diff --git a/app/services/notification_service.rb b/app/services/notification_service.rb
index aa919edb..383ab080 100644
--- a/app/services/notification_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/notification_service.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 class NotificationService
+  # for strip_tags
+  include ActionView::Helpers::SanitizeHelper
+
   def self.renderer
     renderer ||= ApplicationController.renderer.new(
       http_host: ENV['MAILER_DEFAULT_URL'],
@@ -14,7 +17,7 @@ class NotificationService
 
   def self.access_approved(request)
     body = renderer.render(template: 'map_mailer/access_approved_email', locals: { map: request.map }, layout: false)
-    receipt = request.user.notify(request.approved_text, body, request, false, MAILBOXER_CODE_ACCESS_APPROVED, true, request.map.user)
+    request.user.notify(request.approved_text, body, request, false, MAILBOXER_CODE_ACCESS_APPROVED, true, request.map.user)
   end
 
   def self.invite_to_edit(map, inviter, invited)
@@ -23,6 +26,17 @@ class NotificationService
     invited.notify(map.invited_text, body, user_map, false, MAILBOXER_CODE_INVITE_TO_EDIT, true, inviter)
   end
 
+  # note: this is a global function, probaobly called from the rails console with some html body
+  def self.message_from_devs(subject, body, opts = {})
+    users = opts[:users] || User.all
+    obj = opts[:obj] || nil
+    sanitize_text = opts[:sanitize_text] || false
+    notification_code = opts[:notification_code] || MAILBOXER_CODE_MESSAGE_FROM_DEVS
+    send_mail = opts[:send_mail] || true
+    sender = opts[:sender] || User.find_by(email: 'ishanshapiro@gmail.com')
+    Mailboxer::Notification.notify_all(users, subject, body, obj, sanitize_text, notification_code, send_mail, sender)
+  end
+
   def self.text_for_notification(notification)
     if notification.notification_code == MAILBOXER_CODE_ACCESS_REQUEST
       map = notification.notified_object.map
@@ -33,6 +47,8 @@ class NotificationService
     elsif notification.notification_code == MAILBOXER_CODE_INVITE_TO_EDIT
       map = notification.notified_object.map
       'gave you edit access to map  <span class="in-bold">' + map.name + '</span>'
+    elsif notification.notification_code == MAILBOXER_CODE_MESSAGE_FROM_DEVS
+      notification.subject
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/notifications/index.html.erb b/app/views/notifications/index.html.erb
index 6f66eccd..f27c1fef 100644
--- a/app/views/notifications/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/notifications/index.html.erb
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
       <h2 class="title">Notifications</h4>
     </header>
     <ul class="notifications">
-      <% @notifications.each do |notification| %>
+      <% notifications = @notifications.to_a.delete_if{|n| 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 %>">
           <%= link_to notification_path(notification.id) do %>
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@
           <div class="clearfloat"></div>
         </li>
       <% end %>
-      <% if @notifications.count == 0 %>
+      <% if notifications.count == 0 %>
         <div class="emptyInbox">
           You have no notifications. More time for dancing.
         </div>
diff --git a/config/initializers/mailboxer.rb b/config/initializers/mailboxer.rb
index 49824f50..cc0b520c 100644
--- a/config/initializers/mailboxer.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/mailboxer.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 MAILBOXER_CODE_ACCESS_REQUEST = 'ACCESS_REQUEST'
 MAILBOXER_CODE_ACCESS_APPROVED = 'ACCESS_APPROVED'
 MAILBOXER_CODE_INVITE_TO_EDIT = 'INVITE_TO_EDIT'
+MAILBOXER_CODE_MESSAGE_FROM_DEVS = 'MESSAGE_FROM_DEVS'
 
 Mailboxer.setup do |config|
   # Configures if your application uses or not email sending for Notifications and Messages