diff --git a/public/css/style.less b/public/css/style.less
index 5d406dd732..5cb9d0b0ff 100644
--- a/public/css/style.less
+++ b/public/css/style.less
@@ -722,4 +722,15 @@ body .navbar .nodebb-inline-block {
 	  max-width:200px;
 	  max-height:60px;
 	}
+}
+
+.username-field {
+	.icon-circle {
+		font-size: 12px;
+		color: green;
+	}
+	.icon-circle-blank {
+		font-size: 12px;
+		color: red;
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/src/ajaxify.js b/public/src/ajaxify.js
index abd7405c9f..19a5fd123f 100644
--- a/public/src/ajaxify.js
+++ b/public/src/ajaxify.js
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ var ajaxify = {};
 					callback();
 				}
 				
+				app.process_page();
+				
 				jQuery('#content, #footer').fadeIn(200);
 			}, url, template);
 
diff --git a/public/src/app.js b/public/src/app.js
index 6cc39b60b7..c5a2f58bc9 100644
--- a/public/src/app.js
+++ b/public/src/app.js
@@ -277,6 +277,35 @@ var socket,
 		app.current_room = room;
 	};
 
+	app.process_page = function() {
+
+		function populate_online_users() {
+			var uids = [];
+
+			jQuery('.post-row').each(function() {
+				uids.push(this.getAttribute('data-uid'));
+			});
+			
+			socket.emit('api:user.get_online_users', uids);
+		}
+
+
+		populate_online_users();
+
+	}
+
+	socket.on('api:user.get_online_users', function(users) {
+		jQuery('.username-field').each(function() {
+			var uid = jQuery(this).parents('li').attr('data-uid');
+			
+			if (uid && jQuery.inArray(uid, users) !== -1) {
+				jQuery(this).prepend('<i class="icon-circle"></i>');
+			} else {
+				jQuery(this).prepend('<i class="icon-circle-blank"></i>');
+			}
+		});
+	});
+
 	jQuery('document').ready(function() {
 		app.enter_room('global');
 
diff --git a/public/templates/category.tpl b/public/templates/category.tpl
index 9cf185e487..5640a9254e 100644
--- a/public/templates/category.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/category.tpl
@@ -5,12 +5,16 @@
 		<div id="category_active_users"></div>
 	</ul>
 </div>
+<div class="alert alert-warning hide" id="category-no-topics">
+	<strong>There are no topics in this category.</strong><br />
+	Why don't you try posting one?
+</div>
 <div class="category row">
 
 	<div class="span9">
 		<ul id="topics-container">
 		<!-- BEGIN topics -->
-		<a href="../../topic/{topics.slug}"><li class="{topics.deleted-class}">
+		<a href="../../topic/{topics.slug}"><li class="category-item {topics.deleted-class}">
 			<div class="row-fluid">
 				<div class="span1 thread-rating hidden-phone hidden-tablet">
 					<span>
@@ -90,6 +94,11 @@
 		'event:new_topic'
 	]);
 
+	if (jQuery('.category-item').length == 0) {
+		jQuery('.category.row').hide();
+		jQuery('#category-no-topics').show();
+	}
+
 	socket.on('event:new_topic', function(data) {
 		var html = templates.prepare(templates['category'].blocks['topics']).parse({ topics: [data] }),
 			topic = document.createElement('div'),
diff --git a/public/templates/home.tpl b/public/templates/home.tpl
index 178df93dca..736b993be5 100644
--- a/public/templates/home.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/home.tpl
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 	<!-- BEGIN categories -->
 	<div class="span3">
 		<a href="category/{categories.slug}">
-			<h4>{categories.name} <span class="badge badge-important">3</span></h4>
+			<h4>{categories.name} <span class="badge {categories.badgeclass}">{categories.topic_count}</span></h4>
 			<!-- {categories.description} -->
 			<div class="category-icon {categories.blockclass}">
 				<i class="{categories.icon} icon-4x"></i>
diff --git a/public/templates/topic.tpl b/public/templates/topic.tpl
index ae9933f102..cef7b2a962 100644
--- a/public/templates/topic.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/topic.tpl
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 
 	<!-- BEGIN main_posts -->
-		<li class="row main-post" data-pid="{main_posts.pid}" data-deleted="{main_posts.deleted}">
+		<li class="row post-row main-post" data-pid="{main_posts.pid}" data-uid="{main_posts.uid}" data-deleted="{main_posts.deleted}">
 			<div class="span12">
 				<div class="post-block">
 					<a class="main-avatar" href="/users/{main_posts.username}">
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
 					<hr />
 					<small>
-						posted {main_posts.relativeTime} ago by <strong><a href="/users/{main_posts.username}">{main_posts.username}</a></strong>
+						posted {main_posts.relativeTime} ago by <strong><a href="/users/{main_posts.username}" class="username-field">{main_posts.username}</a></strong>
 						<span class="{main_posts.edited-class}"><i class="icon-edit" title="edited by {main_posts.editor} {main_posts.relativeEditTime} ago"></i></span>
 					</small>
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 	<!-- END main_posts -->
 
