diff --git a/design/notifications.handlebars b/design/notifications.handlebars
index 477bc51..72401c7 100644
--- a/design/notifications.handlebars
+++ b/design/notifications.handlebars
@@ -42,4 +42,4 @@
      {{/if}}{{/each}}
    
     app.pollForPosts();
-</script>
\ No newline at end of file
+</script>
diff --git a/design/partials/note.handlebars b/design/partials/note.handlebars
index 27139b2..7b17205 100644
--- a/design/partials/note.handlebars
+++ b/design/partials/note.handlebars
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
                 </div>
             {{/each}}
             <footer>
+                {{#if note}}
                 <div class="tools">
                     <button onclick='return app.replyTo("{{note.id}}","{{{getUsername actor.id}}}")'>↩️</button>
                     <button class="booster {{#if note.isBoosted}}active{{/if}}" onclick='return app.toggleBoost(this, "{{note.id}}")'>
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@
                         <span class="inactive">☆</span>
                     </button>
                 </div>
+                {{/if}}
                 <a href="{{note.url}}" class="permalink">{{timesince note.published}}</a>
             </footer>
         </div>
diff --git a/lib/UserEvent.js b/lib/UserEvent.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf5a07d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/UserEvent.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { once, EventEmitter } from 'events';
+import debug from 'debug';
+
+const logger = debug('ono:event');
+
+/**
+ * UserEvent - a class for handling real-time event updates
+ */
+export class UserEventClient {
+
+  constructor() {
+    this.emitter = new EventEmitter();
+    this.ac = new AbortController();
+  }
+
+  sendEvent(e, data) {
+    logger('SENDING EVENT ' + data);
+    this.emitter.emit('poll', data);
+  }
+
+  abort() {
+    this.ac.abort();
+    this.ac = new AbortController();
+  }
+
+  async waitForEvent() {
+    const [data] = await once(this.emitter, 'poll', { signal: this.ac.signal });
+    logger('RECEIVED EVENT ' + data);
+  }
+
+}
+
+export const UserEvent = new UserEventClient();
+
diff --git a/lib/account.js b/lib/account.js
index c3fff64..3c49358 100644
--- a/lib/account.js
+++ b/lib/account.js
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ import {
   getActivity,
   createActivity
 } from './notes.js';
+import {
+    UserEvent
+} from '../lib/UserEvent.js';
 
 import debug from 'debug';
 import MarkdownIt from 'markdown-it';
@@ -116,6 +119,9 @@ export const acceptDM = (dm, inboxUser) => {
 
   writeInboxIndex(inboxIndex);
 
+  if (dm.attributedTo !== ActivityPub.actor.id) {
+    UserEvent.sendEvent('dm');
+  }
 }
 
 export const isMyPost = (activity) => {
@@ -228,6 +234,7 @@ export const addNotification = (notification) => {
     notification: notification,
   });
   writeNotifications(notifications);
+  UserEvent.sendEvent('notification');
 }
 
 const writeNotifications = (notifications) => {
diff --git a/public/app.js b/public/app.js
index 57635ad..54c7ec1 100644
--- a/public/app.js
+++ b/public/app.js
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ const getCookie = (name) => {
 }
 
 const app = {
+    firstPoll: true,
     newPosts: 0,
     newNotifications: 0,
     latestPost: (date) => {
@@ -102,12 +103,14 @@ const app = {
 
     },
     pollForPosts: () => {
-        fetch('/private/poll','get').then((json) => {
+        fetch('/private/poll' + (app.firstPoll ? '?nowait=1' : ''),'get').then((json) => {
+            app.firstPoll = false;
             const res = JSON.parse(json);
             app.alertNewPosts(res);
-            setTimeout(() => app.pollForPosts(), 30000); // poll every 5 seconds
+            setTimeout(() => app.pollForPosts(), 1000); // poll every 1 seconds, endpoint will stall until event occurs
         }).catch((err) => {
             console.error(err);
+            setTimeout(() => app.pollForPosts(), 1000); // poll every 1 seconds, endpoint will stall until event occurs
         });
     },
     toggleBoost: (el, postId) => {
@@ -265,4 +268,4 @@ const app = {
         }
         return false;
     }    
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/routes/admin.js b/routes/admin.js
index 167bb0e..5e88058 100644
--- a/routes/admin.js
+++ b/routes/admin.js
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ import {
 import {
     ActivityPub
 } from '../lib/ActivityPub.js';
+import {
+    UserEvent
+} from '../lib/UserEvent.js';
 const logger = debug('ono:admin');
 
 router.get('/index', async (req, res) => {
@@ -38,16 +41,26 @@ router.get('/index', async (req, res) => {
 });
 
 router.get('/poll', async (req, res) => {
-
+    if (!req.query.nowait) {
+        req.on('close', function (err){
+            UserEvent.abort();
+            return;
+        });
+        try {
+            await UserEvent.waitForEvent();
+        } catch(e) {
+            // we got aborted
+        }
+    }
     const sincePosts = new Date(req.cookies.latestPost).getTime();
-    const sinceNotifications = parseInt(req.cookies.latestNotification);
+    const sinceNotifications = parseInt(req.cookies.latestNotification);//.filter((n) => {n.});
+    // notification mechanism used to indicate there are unread posts, but they shouldn't appear in notifications tab
     const notifications = getNotifications().filter((n) => n.time > sinceNotifications);
     const inboxIndex = getInboxIndex();
     const unreadDM = Object.keys(inboxIndex).filter((k) => {
             return !inboxIndex[k].lastRead || inboxIndex[k].lastRead < inboxIndex[k].latest;
     })?.length || 0;
 
-
     const {
         activitystream
     } = await getActivitySince(sincePosts, true);
@@ -545,4 +558,4 @@ router.post('/boost', async (req, res) => {
         });
     }
     writeBoosts(boosts);
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
diff --git a/routes/inbox.js b/routes/inbox.js
index 8cea8a4..e8aa82d 100644
--- a/routes/inbox.js
+++ b/routes/inbox.js
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@ import debug from 'debug';
 import {
     isIndexed
 } from '../lib/storage.js';
+import {
+    UserEvent
+} from '../lib/UserEvent.js';
 const logger = debug('ono:inbox');
 
-
-
 router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
 
     const incomingRequest = req.body;
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
                     } else if (!incomingRequest.object.inReplyTo) {
                         // this is a NEW post - most likely from a follower
                         await createActivity(incomingRequest.object);
+                        UserEvent.sendEvent('msg');
                     } else {
                         // this is a reply
                         // from a following
@@ -180,4 +182,4 @@ router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
         logger('Unknown request format:', incomingRequest);
     }
     return res.status(200).send();
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});