocket::topic::active_difficulty));
+
+	// Subscribe to active_difficulty and wait for response asynchronously
+	ack_ready = false;
+	auto client_task = ([&node1]() -> boost::optional<std::string> {
+		auto response = websocket_test_call ("::1", "24078", R"json({"action": "subscribe", "topic": "active_difficulty", "ack": true})json", true, true);
+		return response;
+	});
+	auto client_future = std::async (std::launch::async, client_task);
+
+	// Wait for acknowledge
+	system.deadline_set (5s);
+	while (!ack_ready)
+	{
+		ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
+	}
+	ASSERT_EQ (1, node1->websocket_server->subscriber_count (nano::websocket::topic::active_difficulty));
+
+	// Fake history records to force trended_active_difficulty change
+	node1->active.multipliers_cb.push_front (10.);
+
+	// Wait to receive the active_difficulty message
+	system.deadline_set (5s);
+	while (client_future.wait_for (std::chrono::seconds (0)) != std::future_status::ready)
+	{
+		ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
+	}
+
+	// Check active_difficulty response
+	auto response = client_future.get ();
+	ASSERT_TRUE (response);
+	std::stringstream stream;
+	stream << response;
+	boost::property_tree::ptree event;
+	boost::property_tree::read_json (stream, event);
+	ASSERT_EQ (event.get<std::string> ("topic"), "active_difficulty");
+
+	auto message_contents = event.get_child ("message");
+	uint64_t network_minimum;
+	nano::from_string_hex (message_contents.get<std::string> ("network_minimum"), network_minimum);
+	ASSERT_EQ (network_minimum, node1->network_params.network.publish_threshold);
+
+	uint64_t network_current;
+	nano::from_string_hex (message_contents.get<std::string> ("network_current"), network_current);
+	ASSERT_EQ (network_current, node1->active.active_difficulty ());
+
+	double multiplier = message_contents.get<double> ("multiplier");
+	ASSERT_NEAR (multiplier, nano::difficulty::to_multiplier (node1->active.active_difficulty (), node1->network_params.network.publish_threshold), 1e-6);
+
+	node1->stop ();
+}
+
 /** Subscribes to block confirmations, confirms a block and then awaits websocket notification */
 TEST (websocket, confirmation)
 {
diff --git a/nano/node/active_transactions.cpp b/nano/node/active_transactions.cpp
index 829cb76b2b..39eb41885b 100644
--- a/nano/node/active_transactions.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/active_transactions.cpp
@@ -639,7 +639,13 @@ void nano::active_transactions::update_active_difficulty (std::unique_lock<std::
 	auto sum (std::accumulate (multipliers_cb.begin (), multipliers_cb.end (), double(0)));
 	auto difficulty = nano::difficulty::from_multiplier (sum / multipliers_cb.size (), node.network_params.network.publish_threshold);
 	assert (difficulty >= node.network_params.network.publish_threshold);
+
+	bool notify_change = trended_active_difficulty != difficulty;
 	trended_active_difficulty = difficulty;
+	if (notify_change)
+	{
+		node.observers.difficulty.notify (trended_active_difficulty);
+	}
 }
 
 uint64_t nano::active_transactions::active_difficulty ()
diff --git a/nano/node/node.cpp b/nano/node/node.cpp
index a20192b739..8a683ec7fc 100644
--- a/nano/node/node.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/node.cpp
@@ -351,6 +351,15 @@ startup_time (std::chrono::steady_clock::now ())
 					this->websocket_server->broadcast (builder.stopped_election (hash_a));
 				}
 			});
+
+			observers.difficulty.add ([this](uint64_t active_difficulty) {
+				if (this->websocket_server->any_subscriber (nano::websocket::topic::active_difficulty))
+				{
+					nano::websocket::message_builder builder;
+					auto msg (builder.difficulty_changed (network_params.network.publish_threshold, active_difficulty));
+					this->websocket_server->broadcast (msg);
+				}
+			});
 		}
 		observers.endpoint.add ([this](std::shared_ptr<nano::transport::channel> channel_a) {
 			if (channel_a->get_type () == nano::transport::transport_type::udp)
diff --git a/nano/node/node_observers.hpp b/nano/node/node_observers.hpp
index 3969e80a18..33e6c53363 100644
--- a/nano/node/node_observers.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/node_observers.hpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ class node_observers final
 	nano::observer_set<nano::account const &, bool> account_balance;
 	nano::observer_set<std::shared_ptr<nano::transport::channel>> endpoint;
 	nano::observer_set<> disconnect;
+	nano::observer_set<uint64_t> difficulty;
 };
 
 std::unique_ptr<seq_con_info_component> collect_seq_con_info (node_observers & node_observers, const std::string & name);
diff --git a/nano/node/websocket.cpp b/nano/node/websocket.cpp
index 723fea881f..cea1d41853 100644
--- a/nano/node/websocket.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/websocket.cpp
@@ -316,6 +316,11 @@ nano::websocket::topic to_topic (std::string topic_a)
 	{
 		topic = nano::websocket::topic::ack;
 	}
+	else if (topic_a == "active_difficulty")
+	{
+		topic = nano::websocket::topic::active_difficulty;
+	}
+
 	return topic;
 }
 
@@ -338,6 +343,10 @@ std::string from_topic (nano::websocket::topic topic_a)
 	{
 		topic = "ack";
 	}
+	else if (topic_a == nano::websocket::topic::active_difficulty)
+	{
+		topic = "active_difficulty";
+	}
 	return topic;
 }
 }
@@ -616,6 +625,22 @@ nano::websocket::message nano::websocket::message_builder::vote_received (std::s
 	return message_l;
 }
 
+nano::websocket::message nano::websocket::message_builder::difficulty_changed (uint64_t publish_threshold, uint64_t difficulty_active)
+{
+	nano::websocket::message message_l (nano::websocket::topic::active_difficulty);
+	set_common_fields (message_l);
+
+	// Active difficulty information
+	boost::property_tree::ptree difficulty_l;
+	difficulty_l.put ("network_minimum", nano::to_string_hex (publish_threshold));
+	difficulty_l.put ("network_current", nano::to_string_hex (difficulty_active));
+	auto multiplier = nano::difficulty::to_multiplier (difficulty_active, publish_threshold);
+	difficulty_l.put ("multiplier", nano::to_string (multiplier));
+
+	message_l.contents.add_child ("message", difficulty_l);
+	return message_l;
+}
+
 void nano::websocket::message_builder::set_common_fields (nano::websocket::message & message_a)
 {
 	using namespace std::chrono;
diff --git a/nano/node/websocket.hpp b/nano/node/websocket.hpp
index 6ff0f21612..2681c1d385 100644
--- a/nano/node/websocket.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/websocket.hpp
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ namespace websocket
 		stopped_election,
 		/** A vote message **/
 		vote,
+		/** An active difficulty message */
+		active_difficulty,
 		/** Auxiliary length, not a valid topic, must be the last enum */
 		_length
 	};
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ namespace websocket
 		message block_confirmed (std::shared_ptr<nano::block> block_a, nano::account const & account_a, nano::amount const & amount_a, std::string subtype, bool include_block, nano::election_status_type election_status_type_a);
 		message stopped_election (nano::block_hash const & hash_a);
 		message vote_received (std::shared_ptr<nano::vote> vote_a);
+		message difficulty_changed (uint64_t publish_threshold, uint64_t difficulty_active);
 
 	private:
 		/** Set the common fields for messages: timestamp and topic. */