diff --git a/src/index.html b/src/index.html
index 05861437a..cfe939803 100644
--- a/src/index.html
+++ b/src/index.html
@@ -161,9 +161,9 @@
                     </li>
                     <li>
                       <a href="#/notifications">
-                        <i class="fas fa-bell" ng-show="notifications.length"></i>
-                        <i class="far fa-bell" ng-hide="notifications.length"></i>
-                        <span class="badge badge-danger" ng-show="notifications.length">{{ notifications.length }}</span>
+                        <i class="fas fa-bell" ng-show="notificationCount"></i>
+                        <i class="far fa-bell" ng-hide="notificationCount"></i>
+                        <span class="badge badge-danger" ng-show="notificationCount">{{ notificationCount }}</span>
                       </a>
                     </li>
                     <li class="dropdown">
diff --git a/src/js/client.js b/src/js/client.js
index ecd4c4d60..61901c76a 100644
--- a/src/js/client.js
+++ b/src/js/client.js
@@ -1172,7 +1172,7 @@ angular.module('Application').service('Client', ['$http', '$interval', '$timeout
         });
     };
 
-    Client.prototype.getNotifications = function (acknowledged, page, perPage, callback) {
+    Client.prototype.getNotifications = function (options, page, perPage, callback) {
         var config = {
             params: {
                 page: page,
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ angular.module('Application').service('Client', ['$http', '$interval', '$timeout
             }
         };
 
-        if (typeof acknowledged === 'boolean') config.params.acknowledged = acknowledged;
+        if (typeof options.acknowledged === 'boolean') config.params.acknowledged = options.acknowledged;
 
         get('/api/v1/notifications', config, function (error, data, status) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
@@ -1190,8 +1190,8 @@ angular.module('Application').service('Client', ['$http', '$interval', '$timeout
         });
     };
 
-    Client.prototype.ackNotification = function (notificationId, callback) {
-        post('/api/v1/notifications/' + notificationId, {}, null, function (error, data, status) {
+    Client.prototype.ackNotification = function (notificationId, acknowledged, callback) {
+        post('/api/v1/notifications/' + notificationId, { acknowledged: acknowledged }, null, function (error, data, status) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
             if (status !== 204) return callback(new ClientError(status));
 
diff --git a/src/js/main.js b/src/js/main.js
index 72415186d..e7ff35305 100644
--- a/src/js/main.js
+++ b/src/js/main.js
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@
 /* global angular */
 /* global $ */
 
-angular.module('Application').controller('MainController', ['$scope', '$route', '$timeout', '$location', 'Client', function ($scope, $route, $timeout, $location, Client) {
+angular.module('Application').controller('MainController', ['$scope', '$route', '$timeout', '$location', '$interval', 'Client', function ($scope, $route, $timeout, $location, $interval, Client) {
     $scope.initialized = false; // used to animate the UI
     $scope.user = Client.getUserInfo();
     $scope.installedApps = Client.getInstalledApps();
     $scope.config = {};
     $scope.client = Client;
     $scope.subscription = {};
-    $scope.notifications = [];
+    $scope.notificationCount = 0;
     $scope.hideNavBarActions = $location.path() === '/logs';
 
     $scope.reboot = {
@@ -63,19 +63,16 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('MainController', ['$scope', '$route',
         });
     };
 
-    function refreshNotifications(poll) {
-        Client.getNotifications(false, 1, 100, function (error, results) {
+    function refreshNotifications() {
+        Client.getNotifications({ acknowledged: false }, 1, 100, function (error, results) { // counter maxes out at 100
             if (error) console.error(error);
-            else $scope.notifications = results;
-
-            if (poll) $timeout(refreshNotifications, 60 * 1000);
+            else $scope.notificationCount = results.length;
         });
     }
 
     // update state of acknowledged notification
-    $scope.notificationAcknowledged = function (notificationId) {
-        // remove notification from list
-        $scope.notifications = $scope.notifications.filter(function (n) { return n.id !== notificationId; });
+    $scope.notificationAcknowledged = function (ack) {
+        $scope.notificationCount += (ack ? -1 : +1);
     };
 
     function init() {
@@ -140,7 +137,8 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('MainController', ['$scope', '$route',
                                 return;
                             }
 
-                            refreshNotifications(true);
+                            $interval(refreshNotifications, 60 * 1000);
+                            refreshNotifications();
 
                             $scope.updateSubscriptionStatus();
                         });
@@ -156,10 +154,6 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('MainController', ['$scope', '$route',
         }
     });
 
-    Client.onReconnect(function () {
-        refreshNotifications(false);
-    });
-
     init();
 
