diff --git a/IPython/html/services/notebooks/filenbmanager.py b/IPython/html/services/notebooks/filenbmanager.py
index 81aeeed..26e2a54 100644
--- a/IPython/html/services/notebooks/filenbmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/html/services/notebooks/filenbmanager.py
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ class FileNotebookManager(NotebookManager):
                 except Exception as e:
                     raise web.HTTPError(400, u"Unreadable Notebook: %s %s" % (os_path, e))
             model['content'] = nb
-            sign.mark_trusted_cells(nb, self.secret)
+            sign.mark_trusted_cells(nb, self.notary.secret)
         return model
 
     def save_notebook_model(self, model, name='', path=''):
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class FileNotebookManager(NotebookManager):
         nb = current.to_notebook_json(model['content'])
         
         if sign.check_trusted_cells(nb):
-            sign.trust_notebook(nb, self.secret, self.signature_scheme)
+            sign.trust_notebook(nb, self.notary.secret, self.notary.signature_scheme)
         
         if 'name' in nb['metadata']:
             nb['metadata']['name'] = u''
diff --git a/IPython/html/services/notebooks/nbmanager.py b/IPython/html/services/notebooks/nbmanager.py
index a638e8d..43f9b91 100644
--- a/IPython/html/services/notebooks/nbmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/html/services/notebooks/nbmanager.py
@@ -17,16 +17,12 @@ Authors:
 # Imports
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-import base64
-import hashlib
-import io
 import os
 
 from IPython.config.configurable import LoggingConfigurable
-from IPython.core.application import BaseIPythonApplication
-from IPython.nbformat import current
+from IPython.nbformat import current, sign
 from IPython.utils import py3compat
-from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, TraitError, Enum, Bytes
+from IPython.utils.traitlets import Instance, Unicode, TraitError
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Classes
@@ -46,34 +42,9 @@ class NotebookManager(LoggingConfigurable):
 
     filename_ext = Unicode(u'.ipynb')
     
-    signature_scheme = Enum(hashlib.algorithms, default_value='sha256', config=True,
-        help="""The signature scheme used to sign notebooks."""
-    )
-    
-    secret = Bytes(config=True,
-        help="""The secret key with which notebooks are signed."""
-    )
-    def _secret_default(self):
-        # note : this assumes an Application is running
-        profile_dir = BaseIPythonApplication.instance().profile_dir
-        secret_file = os.path.join(profile_dir.security_dir, 'notebook_secret')
-        if os.path.exists(secret_file):
-            with io.open(secret_file, 'rb') as f:
-                return f.read()
-        else:
-            secret = base64.encodestring(os.urandom(1024))
-            self.log.info("Writing output secret to %s", secret_file)
-            with io.open(secret_file, 'wb') as f:
-                f.write(secret)
-            try:
-                os.chmod(secret_file, 0o600)
-            except OSError:
-                self.log.warn(
-                    "Could not set permissions on %s",
-                    secret_file
-                )
-            return secret
-
+    notary = Instance(sign.NotebookNotary)
+    def _notary_default(self):
+        return sign.NotebookNotary(parent=self)
     
     def path_exists(self, path):
         """Does the API-style path (directory) actually exist?
diff --git a/IPython/nbformat/sign.py b/IPython/nbformat/sign.py
index 3e15deb..f518fea 100644
--- a/IPython/nbformat/sign.py
+++ b/IPython/nbformat/sign.py
@@ -10,11 +10,16 @@
 # Imports
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+import base64
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 import hashlib
 from hmac import HMAC
+import io
+import os
 
 from IPython.utils.py3compat import string_types, unicode_type, cast_bytes
+from IPython.config import LoggingConfigurable
+from IPython.utils.traitlets import Instance, Bytes, Enum
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Code
@@ -138,4 +143,51 @@ def check_trusted_cells(nb):
             return False
     return True
 
-        
\ No newline at end of file
+
+class NotebookNotary(LoggingConfigurable):
+    """A class for configuring notebook signatures
+    
+    It stores the secret with which to sign notebooks,
+    and the hashing scheme to use for notebook signatures.
+    """
+    
+    signature_scheme = Enum(hashlib.algorithms, default_value='sha256', config=True,
+        help="""The signature scheme used to sign notebooks."""
+    )
+    
+    profile_dir = Instance("IPython.core.profiledir.ProfileDir")
+    def _profile_dir_default(self):
+        from IPython.core.application import BaseIPythonApplication
+        if BaseIPythonApplication.initialized():
+            app = BaseIPythonApplication.instance()
+        else:
+            # create an app, without the global instance
+            app = BaseIPythonApplication()
+            app.initialize()
+        return app.profile_dir
+    
+    secret = Bytes(config=True,
+        help="""The secret key with which notebooks are signed."""
+    )
+    def _secret_default(self):
+        # note : this assumes an Application is running
+        profile_dir = self.profile_dir
+        secret_file = os.path.join(profile_dir.security_dir, 'notebook_secret')
+        if os.path.exists(secret_file):
+            with io.open(secret_file, 'rb') as f:
+                return f.read()
+        else:
+            secret = base64.encodestring(os.urandom(1024))
+            self.log.info("Writing output secret to %s", secret_file)
+            with io.open(secret_file, 'wb') as f:
+                f.write(secret)
+            try:
+                os.chmod(secret_file, 0o600)
+            except OSError:
+                self.log.warn(
+                    "Could not set permissions on %s",
+                    secret_file
+                )
+            return secret
+
+    
\ No newline at end of file