diff --git a/app/controllers/metacodes_controller.rb b/app/controllers/metacodes_controller.rb
index 77f9ba54..3480c4cd 100644
--- a/app/controllers/metacodes_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/metacodes_controller.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 class MetacodesController < ApplicationController
-  before_action :require_admin, except: [:index]
+  before_action :require_admin, except: [:index, :show]
     
   # GET /metacodes
   # GET /metacodes.json
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@ class MetacodesController < ApplicationController
     end
   end
 
+  # GET /metacodes/1.json
+  # GET /metacodes/Action.json
+  # GET /metacodes/action.json
+  def show
+    @metacode = Metacode.where('DOWNCASE(name) = ?', downcase(params[:name])).first if params[:name]
+    @metacode = Metacode.find(params[:id]) unless @metacode
+
+    respond_to do |format|
+      format.json { render json: @metacode }
+    end
+  end
+
   # GET /metacodes/new
   # GET /metacodes/new.json
   def new
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index c68091ed..cbbc50f2 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ Metamaps::Application.routes.draw do
   resources :messages, only: [:show, :create, :update, :destroy]
   resources :mappings, except: [:index, :new, :edit]
   resources :metacode_sets, :except => [:show]
-  resources :metacodes, :except => [:show, :destroy]
+
+  resources :metacodes, :except => [:destroy]
+  get 'metacodes/:name', to: 'metacodes#show'
+
   resources :synapses, except: [:index, :new, :edit]
   resources :topics, except: [:index, :new, :edit] do
     get :autocomplete_topic, :on => :collection