diff --git a/geonode/proxy/apps.py b/geonode/proxy/apps.py
index 3b0174a8473..3bd742ea12c 100644
--- a/geonode/proxy/apps.py
+++ b/geonode/proxy/apps.py
@@ -17,13 +17,9 @@
 #
 #########################################################################
 from django.apps import AppConfig
-from django.db.models.signals import post_migrate
+from django.db.models import signals
 
-from .utils import proxy_urls_registry
-
-
-def run_setup_hooks(*args, **kwargs):
-    proxy_urls_registry.initialize()
+from .utils import link_post_delete, link_post_save
 
 
 class GeoNodeProxyAppConfig(AppConfig):
@@ -32,8 +28,7 @@ class GeoNodeProxyAppConfig(AppConfig):
 
     def ready(self):
         super().ready()
-        try:
-            run_setup_hooks()
-        except Exception:
-            # This is in case the Service table doesn't exist yet
-            post_migrate.connect(run_setup_hooks, sender=self)
+        from geonode.base.models import Link
+
+        signals.post_save.connect(link_post_save, sender=Link)
+        signals.post_delete.connect(link_post_delete, sender=Link)
diff --git a/geonode/proxy/utils.py b/geonode/proxy/utils.py
index 98a2fc263f4..a7fbf4e3e23 100644
--- a/geonode/proxy/utils.py
+++ b/geonode/proxy/utils.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from urllib.parse import urlsplit
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.db.models import signals
 from django.utils.timezone import now
 
 site_url = urlsplit(settings.SITEURL)
@@ -10,7 +9,6 @@
 
 
 class ProxyUrlsRegistry:
-    _first_init = True
     _last_registry_load = None
     _registry_reload_threshold = getattr(settings, "PROXY_RELOAD_REGISTRY_THRESHOLD_DAYS", 1)
 
@@ -27,11 +25,6 @@ def initialize(self):
             remote_host = urlsplit(link.url).hostname
             self.register_host(remote_host)
 
-        if self._first_init:
-            signals.post_save.connect(link_post_save, sender=Link)
-            signals.post_delete.connect(link_post_delete, sender=Link)
-            self._first_init = False
-
         self._last_registry_load = now()
 
     def set(self, hosts):