diff --git a/cmd/tailscale/cli/status.go b/cmd/tailscale/cli/status.go
index 584747bff..28b91ddb5 100644
--- a/cmd/tailscale/cli/status.go
+++ b/cmd/tailscale/cli/status.go
@@ -78,6 +78,13 @@ func runStatus(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	if statusArgs.json {
+		if statusArgs.active {
+			for peer, ps := range st.Peer {
+				if !peerActive(ps) {
+					delete(st.Peer, peer)
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		j, err := json.MarshalIndent(st, "", "  ")
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -122,8 +129,7 @@ func runStatus(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
 	f := func(format string, a ...interface{}) { fmt.Fprintf(&buf, format, a...) }
 	for _, peer := range st.Peers() {
 		ps := st.Peer[peer]
-		// TODO: let server report this active bool instead
-		active := !ps.LastWrite.IsZero() && time.Since(ps.LastWrite) < 2*time.Minute
+		active := peerActive(ps)
 		if statusArgs.active && !active {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -157,3 +163,10 @@ func runStatus(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
 	os.Stdout.Write(buf.Bytes())
 	return nil
 }
+
+// peerActive reports whether ps has recent activity.
+//
+// TODO: have the server report this bool instead.
+func peerActive(ps *ipnstate.PeerStatus) bool {
+	return !ps.LastWrite.IsZero() && time.Since(ps.LastWrite) < 2*time.Minute
+}
diff --git a/ipn/local.go b/ipn/local.go
index 43a406077..3b9bef3d1 100644
--- a/ipn/local.go
+++ b/ipn/local.go
@@ -526,6 +526,8 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) send(n Notify) {
 	if notify != nil {
 		n.Version = version.LONG
 		notify(n)
+	} else {
+		b.logf("nil notify callback; dropping %+v", n)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1037,7 +1039,7 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) RequestEngineStatus() {
 // RequestStatus implements Backend.
 func (b *LocalBackend) RequestStatus() {
 	st := b.Status()
-	b.notify(Notify{Status: st})
+	b.send(Notify{Status: st})
 }
 
 // stateMachine updates the state machine state based on other things