diff --git a/services/notifications/app.coffee b/services/notifications/app.coffee
index 96f91d645e..e831015aba 100644
--- a/services/notifications/app.coffee
+++ b/services/notifications/app.coffee
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ logger = require 'logger-sharelatex'
 logger.initialize("notifications-sharelatex")
 express = require('express')
 app = express()
-controller = require("./app/js/NotificationController")
+controller = require("./app/js/NotificationsController")
 mongojs = require('mongojs')
 db = mongojs(Settings.mongo.url, ['notifications'])
 Path = require("path")
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ app.configure ()->
 	app.use express.errorHandler()
 
 app.post '/user/:user_id', controller.addNotification
-app.get '/user/:user_id', controller.getUsersNotifications
-app.del '/user/:user_id/notification_id/:notification_id', controller.removeNotification
+app.get '/user/:user_id', controller.getUserNotifications
+app.del '/user/:user_id/notification/:notification_id', controller.removeNotification
 
 app.get '/status', (req, res)->
 	res.send('notifications sharelatex up')
diff --git a/services/notifications/app/coffee/HealthCheckController.coffee b/services/notifications/app/coffee/HealthCheckController.coffee
index 81fc1f55e6..a10ecafaa3 100644
--- a/services/notifications/app/coffee/HealthCheckController.coffee
+++ b/services/notifications/app/coffee/HealthCheckController.coffee
@@ -6,18 +6,20 @@ settings = require("settings-sharelatex")
 port = settings.internal.notifications.port
 logger = require "logger-sharelatex"
 
+mongojs = require('mongojs')
+Settings = require 'settings-sharelatex'
+db = mongojs(Settings.mongo?.url, ['notifications'])
 
 module.exports = 
 	check : (callback)->
-		project_id = ObjectId()
 		user_id = ObjectId(settings.notifications.healthCheck.user_id)
-		notification_key = "smoke-test-notification"
+		notification_key = "smoke-test-notification-#{ObjectId()}"
 		getOpts = (endPath)-> {url:"http://localhost:#{port}/user/#{user_id}#{endPath}", timeout:3000}
 		logger.log user_id:user_id, opts:getOpts(), key:notification_key, user_id:user_id, "running health check"
 		jobs = [
 			(cb)->
 				opts = getOpts("/")
-				opts.json = {key: notification_key, messageOpts:'', templateKey:'', user_id:user_id}
+				opts.json = {key: notification_key, messageOpts:'', templateKey:'f4g5', user_id:user_id}
 				request.post(opts, cb)
 			(cb)->
 				opts = getOpts("/")
@@ -27,14 +29,18 @@ module.exports =
 						return cb("status code not 200, its #{res.statusCode}")
 
 					hasNotification = _.some body, (notification)-> 
-						notification.key == notification_key and _.contains(notification.user_id, user_id.toString())
+						notification.key == notification_key and notification.user_id == user_id.toString()
 					if hasNotification
-						cb()
+						cb(null,body)
 					else
+						logger.log body:body, "what is in the body"
 						cb("notification not found in response")
 		]
-		async.series jobs, (err)->
+		async.series jobs, (err, body)->
 			if err?
 				callback(err)
-			opts = getOpts("/notification_id/#{notification_id}")
-			request.del opts, callback
+			else
+				notification_id = body[1][0]._id
+				opts = getOpts("/notification/#{notification_id}")
+				request.del opts, (err, res, body)->
+					db.notifications.remove {_id:ObjectId(notification_id)}, callback
diff --git a/services/notifications/app/coffee/Notifications.coffee b/services/notifications/app/coffee/Notifications.coffee
index d89edbfe94..9d61452e81 100644
--- a/services/notifications/app/coffee/Notifications.coffee
+++ b/services/notifications/app/coffee/Notifications.coffee
@@ -2,25 +2,37 @@ Settings = require 'settings-sharelatex'
 logger = require('logger-sharelatex')
 mongojs = require('mongojs')
 db = mongojs(Settings.mongo?.url, ['notifications'])
+ObjectId = require("mongojs").ObjectId
 
 module.exports =
 
-	getUserUnreadNotifications: (user_id, callback = (err, user)->)->
-		db.notifications.find {"user_id" : user_id}, (err, user)->
-			callback err, user
+	getUserNotifications: (user_id, callback = (err, notifications)->)->
+		query =
+			user_id: user_id
+			templateKey: {"$exists":true}
+		db.notifications.find query, (err, notifications)->
+			callback err, notifications
 
 	addNotification: (user_id, notification, callback)->
-		doc = 
+		query =
 			user_id: user_id
 			key: notification.key
-			messageOpts: notification.messageOpts
-			templateKey: notification.templateKey
-		db.notifications.insert(doc, callback)
+		db.notifications.count query, (err, number)->
+			if number > 0
+				logger.log number:number, user_id:user_id, key:notification.key, "alredy has notification key for user"
+				callback number
+			else
+				doc = 
+					user_id: user_id
+					key: notification.key
+					messageOpts: notification.messageOpts
+					templateKey: notification.templateKey
+				db.notifications.insert(doc, callback)
 
-	removeNotification: (user_id, notification_key, callback)->
+	removeNotification: (user_id, notification_id, callback)->
 		searchOps = 
 			user_id:user_id
-			key:notification_key
+			_id:ObjectId(notification_id)
 		updateOperation = 
-			"$set": {read:true}
+			"$unset": {templateKey:true}
 		db.notifications.update searchOps, updateOperation, callback
diff --git a/services/notifications/app/coffee/NotificationsController.coffee b/services/notifications/app/coffee/NotificationsController.coffee
index 52772ccbaf..035cf6d3ec 100644
--- a/services/notifications/app/coffee/NotificationsController.coffee
+++ b/services/notifications/app/coffee/NotificationsController.coffee
@@ -5,15 +5,18 @@ module.exports =
 
 	getUserNotifications: (req, res)->
 		logger.log user_id: req.params.user_id, "getting user unread notifications"
-		Notifications.getUserUnreadNotifications req.params.user_id, (err, notifications)->
+		Notifications.getUserNotifications req.params.user_id, (err, notifications)->
 			res.json(notifications)
 
 	addNotification: (req, res)->
 		logger.log user_id: req.params.user_id, notification:req.body, "adding notification"
 		Notifications.addNotification req.params.user_id, req.body, (err, notifications)->
-			res.send()
+			if err?
+				res.send 500
+			else
+				res.send()
 
-	removeNotificacion: (req, res)->
-		logger.log user_id: req.params.user_id, notification_key:req.params.key "removing notification"
-		Notifications.removeNotification req.params.user_id, req.params.key, (err, notifications)->
+	removeNotification: (req, res)->
+		logger.log user_id: req.params.user_id, notification_id: req.params.notification_id, "removing notification"
+		Notifications.removeNotification req.params.user_id, req.params.notification_id, (err, notifications)->
 			res.send()