 	<!-- BEGIN posts -->
-		<li class="row" data-pid="{posts.pid}" data-uid="{posts.uid}" data-deleted="{posts.deleted}">
+		<li class="row post-row" data-pid="{posts.pid}" data-uid="{posts.uid}" data-deleted="{posts.deleted}">
 			<div class="span1 profile-image-block visible-desktop">
 				<!--<i class="icon-spinner icon-spin icon-2x pull-left"></i>-->
 				<a href="/users/{posts.username}">
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 							<div id="favs_{posts.pid}_{posts.uid}" class="favourite hidden-phone"><span class="post_rep_{posts.pid}">{posts.post_rep}</span><i class="{posts.fav_star_class}"></i></div>
 							<div class="post_reply"><i class="icon-reply"></i></div>
 						</span>
-						<img class="hidden-desktop" src="{posts.gravatar}?s=10" align="left" /> posted by <strong><a href="/users/{posts.username}">{posts.username}</a></strong> {posts.relativeTime} ago
+						<img class="hidden-desktop" src="{posts.gravatar}?s=10" align="left" /> posted by <strong><a class="username-field" href="/users/{posts.username}">{posts.username}</a></strong> {posts.relativeTime} ago
 						<span class="{posts.edited-class} hidden-phone">| last edited by <strong><a href="/users/{posts.editor}">{posts.editor}</a></strong> {posts.relativeEditTime} ago</span>
 						<span class="{posts.edited-class}"><i class="icon-edit visible-phone" title="edited by {posts.editor} {posts.relativeEditTime} ago"></i></span>
 					</div>
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@
 			}
 		});
 
+
 		$('.post-container').delegate('.edit', 'click', function(e) {
 			var pid = ($(this).attr('id') || $(this.parentNode).attr('id')).split('_')[1];
 			app.open_post_window('edit', "{topic_id}", "{topic_name}", pid);
@@ -297,6 +298,7 @@
 			'event:topic_moved', 'event:post_edited', 'event:post_deleted', 'event:post_restored',
 			'api:posts.favourite'
 		]);
+
 		socket.on('api:get_users_in_room', function(users) {
 			var anonymous = users.anonymous,
 				usernames = users.usernames,
@@ -337,6 +339,8 @@
 				.fadeIn('slow');
 
 			set_up_posts(uniqueid);
+			
+			addCommasToNumbers();
 		});
 
 		socket.on('event:topic_deleted', function(data) {
diff --git a/src/categories.js b/src/categories.js
index 6a6adc8c9e..955a348ae6 100644
--- a/src/categories.js
+++ b/src/categories.js
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 		// just a reminder to self that name + slugs are stored into topics data as well.
 	};
 
-	Categories.get = function(callback) {
+	Categories.get = function(callback, current_user) {
 		RDB.lrange('categories:cid', 0, -1, function(err, cids) {
 			RDB.handle(err);
-			Categories.get_category(cids, callback);
+			Categories.get_category(cids, callback, current_user);
 		});
 	}
 
