diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.scss.erb b/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.scss.erb
index 036652d3..3168f591 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.scss.erb
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.scss.erb
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+$notifications-border-color: #DDDDDD;
 $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
+
 .unread-notifications-dot {
   width: $unread_notifications_dot_size;
   height: $unread_notifications_dot_size;
@@ -22,6 +24,7 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
     right: 0;
     top: 50px;
     box-shadow: 0 3px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.16);
+    border: 1px solid $notifications-border-color;
 
     .notificationsBoxTriangle {
       min-width: 0 !important;
@@ -31,9 +34,9 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
       width: 20px !important;
       height: 20px !important;
       margin-left: -10px;
-      top: -10px;
-      border-top: 1px solid rgba(49, 72, 67, 0.11) !important;
-      border-left: 1px solid rgba(49, 72, 67, 0.11) !important;
+      top: -11px;
+      border-left: 1px solid $notifications-border-color;
+      border-top: 1px solid $notifications-border-color;
       border-bottom: 0 !important;
       border-right: 0 !important;
       background-color: #fff;
@@ -42,6 +45,11 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
       -ms-transform: rotate(45deg);
     }
 
+    ul.notifications {
+      max-height: 500px;
+      overflow-y: auto;
+    }
+
     .notificationsBoxSeeAll {
       display: block;
       width: 100%;
@@ -51,6 +59,14 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
       color: #4fb5c0;
       border-top: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
     }
+
+    .notification {
+      font-size: 13px;
+
+      .notification-body {
+        border-bottom: 1px solid $notifications-border-color;
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -121,11 +137,18 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
 
 ul.notifications {
   list-style: none;
+
+  li:last-child {
+    .notification-body {
+      border-bottom: none !important;
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 .notification {
-  padding: 10px;
+  padding: 10px 10px 0 10px;
   position: relative;
+  font-family: 'din-regular', Sans-Serif;
 
   &:hover {
     background: #F6F6F6;
@@ -157,9 +180,9 @@ ul.notifications {
   }
 
   .notification-body {
-    font-family: 'din-regular', Sans-Serif;
     margin-left: 50px;
     line-height: 20px;
+    padding-bottom: 10px;
 
     .in-bold {
       font-family: 'din-medium', Sans-Serif;
@@ -180,8 +203,6 @@ ul.notifications {
     top: 50%;
     right: 10px;
     color: #607d8b;
-    font-size: 13px;
-    line-height: 13px;
     margin-top: -6px;
   }
 
@@ -190,11 +211,12 @@ ul.notifications {
     float: left;
     width: 15%;
 
-    div {
+    a, div {
       position: absolute;
       top: 50%;
       margin-top: -10px;
       text-align: center;
+      cursor: pointer;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
index 6f557428..15781a32 100644
--- a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ class NotificationsController < ApplicationController
   def mark_read
     @receipt.update(is_read: true)
     respond_to do |format|
+      format.js
       format.json do
         render json: NotificationDecorator.decorate(@notification, @receipt)
       end
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ class NotificationsController < ApplicationController
   def mark_unread
     @receipt.update(is_read: false)
     respond_to do |format|
+      format.js
       format.json do
         render json: NotificationDecorator.decorate(@notification, @receipt)
       end
diff --git a/app/decorators/notification_decorator.rb b/app/decorators/notification_decorator.rb
index 5669fb9c..a2f7584b 100644
--- a/app/decorators/notification_decorator.rb
+++ b/app/decorators/notification_decorator.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class NotificationDecorator
             id: topic1&.id,
             name: topic1&.name
           }
-          resul[:data][:topic2] = {
+          result[:data][:topic2] = {
             id: topic2&.id,
             name: topic2&.name
           }
diff --git a/app/views/notifications/index.html.erb b/app/views/notifications/index.html.erb
index ec9987f6..3efbcb45 100644
--- a/app/views/notifications/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/notifications/index.html.erb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     </header>
     <ul class="notifications">
       <% blacklist = [MAP_ACCESS_REQUEST, MAP_ACCESS_APPROVED, MAP_INVITE_TO_EDIT] %>
-      <% notifications = @notifications.to_a.delete_if{|n| blacklist.include?(n.notification_code) && (n.notified_object.nil? || n.notified_object.map.nil?) }%> 
+      <% notifications = @notifications.to_a.delete_if{|n| blacklist.include?(n.notification_code) && (n.notified_object.nil? || n.notified_object.map.nil?) }%>
       <% notifications.each do |notification| %>
         <% receipt = @receipts.find_by(notification_id: notification.id) %>
         <li class="notification <%= receipt.is_read? ? 'read' : 'unread' %>" id="notification-<%= notification.id %>">
diff --git a/app/views/notifications/mark_read.js.erb b/app/views/notifications/mark_read.js.erb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..17e418b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/notifications/mark_read.js.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+$('#notification-<%= @notification.id %> .notification-read-unread > a')
+  .text('mark as unread')
+  .attr('href', '<%= mark_unread_notification_path(@notification.id) %>')
+$('#notification-<%= @notification.id %>')
+  .removeClass('unread')
+  .addClass('read')
+Metamaps.GlobalUI.Notifications.decrementUnread(Metamaps.GlobalUI.ReactApp.render)
diff --git a/app/views/notifications/mark_unread.js.erb b/app/views/notifications/mark_unread.js.erb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..873e7af8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/notifications/mark_unread.js.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+$('#notification-<%= @notification.id %> .notification-read-unread > a')
+  .text('mark as read')
+  .attr('href', '<%= mark_read_notification_path(@notification.id) %>')
+$('#notification-<%= @notification.id %>')
+  .removeClass('read')
+  .addClass('unread')
+Metamaps.GlobalUI.Notifications.incrementUnread(Metamaps.GlobalUI.ReactApp.render)
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/Notifications.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/Notifications.js
index 3f0e2f92..0d2e5271 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/Notifications.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/Notifications.js
@@ -15,14 +15,22 @@ const Notifications = {
       }
     })
   },
+  incrementUnread: (render) => {
+    Notifications.unreadNotificationsCount++
+    render()
+  },
+  decrementUnread: (render) => {
+    Notifications.unreadNotificationsCount--
+    render()
+  },
   markAsRead: (render, id) => {
     const n = Notifications.notifications.find(n => n.id === id)
     $.ajax({
-      url: `/notifications/${id}/mark_read`,
+      url: `/notifications/${id}/mark_read.json`,
       method: 'PUT',
       success: function(r) {
         if (n) {
-          Notifications.unreadNotificationsCount--
+
           n.is_read = true
           render()
         }
@@ -35,7 +43,7 @@ const Notifications = {
   markAsUnread: (render, id) => {
     const n = Notifications.notifications.find(n => n.id === id)
     $.ajax({
-      url: `/notifications/${id}/mark_unread`,
+      url: `/notifications/${id}/mark_unread.json`,
       method: 'PUT',
       success: function() {
         if (n) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/index.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/index.js
index 858ef902..7a7d2ae5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/index.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/index.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const GlobalUI = {
   init: function(serverData) {
     const self = GlobalUI
 
