diff --git a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
index 0dbeac2e8..0c37bf28c 100644
--- a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ class NotificationsController < ApplicationController
   # GET /notifications/1.json
   def show
     @notification = Notification.find(params[:id])
+    @notification.read = true
+    @notification.save
 
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html # show.html.erb
diff --git a/app/views/notifications/index.html.haml b/app/views/notifications/index.html.haml
index 3d5e2dd1e..bb365e90d 100644
--- a/app/views/notifications/index.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/notifications/index.html.haml
@@ -11,9 +11,25 @@
     - @notifications.each do |n|
       - if can? :read, n
         %tr
-          %td= link_to n.sender
-          %td= link_to n.subject, notification_path(n)
-          %td= n.created_at.to_s(:date)
-          %td= link_to 'Delete', n, method: :delete, data: { confirm: 'Are you sure?' }
+          %td
+            - if n.read
+              = link_to n.sender
+            - else
+              %strong= link_to n.sender
+          %td
+            - if n.read
+              = link_to n.subject, notification_path(n)
+            - else
+              %strong= link_to n.subject, notification_path(n)
+          %td
+            - if n.read
+              = n.created_at.to_s(:date)
+            - else
+              %strong= n.created_at.to_s(:date)
+          %td
+            - if n.read
+              = link_to 'Delete', n, method: :delete, data: { confirm: 'Are you sure?' }
+            - else
+              %strong= link_to 'Delete', n, method: :delete, data: { confirm: 'Are you sure?' }
 - else
   You have no messages.
diff --git a/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
index b62dfad83..939ddb443 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ describe NotificationsController do
       get :show, {:id => notification.to_param}
       assigns(:notification).should eq(notification)
     end
+
+    it "marks notifications as read" do
+      notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
+      get :show, {:id => notification.to_param}
+      # we need to fetch it from the db again, can't test against the old one
+      n = Notification.find(notification.id)
+      n.read.should eq true
+    end
   end
 
   describe "DELETE destroy" do