diff --git a/services/web/app/src/Features/Project/ProjectController.js b/services/web/app/src/Features/Project/ProjectController.js
index 605093cf42..f717ade836 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/Features/Project/ProjectController.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/Features/Project/ProjectController.js
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ const BrandVariationsHandler = require('../BrandVariations/BrandVariationsHandle
 const { getUserAffiliations } = require('../Institutions/InstitutionsAPI')
 const V1Handler = require('../V1/V1Handler')
 const UserController = require('../User/UserController')
-const SystemMessageManager = require('../SystemMessages/SystemMessageManager')
 
 const _ssoAvailable = (affiliation, session, linkedInstitutionIds) => {
   if (!affiliation.institution) return false
@@ -357,9 +356,6 @@ const ProjectController = {
     let noV1Connection = false
     async.parallel(
       {
-        systemMessages(cb) {
-          SystemMessageManager.getMessages(cb)
-        },
         tags(cb) {
           TagsHandler.getAllTags(userId, cb)
         },
@@ -547,7 +543,6 @@ const ProjectController = {
           const viewModel = {
             title: 'your_projects',
             priority_title: true,
-            systemMessages: results.systemMessages,
             projects,
             tags,
             notifications: notifications || [],
diff --git a/services/web/app/src/Features/SystemMessages/SystemMessageController.js b/services/web/app/src/Features/SystemMessages/SystemMessageController.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dace617725
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/app/src/Features/SystemMessages/SystemMessageController.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+const Settings = require('settings-sharelatex')
+const SystemMessageManager = require('./SystemMessageManager')
+
+const ProjectController = {
+  getMessages(req, res, next) {
+    SystemMessageManager.getMessages((err, messages) => {
+      if (err) {
+        next(err)
+      } else {
+        if (!Settings.siteIsOpen) {
+          // Override all messages with notice for admins when site is closed.
+          messages = [
+            {
+              content:
+                'SITE IS CLOSED TO PUBLIC. OPEN ONLY FOR SITE ADMINS. DO NOT EDIT PROJECTS.',
+              _id: 'protected' // prevents hiding message in frontend
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+        res.json(messages || [])
+      }
+    })
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = ProjectController
diff --git a/services/web/app/src/router.js b/services/web/app/src/router.js
index 0634a9d0a6..1b543f4210 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/router.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/router.js
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ const LinkedFilesRouter = require('./Features/LinkedFiles/LinkedFilesRouter')
 const TemplatesRouter = require('./Features/Templates/TemplatesRouter')
 const InstitutionsController = require('./Features/Institutions/InstitutionsController')
 const UserMembershipRouter = require('./Features/UserMembership/UserMembershipRouter')
+const SystemMessageController = require('./Features/SystemMessages/SystemMessageController')
 
 const logger = require('logger-sharelatex')
 const _ = require('underscore')
@@ -108,6 +109,12 @@ function initialize(webRouter, privateApiRouter, publicApiRouter) {
   webRouter.get('/user/activate', UserPagesController.activateAccountPage)
   AuthenticationController.addEndpointToLoginWhitelist('/user/activate')
 
+  webRouter.get(
+    '/system/messages',
+    AuthenticationController.requireLogin(),
+    SystemMessageController.getMessages
+  )
+
   webRouter.get(
     '/user/settings',
     AuthenticationController.requireLogin(),
diff --git a/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug b/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug
index 0c3207bc72..56f89451ce 100644
--- a/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug
+++ b/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ extends ../layout
 block vars
 	- var suppressNavbar = true
 	- var suppressFooter = true
-	- var suppressSystemMessages = true
 	- metadata.robotsNoindexNofollow = true
 
 block content
@@ -49,6 +48,17 @@ block content
 			.div(ng-controller="SavingNotificationController")
 				.alert.alert-warning.small(ng-repeat="(doc_id, state) in docSavingStatus" ng-if="state.unsavedSeconds > 8") #{translate("saving_notification_with_seconds", {docname:"{{ state.doc.name }}", seconds:"{{ state.unsavedSeconds }}"})}
 
+			.div(ng-controller="SystemMessagesController")
+				.alert.alert-warning.system-message(
+					ng-repeat="message in messages"
+					ng-controller="SystemMessageController"
+					ng-hide="hidden"
+				)
+					button(ng-hide="protected",ng-click="hide()").close.pull-right
+						span(aria-hidden="true") ×
+						span.sr-only #{translate("close")}
+					.system-message-content(ng-bind-html="htmlContent")
+
 		include ./editor/left-menu
 
 		#chat-wrapper.full-size(
diff --git a/services/web/app/views/project/importing.pug b/services/web/app/views/project/importing.pug
index e9282fdee0..4674b7b3e2 100644
--- a/services/web/app/views/project/importing.pug
+++ b/services/web/app/views/project/importing.pug
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ extends ../layout
 block vars
 	- var suppressNavbar = true
 	- var suppressFooter = true
-	- var suppressSystemMessages = true
 	- metadata.robotsNoindexNofollow = true
 