     // setup all the dialog focus handling
diff --git a/src/views/notifications.html b/src/views/notifications.html
index 75bbf34c1..63749bb17 100644
--- a/src/views/notifications.html
+++ b/src/views/notifications.html
@@ -19,10 +19,11 @@
   <div class="card notification-item" ng-repeat="notification in notifications.notifications">
     <div class="row">
       <div class="col-xs-12" ng-click="notification.isCollapsed = !notification.isCollapsed" ng-class="{ 'notification-details': notification.detailsShown }">
-        {{ notification.title }} <small class="text-muted" uib-tooltip="{{ notification.creationTime | prettyLongDate }}">{{ notification.creationTime | prettyDate }}</small>
-        <button class="btn btn-xs btn-default pull-right" ng-hide="notification.acknowledged" ng-click="notifications.ack(notification, $event)" uib-tooltip="{{ 'notifications.dismissTooltip' | tr }}"><i class="fa fa-times"></i></button>
+        <span ng-class="{'text-bold': !notification.acknowledged }">{{ notification.title }}</span> <small class="text-muted" uib-tooltip="{{ notification.creationTime | prettyLongDate }}">{{ notification.creationTime | prettyDate }}</small>
+        <!-- hidden for now since it seems overkill to have "unread" -->
+        <!-- <button class="btn btn-xs btn-default pull-right" ng-show="notification.acknowledged" ng-click="notifications.ack(notification, false, $event)" uib-tooltip="{{ 'notifications.dismissTooltip' | tr }}"><i class="fa fa-asterisk"></i></button> -->
 
-        <div uib-collapse="notification.isCollapsed" expanding="notificationExpanding(notification)">
+        <div uib-collapse="notification.isCollapsed" expanding="notifications.ack(notification, true)">
           <br/>
           <p ng-hide="notification.messageJson" ng-click="$event.stopPropagation();" style="cursor: auto; overflow: auto;" ng-bind-html="notification.message | markdown2html"></p>
           <pre ng-show="notification.messageJson" ng-click="$event.stopPropagation();" style="cursor: auto">{{ notification.messageJson | json }}</pre>
diff --git a/src/views/notifications.js b/src/views/notifications.js
index fbfb19b6c..506a4f13b 100644
--- a/src/views/notifications.js
+++ b/src/views/notifications.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('NotificationsController', ['$scope', '
         busy: true,
 
         refresh: function () {
-            Client.getNotifications(false, 1, 100, function (error, result) {
+            Client.getNotifications({}, 1, 100, function (error, result) {
                 if (error) return console.error(error);
 
                 // collapse by default
@@ -31,69 +31,44 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('NotificationsController', ['$scope', '
             });
         },
 
-        clicked: function (notification) {
-            if ($scope.notifications.activeNotification === notification) return $scope.notifications.activeNotification = null;
-            $scope.notifications.activeNotification = notification;
-        },
+        ack: function (notification, acked, event) {
+            if (event) event.stopPropagation();
 
-        ackOne: function (id, callback) {
-            Client.ackNotification(id, function (error) {
-                if (error) return callback(error);
+            if (notification.acknowledged === acked) return;
 
-                $scope.$parent.notificationAcknowledged(id);
-
-                callback();
-            });
-        },
-
-        ack: function (notification, event) {
-            event.stopPropagation();
-
-            $scope.notifications.ackOne(notification.id, function (error) {
+            Client.ackNotification(notification.id, acked, function (error) {
                 if (error) console.error(error);
 
-                $scope.notifications.refresh();
+                notification.acknowledged = acked;
+                $scope.$parent.notificationAcknowledged(acked);
             });
         },
 
-        action: function (notification) {
-            if (notification.action) window.location = notification.action;
-        },
-
         clearAll: function () {
             $scope.clearAllBusy = true;
 
             async.eachLimit($scope.notifications.notifications, 20, function (notification, callback) {
                 if (notification.acknowledged) return callback();
-                $scope.notifications.ackOne(notification.id, callback);
+
+                Client.ackNotification(notification.id, true, function (error) {
+                    if (error) {
+                        console.error(error);
+                    } else {
+                        notification.acknowledged = true;
+                        $scope.$parent.notificationAcknowledged(true);
+                    }
+
+                    callback();
+                });
             }, function (error) {
                 if (error) console.error(error);
 
-                $scope.notifications.refresh();
                 $scope.clearAllBusy = false;
             });
         }
     };
 
-    $scope.notificationExpanding = function (notification) {
-        if (!notification.eventId) return;
-
-        notification.busyLoadEvent = true;
-
-        Client.getEvent(notification.eventId, function (error, result) {
-            notification.busyLoadEvent = false;
-
-            if (error) return console.error(error);
-
-            notification.event = result;
-        });
-    };
-
     Client.onReady(function () {
         $scope.notifications.refresh();
     });
-
-    Client.onReconnect(function () {
-        $scope.notifications.refresh();
-    });
 }]);