@@ -79,12 +79,29 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 		});
 	}
 
-	Categories.get_category = function(cids, callback) {
+
+	Categories.hasReadCategories = function(cids, uid, callback) {
+		var batch = RDB.multi();
+
+		for (var i=0, ii=cids.length; i<ii; i++) {
+			batch.sismember('cid:' + cids[i] + ':read_by_uid', uid);	
+		}
+		
+		batch.exec(function(err, hasRead) {
+			callback(hasRead);
+		});
+	}
+
+
+
+	Categories.get_category = function(cids, callback, current_user) {
 		var name = [],
 			description = [],
 			icon = [],
 			blockclass = [],
-			slug = [];
+			slug = [],
+			topic_count = [],
+			has_read = {};
 
 		for (var i=0, ii=cids.length; i<ii; i++) {
 			name.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':name');
@@ -92,6 +109,7 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 			icon.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':icon');
 			blockclass.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':blockclass');
 			slug.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':slug');
+			topic_count.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':topiccount');
 		}
 
 		if (cids.length > 0) {
@@ -101,26 +119,39 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 				.mget(icon)
 				.mget(blockclass)
 				.mget(slug)
+				.mget(topic_count)
 				.exec(function(err, replies) {
 					name = replies[0];
 					description = replies[1];
 					icon = replies[2];
 					blockclass = replies[3];
 					slug = replies[4];
+					topic_count = replies[5];
+
 					
-					var categories = [];
-					for (var i=0, ii=cids.length; i<ii; i++) {
-						categories.push({
-							'name' : name[i],
-							'cid' : cids[i],
-							'slug' : slug[i],
-							'description' : description[i],
-							'blockclass' : blockclass[i],
-							'icon' : icon[i]
-						});
+					function generateCategories() {
+						var categories = [];
+						for (var i=0, ii=cids.length; i<ii; i++) {
+							categories.push({
+								'name' : name[i],
+								'cid' : cids[i],
+								'slug' : slug[i],
+								'description' : description[i],
+								'blockclass' : blockclass[i],
+								'icon' : icon[i],
+								'badgeclass' : (!topic_count[i] || (has_read[i] && current_user !=0)) ? '' : 'badge-important',
+								'topic_count' : topic_count[i] || 0
+							});
+						}
+
+						callback({'categories': categories});
 					}
 
-					callback({'categories': categories});
+					Categories.hasReadCategories(cids, current_user, function(read_data) {
+						has_read = read_data;
+						generateCategories();
+					});
+					
 				});
 		} else callback({'categories' : []});
 	};
diff --git a/src/posts.js b/src/posts.js
index 6b787a0498..ba657753f7 100644
--- a/src/posts.js
+++ b/src/posts.js
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ marked.setOptions({
 	}
 
 	Posts.get_cid_by_pid = function(pid, callback) {
-		Posts.get_tid(pid, function(tid) {
+		Posts.get_tid_by_pid(pid, function(tid) {
 			if (tid) topics.get_cid_by_tid(tid, function(cid) {
 				if (cid) callback(cid);
 				else callback(false);
@@ -220,6 +220,9 @@ marked.setOptions({
 				RDB.rpush('tid:' + tid + ':posts', pid);
 
 				RDB.del('tid:' + tid + ':read_by_uid'); // let everybody know there is an unread post
+				Posts.get_cid_by_pid(pid, function(cid) {
+					RDB.del('cid:' + cid + ':read_by_uid');
+				});
 
 				// Re-add the poster, so he/she does not get an "unread" flag on this topic
 				topics.markAsRead(tid, uid);
diff --git a/src/redis.js b/src/redis.js
index 77382029cf..e03de19fb7 100644
--- a/src/redis.js
+++ b/src/redis.js
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 		ERROR_LOGS = true,
 
 		redis = require('redis'),
-		config = require('../config.js');
+		config = require('../config.js'),
+		utils = require('./utils.js');
 	
