diff --git a/lib/classes/output/notification.php b/lib/classes/output/notification.php
index 12c9aaf075f..e071d6ba12d 100644
--- a/lib/classes/output/notification.php
+++ b/lib/classes/output/notification.php
@@ -157,6 +157,24 @@ class notification implements \renderable, \templatable {
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the message for this notification.
+     *
+     * @return string message
+     */
+    public function get_message() {
+        return $this->message;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the message type for this notification.
+     *
+     * @return string message type
+     */
+    public function get_message_type() {
+        return $this->messagetype;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Export this data so it can be used as the context for a mustache template.
      *
diff --git a/lib/outputrenderers.php b/lib/outputrenderers.php
index 2f23a8d968b..af0c9778ca4 100644
--- a/lib/outputrenderers.php
+++ b/lib/outputrenderers.php
@@ -4372,6 +4372,17 @@ class core_renderer_cli extends core_renderer {
      * footer method to prevent the default footer.
      */
     public function footer() {}
+
+    /**
+     * Render a notification (that is, a status message about something that has
+     * just happened).
+     *
+     * @param \core\output\notification $notification the notification to print out
+     * @return string plain text output
+     */
+    public function render_notification(\core\output\notification $notification) {
+        return $this->notification($notification->get_message(), $notification->get_message_type());
+    }
 }