 block content
diff --git a/services/web/app/views/project/list.pug b/services/web/app/views/project/list.pug
index 3ff4e764b1..9b2a4d754c 100644
--- a/services/web/app/views/project/list.pug
+++ b/services/web/app/views/project/list.pug
@@ -20,26 +20,19 @@ block content
 		ng-controller="ProjectPageController"
 		role="main"
 	)
-		- if(typeof(suppressSystemMessages) == "undefined")
-			script.
-				window.systemMessages = !{StringHelper.stringifyJsonForScript(systemMessages)};
-			- if(settings.siteIsOpen == false && getSessionUser() && getSessionUser().isAdmin)
-				script.
-					window.systemMessages.push({content: "SITE IS CLOSED TO PUBLIC. OPEN ONLY FOR SITE ADMINS", _id:"siteclosed"})
-
-			.system-messages(
-				ng-cloak
-				ng-controller="SystemMessagesController"
+		.system-messages(
+			ng-cloak
+			ng-controller="SystemMessagesController"
+		)
+			.system-message(
+				ng-repeat="message in messages"
+				ng-controller="SystemMessageController"
+				ng-hide="hidden"
 			)
-				.system-message(
-					ng-repeat="message in messages"
-					ng-controller="SystemMessageController"
-					ng-hide="hidden"
-				)
-					button(ng-click="hide()").close.pull-right
-						span(aria-hidden="true") ×
-						span.sr-only #{translate("close")}
-					.system-message-content(ng-bind-html="htmlContent")
+				button(ng-hide="protected",ng-click="hide()").close.pull-right
+					span(aria-hidden="true") ×
+					span.sr-only #{translate("close")}
+				.system-message-content(ng-bind-html="htmlContent")
 
 			include ../translations/translation_message
 
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/ide.js b/services/web/frontend/js/ide.js
index 151b89252c..02ec401726 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/ide.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/ide.js
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ define([
   'main/event',
   'main/account-upgrade',
   'main/exposed-settings',
+  'main/system-messages',
   '../../modules/modules-ide.js'
 ], function(
   App,
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/main/system-messages.js b/services/web/frontend/js/main/system-messages.js
index f029b8dcca..9007636485 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/main/system-messages.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/main/system-messages.js
@@ -11,18 +11,36 @@
  * Full docs: https://github.com/decaffeinate/decaffeinate/blob/master/docs/suggestions.md
  */
 define(['base'], function(App) {
-  App.controller(
-    'SystemMessagesController',
-    $scope => ($scope.messages = window.systemMessages)
-  )
+  const MESSAGE_POLL_INTERVAL = 15 * 60 * 1000
+  // Controller for messages (array)
+  App.controller('SystemMessagesController', ($http, $scope) => {
+    $scope.messages = window.systemMessages
+    var pollSystemMessages = function() {
+      $http
+        .get('/system/messages')
+        .then(response => {
+          $scope.messages = response.data
+        })
+        .catch(() => {
+          // ignore errors
+        })
+    }
+    pollSystemMessages()
+    setInterval(pollSystemMessages, MESSAGE_POLL_INTERVAL)
+  })
 
+  // Controller for individual message  (show/hide)
   return App.controller('SystemMessageController', function($scope, $sce) {
     $scope.hidden = $.localStorage(`systemMessage.hide.${$scope.message._id}`)
+    $scope.protected = $scope.message._id === 'protected'
     $scope.htmlContent = $scope.message.content
 
     return ($scope.hide = function() {
-      $scope.hidden = true
-      return $.localStorage(`systemMessage.hide.${$scope.message._id}`, true)
+      if (!$scope.protected) {
+        // do not allow protected messages to be hidden
+        $scope.hidden = true
+        return $.localStorage(`systemMessage.hide.${$scope.message._id}`, true)
+      }
     })
   })
 })
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/stylesheets/app/base.less b/services/web/frontend/stylesheets/app/base.less
index c1e574ab21..7f1e8b35b8 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/stylesheets/app/base.less
+++ b/services/web/frontend/stylesheets/app/base.less
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
   background-color: @sys-msg-background;
   color: @sys-msg-color;
   border-bottom: @sys-msg-border;
+  a {
+    color: @sidebar-link-color;
+    text-decoration: underline;
+  }
 }
 
 .system-message .close when (@is-overleaf = true) {
diff --git a/services/web/test/unit/src/Project/ProjectControllerTests.js b/services/web/test/unit/src/Project/ProjectControllerTests.js
index eb93ee32fd..57ecc4f646 100644
--- a/services/web/test/unit/src/Project/ProjectControllerTests.js
+++ b/services/web/test/unit/src/Project/ProjectControllerTests.js
@@ -130,10 +130,6 @@ describe('ProjectController', function() {
       }
     ])
 
-    this.SystemMessageManager = {
-      getMessages: sinon.stub().callsArgWith(0, null, [])
-    }
-
     this.ProjectController = SandboxedModule.require(MODULE_PATH, {
       globals: {
         console: console
@@ -151,7 +147,6 @@ describe('ProjectController', function() {
           inc() {}
         },
         '@overleaf/o-error/http': HttpErrors,
-        '../SystemMessages/SystemMessageManager': this.SystemMessageManager,
         './ProjectDeleter': this.ProjectDeleter,
         './ProjectDuplicator': this.ProjectDuplicator,
         './ProjectCreationHandler': this.ProjectCreationHandler,
@@ -377,14 +372,6 @@ describe('ProjectController', function() {
 
   describe('projectListPage', function() {
     beforeEach(function() {
-      this.systemMessages = [
-        { _id: '42', content: 'Hello from the other side!' },
-        { _id: '1337', content: 'Can you read this?' }
-      ]
-      this.SystemMessageManager.getMessages = sinon
-        .stub()
-        .callsArgWith(0, null, this.systemMessages)
-
       this.tags = [
         { name: 1, project_ids: ['1', '2', '3'] },
         { name: 2, project_ids: ['a', '1'] },
@@ -456,14 +443,6 @@ describe('ProjectController', function() {
       this.ProjectController.projectListPage(this.req, this.res)
     })
 
-    it('should send the systemMessages', function(done) {
-      this.res.render = (pageName, opts) => {
-        opts.systemMessages.should.deep.equal(this.systemMessages)
-        done()
-      }
-      this.ProjectController.projectListPage(this.req, this.res)
-    })
-
     it('should create trigger ip matcher notifications', function(done) {
       this.settings.overleaf = true
       this.res.render = (pageName, opts) => {