diff --git a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/expired_contexts_manager.php b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/expired_contexts_manager.php
index 6c083ba3f5c..3d20e5d0cc6 100644
--- a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/expired_contexts_manager.php
+++ b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/expired_contexts_manager.php
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ abstract class expired_contexts_manager {
             return $numprocessed;
         }
 
-        $privacymanager = new manager();
+        $privacymanager = new \core_privacy\manager();
+        $privacymanager->set_observer(new \tool_dataprivacy\manager_observer());
 
         foreach ($this->get_context_levels() as $level) {
 
diff --git a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/manager.php b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/manager_observer.php
similarity index 64%
rename from admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/manager.php
rename to admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/manager_observer.php
index 16c46a68fe7..578a7d6ced4 100644
--- a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/manager.php
+++ b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/manager_observer.php
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 //
 // You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 // along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
 /**
  * Class \tool_dataprivacy\manager
  *
@@ -25,51 +26,29 @@ namespace tool_dataprivacy;
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
 /**
- * Wrapper for \core_privacy\manager that sends notifications about exceptions to DPO
+ * A failure observer for the \core_privacy\manager.
  *
  * @package    tool_dataprivacy
  * @copyright  2018 Marina Glancy
  * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
  */
-class manager extends \core_privacy\manager {
-
+class manager_observer implements \core_privacy\manager_observer {
     /**
-     * Call the named method with the specified params on the supplied component if it implements the relevant interface on its provider.
-     *
-     * @param   string  $component The component to call
-     * @param   string  $interface The interface to implement
-     * @param   string  $methodname The method to call
-     * @param   array   $params The params to call
-     * @return  mixed
-     */
-    public static function component_class_callback(string $component, string $interface, string $methodname, array $params) {
-        try {
-            return parent::component_class_callback($component, $interface, $methodname, $params);
-        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
-            debugging($e->getMessage(), DEBUG_DEVELOPER, $e->getTrace());
-            self::notify_dpo($e, $component, $interface, $methodname, $params);
-        }
-        return null;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Notifies all DPOs about exception occurred
+     * Notifies all DPOs that an exception occurred.
      *
      * @param \Throwable $e
      * @param string $component
      * @param string $interface
      * @param string $methodname
      * @param array $params
-     * @return mixed
      */
-    protected static function notify_dpo(\Throwable $e, string $component, string $interface, string $methodname, array $params) {
-
+    public function handle_component_failure($e, $component, $interface, $methodname, array $params) {
         // Get the list of the site Data Protection Officers.
         $dpos = api::get_site_dpos();
 
         $messagesubject = get_string('exceptionnotificationsubject', 'tool_dataprivacy');
         $a = (object)[
-            'fullmethodname' => static::get_provider_classname_for_component($component) . '::' . $methodname,
+            'fullmethodname' => \core_privacy\manager::get_provider_classname_for_component($component) . '::' . $methodname,
             'component' => $component,
             'message' => $e->getMessage(),
             'backtrace' => $e->getTraceAsString()
@@ -91,7 +70,7 @@ class manager extends \core_privacy\manager {
             $message->fullmessage       = html_to_text($messagebody);
 
             // Send message.
-            return message_send($message);
+            message_send($message);
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/metadata_registry.php b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/metadata_registry.php
index b101f4238bd..6282cc41291 100644
--- a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/metadata_registry.php
+++ b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/metadata_registry.php
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ class metadata_registry {
      * @return array An array with all of the plugin types / plugins and the user data they store.
      */
     public function get_registry_metadata() {
-        $manager = new manager();
+        $manager = new \core_privacy\manager();
+        $manager->set_observer(new \tool_dataprivacy\manager_observer());
+
         $pluginman = \core_plugin_manager::instance();
         $contributedplugins = $this->get_contrib_list();
         $metadata = $manager->get_metadata_for_components();
diff --git a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/task/initiate_data_request_task.php b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/task/initiate_data_request_task.php
index 6554894beff..ad5a933090e 100644
--- a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/task/initiate_data_request_task.php
+++ b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/task/initiate_data_request_task.php
@@ -97,7 +97,9 @@ class initiate_data_request_task extends adhoc_task {
         api::update_request_status($requestid, api::DATAREQUEST_STATUS_PREPROCESSING);
 