 
 	RedisDB.exports = redis.createClient(config.redis.port, config.redis.host, config.redis.options);
@@ -22,4 +23,18 @@
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	/*
+	* A possibly more efficient way of doing multiple sismember calls
+	*/
+	RedisDB.exports.sismembers = function(key, needles, callback) {
+		var tempkey = key + ':temp:' + utils.generateUUID();
+		RedisDB.exports.sadd(tempkey, needles, function() {
+			RedisDB.exports.sinter(key, tempkey, function(err, data) {
+				RedisDB.exports.del(tempkey);
+				callback(err, data);
+			});
+		});
+	};
+
 }(module));
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/topics.js b/src/topics.js
index fb167a21b0..5a76b2566b 100644
--- a/src/topics.js
+++ b/src/topics.js
@@ -72,9 +72,19 @@ marked.setOptions({
 					callback(false);
 					return;
 				}
+				
 				active_usernames = replies[1];
 				var topics = [];
 
+				if (tids.length == 0) {
+					callback({
+						'category_name' : category_id ? category_name : 'Recent',
+						'show_topic_button' : category_id ? 'show' : 'hidden',
+						'category_id': category_id || 0,
+						'topics' : []
+					});
+				}
+
 				title = replies[2];
 				uid = replies[3];
 				timestamp = replies[4];
@@ -252,7 +262,11 @@ marked.setOptions({
 	}
 
 	Topics.markAsRead = function(tid, uid) {
+		// there is an issue with this fn. if you read a topic that is previously read you will mark the category as read anyways - there is no check
 		RDB.sadd('tid:' + tid + ':read_by_uid', uid);
+		Topics.get_cid_by_tid(tid, function(cid) {
+			RDB.sadd('cid:' + cid + ':read_by_uid', uid);
+		});
 	}
 
 	Topics.hasReadTopics = function(tids, uid, callback) {
@@ -391,6 +405,9 @@ marked.setOptions({
 				timeout: 2000
 			});
 
+			// let everyone know that there is an unread topic in this category
+			RDB.del('cid:' + category_id + ':read_by_uid');
+
 			// in future it may be possible to add topics to several categories, so leaving the door open here.
 			RDB.sadd('categories:' + category_id + ':tid', tid);
 			RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':cid', category_id);
@@ -399,6 +416,7 @@ marked.setOptions({
 				RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':category_slug', data.categories[0].slug);
 			});
 
+			RDB.incr('cid:' + category_id + ':topiccount');
 		});
 	};
 
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index 9f9faec16c..c57ed091c9 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -660,7 +660,22 @@ var config = require('../config.js'),
 				}
 			});
 		}
-	}
+	};
+
+	User.get_online_users = function(socket, uids) {
+		RDB.sismembers('users:online', uids, function(err, data) {
+			socket.emit('api:user.get_online_users', data);
+		});		
+	};
+
+	User.go_online = function(uid) {
+		RDB.sadd('users:online', uid);
+	};
+
+	User.go_offline = function(uid) {
+		RDB.srem('users:online', uid);
+	};
+
 
 	User.active = {
 		get_record : function(socket) {
diff --git a/src/webserver.js b/src/webserver.js
index b9a7269a1f..90356b191e 100644
--- a/src/webserver.js
+++ b/src/webserver.js
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ var express = require('express'),
 			case 'home' :
 					categories.get(function(data) {
 						res.send(JSON.stringify(data));
-					});
+					}, (req.user) ? req.user.uid : 0);
 				break;
 			case 'login' :
 					var data = {},
diff --git a/src/websockets.js b/src/websockets.js
index 3d10d05718..87ae6e68b1 100644
--- a/src/websockets.js
+++ b/src/websockets.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ var SocketIO = require('socket.io').listen(global.server,{log:false}),
 		var hs = socket.handshake;
 		
 		var uid = users[hs.sessionID];
+		user.go_online(uid);
 		
 		
 		/*process.on('uncaughtException', function(err) {
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ var SocketIO = require('socket.io').listen(global.server,{log:false}),
 		socket.emit('event:connect', {status: 1});
 		
 		socket.on('disconnect', function() {
+			user.go_offline(uid);
       		delete users[hs.sessionID];
    		});
 
@@ -154,6 +156,10 @@ var SocketIO = require('socket.io').listen(global.server,{log:false}),
 			user.reset.commit(socket, data.code, data.password);
 		});
 
+		socket.on('api:user.get_online_users', function(data) {
+			user.get_online_users(socket, data);
+		});
+
 		socket.on('api:topics.post', function(data) {
 			topics.post(socket, uid, data.title, data.content, data.category_id);
 		});