diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/Jit/onCreateLabelHandler.js b/app/assets/javascripts/Jit/onCreateLabelHandler.js
index 8b0ec4c6..b6c9e9f4 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/Jit/onCreateLabelHandler.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/Jit/onCreateLabelHandler.js
@@ -188,7 +188,10 @@ function populateShowCard(node) {
       
     if (authorizeToEdit(node)) {
       var perm = document.createElement('div');
-      perm.className = 'permission canEdit';
+      
+      var string = 'permission canEdit';
+      if (userid == node.data.$userid) string += ' yourTopic';
+      perm.className = string;
       perm.innerHTML = html;
       showCard.appendChild(perm);
     } else {
@@ -234,6 +237,34 @@ function populateShowCard(node) {
   });
   
   
+  // ability to change permission
+  var selectingPermission = false;
+  if (userid == node.data.$userid ) {
+   $('.showcard .yourTopic .mapPerm').click(function() {
+    if (!selectingPermission) {  
+      selectingPermission = true;
+      $(this).addClass('minimize'); // this line flips the drop down arrow to a pull up arrow
+      if ( $(this).hasClass('co') ) {
+        $(this).append('<ul class="permissionSelect"><li class="public"></li><li class="private"></li></ul>');
+      } else if ( $(this).hasClass('pu') ) {
+        $(this).append('<ul class="permissionSelect"><li class="commons"></li><li class="private"></li></ul>');
+      } else if ( $(this).hasClass('pr') ) {
+        $(this).append('<ul class="permissionSelect"><li class="commons"></li><li class="public"></li></ul>');
+      }
+      $('.permissionSelect li').click(function(event) {
+        selectingPermission = false;
+        var permission = $(this).attr('class');
+        updateTopicPermission(node, permission);
+        event.stopPropagation();
+      });
+    } else {
+      selectingPermission = false;
+      $(this).removeClass('minimize'); // this line flips the pull up arrow to a drop down arrow
+      $('.permissionSelect').remove();
+    }
+   });
+  }
+  
   // when you're typing a description, resize the scroll box to have space
   $('.best_in_place_desc textarea').bind('keyup', function() {
     var s = $('.showcard').find('.scroll');
@@ -267,51 +298,5 @@ function populateShowCard(node) {
     $(showCard).find('.go-link').attr('href', link);
     node.setData("link", link);
   });
-  
-  $(showCard).find(".permActivator").bind('mouseover', 
-        function () { 
-          clearTimeout(MetamapsModel.topicPermTimer2);
-          that = this;       
-          MetamapsModel.topicPermTimer1 = setTimeout(function() {
-            if (! MetamapsModel.topicPermSliding) { 
-              MetamapsModel.topicPermSliding = true;            
-                $(that).animate({
-                  width: '203px',
-                  height: '37px'
-                }, 300, function() {
-                  MetamapsModel.topicPermSliding = false;
-                });
-            } 
-          }, 300);
-        });
-    
-    $(showCard).find(".permActivator").bind('mouseout',    
-        function () {
-          clearTimeout(MetamapsModel.topicPermTimer1);
-          that = this;        
-          MetamapsModel.topicPermTimer2 = setTimeout(function() { 
-			      if (! MetamapsModel.topicPermSliding) { 
-				      MetamapsModel.topicPermSliding = true; 
-				      $(that).animate({
-					      height: '16px',
-                width: '16px'
-				      }, 300, function() {
-					      MetamapsModel.topicPermSliding = false;
-				      });
-			      } 
-		      },800); 
-        } 
-    );
-    
-  //bind best_in_place ajax callbacks
-  $(showCard).find('.best_in_place_permission').bind("ajax:success", function() {
-    var permission = $(this).html();
-    var el = $(this).parents('.cardSettings').find('.mapPerm');
-    el.attr('title', permission);
-    if (permission == "commons") el.html("co");
-    else if (permission == "public") el.html("pu");
-    else if (permission == "private") el.html("pr");
-    node.setData("permission", permission);
-  });
     
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/application.js b/app/assets/javascripts/application.js
index f83e2142..26bdb918 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/application.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/application.js
@@ -700,6 +700,24 @@ function updateMetacode(node, metacode) {
   });
 }
 
+function updateTopicPermission(node, permission) {
+  var mdata = { "topic": { "permission": permission } };
+  $.ajax({
+    type: "PUT",
+    dataType: 'json',
+    url: "/topics/" + node.id,
+    data: mdata,
+    success: function(data) {
+      $('.showcard .mapPerm').removeClass('co pu pr minimize').addClass( permission.substring(0,2) );
+      $('.permissionSelect').remove();
+      node.setData("permission", permission);
+    },
+    error: function(){
+      alert('failed to update permission');
+    }
+  });
+}
+
 function MconsoleReset() {
 	
 	var tX = Mconsole.canvas.translateOffsetX;
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/base.css b/app/assets/stylesheets/base.css
index 843a88c6..39344263 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/base.css
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/base.css
@@ -195,6 +195,53 @@ padding-left: 24px;
 .linkItem.mapPerm.pr {
   background-image: url(MMCCicon_private.png);
 }
+
+.showcard .yourTopic .mapPerm:hover {
+  background-image: url(/assets/MMCCicon_maximize_arrow_black.png);
+  background-size: 31px 25px;
+  background-position-x: 8px;
+  cursor:pointer;
+}
+.showcard .yourTopic .mapPerm.minimize {
+ background-image: url(MMCCicon_minimize_arrow_black.png) !important;
+ background-size: 31px 25px;
+background-position-x: 8px;
+cursor: pointer;
+}
+.mapPerm .permissionSelect {
+  list-style: none;
+  width: 40px;
+  height: 80px;
+  position: relative;
+  top: 40px;
+}
+.mapPerm .permissionSelect li {
+  width: 40px;
+  height: 40px;
+  background-repeat: no-repeat;
+  background-position: center center;
+  background-size: 27px 27px;
+  background-color:white;
+}
+.mapPerm .permissionSelect .commons {
+  background-image: url(MMCCicon_commons.png);
+}
+.mapPerm .permissionSelect .public {
+  background-image: url(MMCCicon_public.png);
+}
+.mapPerm .permissionSelect .private {
+  background-image: url(MMCCicon_private.png);
+}
+.mapPerm .permissionSelect .commons:hover {
+  background-image: url(MMCCicon_commons_black.png);
+}
+.mapPerm .permissionSelect .public:hover {
+  background-image: url(MMCCicon_public_black.png);
+}
+.mapPerm .permissionSelect .private:hover {
+  background-image: url(MMCCicon_private_black.png);
+}
+
 .linkItem.topicPopout {
   background-image: url(MMCCicon_pop-out_black.png);
 }