         // Add the list of relevant contexts to the request, and mark all as pending approval.
-        $privacymanager = new manager();
+        $privacymanager = new \core_privacy\manager();
+        $privacymanager->set_observer(new \tool_dataprivacy\manager_observer());
+
         $contextlistcollection = $privacymanager->get_contexts_for_userid($datarequest->get('userid'));
         api::add_request_contexts_with_status($contextlistcollection, $requestid, contextlist_context::STATUS_PENDING);
 
diff --git a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/task/process_data_request_task.php b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/task/process_data_request_task.php
index 2ef0b7d3685..6a93217b4cc 100644
--- a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/task/process_data_request_task.php
+++ b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/classes/task/process_data_request_task.php
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ use moodle_exception;
 use moodle_url;
 use tool_dataprivacy\api;
 use tool_dataprivacy\data_request;
-use tool_dataprivacy\manager;
 
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
@@ -88,7 +87,9 @@ class process_data_request_task extends adhoc_task {
             $approvedclcollection = api::get_approved_contextlist_collection_for_request($requestpersistent);
 
             // Export the data.
-            $manager = new manager();
+            $manager = new \core_privacy\manager();
+            $manager->set_observer(new \tool_dataprivacy\manager_observer());
+
             $exportedcontent = $manager->export_user_data($approvedclcollection);
 
             $fs = get_file_storage();
@@ -110,7 +111,9 @@ class process_data_request_task extends adhoc_task {
             $approvedclcollection = api::get_approved_contextlist_collection_for_request($requestpersistent);
 
             // Delete the data.
-            $manager = new manager();
+            $manager = new \core_privacy\manager();
+            $manager->set_observer(new \tool_dataprivacy\manager_observer());
+
             $manager->delete_data_for_user($approvedclcollection);
         }
 
diff --git a/admin/tool/dataprivacy/tests/manager_observer_test.php b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/tests/manager_observer_test.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6c710277501
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/tool/dataprivacy/tests/manager_observer_test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Tests for the manager observer.
+ *
+ * @package    tool_dataprivacy
+ * @copyright  2018 Andrew Nicols <andrew@nicols.co.uk>
+ * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+/**
+ * API tests.
+ *
+ * @package    tool_dataprivacy
+ * @copyright  2018 Andrew Nicols <andrew@nicols.co.uk>
+ * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+class tool_dataprivacy_manager_observer_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
+
+    /**
+     * Helper to set andn return two users who are DPOs.
+     */
+    protected function setup_site_dpos() {
+        global $DB;
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+
+        $generator = new testing_data_generator();
+        $u1 = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
+        $u2 = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
+
+        $context = context_system::instance();
+
+        // Give the manager role with the capability to manage data requests.
+        $managerroleid = $DB->get_field('role', 'id', array('shortname' => 'manager'));
+        assign_capability('tool/dataprivacy:managedatarequests', CAP_ALLOW, $managerroleid, $context->id, true);
+
+        // Assign both users as manager.
+        role_assign($managerroleid, $u1->id, $context->id);
+        role_assign($managerroleid, $u2->id, $context->id);
+
+        // Only map the manager role to the DPO role.
+        set_config('dporoles', $managerroleid, 'tool_dataprivacy');
+
+        return \tool_dataprivacy\api::get_site_dpos();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Ensure that when users are configured as DPO, they are sent an message upon failure.
+     */
+    public function test_handle_component_failure() {
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+
+        // Create another user who is not a DPO.
+        $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
+
+        // Create the DPOs.
+        $dpos = $this->setup_site_dpos();
+
+        $observer = new \tool_dataprivacy\manager_observer();
+
+        // Handle the failure, catching messages.
+        $mailsink = $this->redirectMessages();
+        $mailsink->clear();
+        $observer->handle_component_failure(new \Exception('error'), 'foo', 'bar', 'baz', ['foobarbaz', 'bum']);
+
+        // Messages should be sent to both DPOs only.
+        $this->assertEquals(2, $mailsink->count());
+
+        $messages = $mailsink->get_messages();
+        $messageusers = array_map(function($message) {
+            return $message->useridto;
+        }, $messages);
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array_keys($dpos), $messageusers, '', 0.0, 0, true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Ensure that when no user is configured as DPO, the message is sent to admin instead.
+     */
+    public function test_handle_component_failure_no_dpo() {
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+
+        // Create another user who is not a DPO or admin.
+        $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
+
+        $observer = new \tool_dataprivacy\manager_observer();
+
+        $mailsink = $this->redirectMessages();
+        $mailsink->clear();
+        $observer->handle_component_failure(new \Exception('error'), 'foo', 'bar', 'baz', ['foobarbaz', 'bum']);
+
+        // Messages should have been sent only to the admin.
+        $this->assertEquals(1, $mailsink->count());
+
+        $messages = $mailsink->get_messages();
+        $message = reset($messages);
+
+        $admin = \core_user::get_user_by_username('admin');
+        $this->assertEquals($admin->id, $message->useridto);
+    }
+}