+    self.Notifications.init(serverData)
     self.ReactApp.init(serverData, self.openLightbox)
     self.CreateMap.init(serverData)
     self.ImportDialog.init(serverData, self.openLightbox, self.closeLightbox)
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationBox.js b/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationBox.js
index e5b5daf7..2f9591ff 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationBox.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationBox.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class NotificationBox extends Component {
       <div className='notificationsBoxTriangle' />
       <ul className='notifications'>
         {!notifications && <li>loading...</li>}
-        {notifications && notifications.map(n => {
+        {notifications && notifications.slice(0, 10).map(n => {
           return <Notification notification={n}
             markAsRead={markAsRead}
             markAsUnread={markAsUnread}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Notification.js b/frontend/src/components/Notification.js
index 40212f9a..05da2cc6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Notification.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Notification.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import React, { Component } from 'react'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
+import outdent from 'outdent'
 
 class Notification extends Component {
 
@@ -26,10 +27,58 @@ class Notification extends Component {
     })
   }
 
+  notificationTextHtml = () => {
+    const { notification } = this.props
+    let map, topic, topic1, topic2
+    let result = `<div class='in-bold'>${notification.actor.name}</div>`
+
+    switch(notification.type) {
+      case 'ACCESS_APPROVED':
+        map = notification.data.map
+        result += outdent`granted your request to edit map
+                 <span class='in-bold'>${map.name}</span>`
+        break
+      case 'ACCESS_REQUEST':
+        map = notification.data.map
+        result += outdent`wants permission to map with you on
+                 <span class='in-bold'>${map.name}</span>`
+        if (!notification.data.object.answered) {
+          result += '<br /><div class="action">Offer a response</div>'
+        }
+        break
+      case 'INVITE_TO_EDIT':
+        map = notification.data.map
+        result += outdent`gave you edit access to map
+                 <span class='in-bold'>${map.name}</span>`
+        break
+      case 'TOPIC_ADDED_TO_MAP':
+        map = notification.data.map
+        topic = notification.data.topic
+        result += outdent`added topic <span class='in-bold'>${topic.name}</span>
+                 to map <span class='in-bold'>${map.name}</span>`
+        break
+      case 'TOPIC_CONNECTED_1':
+        topic1 = notification.data.topic1
+        topic2 = notification.data.topic2
+        result += outdent`connected <span class='in-bold'>${topic1.name}</span>
+                 to <span class='in-bold'>${topic2.name}</span>`
+        break
+      case 'TOPIC_CONNECTED_2':
+        topic1 = notification.data.topic1
+        topic2 = notification.data.topic2
+        result += outdent`connected <span class='in-bold'>${topic2.name}</span>
+                 to <span class='in-bold'>${topic1.name}</span>`
+        break
+      case 'MESSAGE_FROM_DEVS':
+        result += notification.subject
+    }
+    return {__html: result}
+  }
+
   getDate = () => {
     const { notification: {created_at} } = this.props
     const months = ['Jan','Feb','Mar','Apr','May','Jun',
-                    'Jul','Aug','Sep','Oct','Nov','Dec']
+    'Jul','Aug','Sep','Oct','Nov','Dec']
     const created = new Date(created_at)
     return `${months[created.getMonth()]} ${created.getDate()}`
   }
@@ -47,17 +96,20 @@ class Notification extends Component {
   render = () => {
     const { notification } = this.props
     const classes = `notification ${notification.is_read ? 'read' : 'unread'}`
+
+    if (!notification.data.object) {
+      return null
+    }
+
     return <li className={classes}>
       <a href={`/notifications/${notification.id}`}>
         <div className='notification-actor'>
           <img src={notification.actor.image} />
         </div>
-        <div className="notification-body">
-          <div className="in-bold">{notification.actor.name}</div>
-          Other content
-        </div>
+        <div className='notification-body'
+             dangerouslySetInnerHTML={this.notificationTextHtml()} />
       </a>
-      <div className="notification-read-unread">
+      <div className='notification-read-unread'>
         {!notification.is_read && <div onClick={this.markAsRead}>
           mark read
         </div>}
@@ -65,10 +117,10 @@ class Notification extends Component {
           mark unread
         </div>}
       </div>
-      <div className="notification-date">
+      <div className='notification-date'>
         {this.getDate()}
       </div>
-      <div className="clearfloat"></div>
+      <div className='clearfloat'></div>
     </li>
   }
 }