diff --git a/test/javascripts/integration/header_test.js b/test/javascripts/integration/header_test.js
index f7ce4f336ab..9740d1bcd71 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/integration/header_test.js
+++ b/test/javascripts/integration/header_test.js
@@ -35,119 +35,37 @@ test("logo", function() {
   });
 });
 
-var notificationsDropdown = function() {
-  return Ember.$("#notifications-dropdown");
-};
+test("notifications dropdown", function() {
+  expect(4);
 
-var notificationFixture = [
-  {
-    notification_type: 1, //mentioned
-    read: false,
-    created_at: "2013-11-03T12:12:12-04:00",
-    post_number: 1, //post number == 1 means no number included in URL
-    topic_id: 1234,
-    slug: "some-topic-title",
-    data: {
-      topic_title: "Some topic title",
-      display_username: "velesin"
-    }
-  },
-  {
-    notification_type: 2, //replied
-    read: true,
-    created_at: "2013-11-02T10:10:10-04:00",
-    post_number: 2, //post number > 1 means number is included in URL
-    topic_id: 1234,
-    slug: "", //no slug == differently formatted URL (hardcoded 'topic/' segment instead of slug)
-    data: {
-      topic_title: "Some topic title",
-      display_username: "velesin"
-    }
-  },
-  {
-    notification_type: 5, //liked
-    read: true,
-    created_at: "2013-11-01T11:11:11-04:00",
-    post_number: 2,
-    topic_id: 1234,
-    slug: "some-topic-title",
-    data: {
-      topic_title: "", //no title == link URL should be empty
-      display_username: "velesin"
-    }
-  }
-];
-
-test("notifications: flow", function() {
-  expect(8);
+  var itemSelector = "#notifications-dropdown li";
 
   Ember.run(function() {
-    Discourse.URL_FIXTURES["/notifications"] = [notificationFixture[0]];
-    Discourse.User.current().set("unread_notifications", 1);
+    Discourse.URL_FIXTURES["/notifications"] = [
+      {
+        notification_type: 2, //replied
+        read: true,
+        post_number: 2,
+        topic_id: 1234,
+        slug: "a-slug",
+        data: {
+          topic_title: "some title",
+          display_username: "velesin"
+        }
+      }
+    ];
   });
 
   visit("/")
-    .then(function() {
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("ul").length, 0, "initially a list of notifications is not loaded");
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("div.none").length, 1, "initially special 'no notifications' message is displayed");
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("div.none").text(), "notifications.none", "'no notifications' message contains proper internationalized text");
-      equal(Discourse.User.current().get("unread_notifications"), 1, "initially current user's unread notification count is not reset");
-    })
-    .click("#user-notifications")
-    .then(function() {
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").length, 2, "after user opens notifications dropdown, notifications are loaded");
-      equal(Discourse.User.current().get("unread_notifications"), 0, "after user opens notifications dropdown, current user's notification count is zeroed");
-    })
-    .then(function() {
-      Ember.run(function() {
-        Discourse.URL_FIXTURES["/notifications"] = [notificationFixture[0], notificationFixture[1]];
-        Discourse.User.current().set("unread_notifications", 1);
-      });
-    })
-    .click("#user-notifications")
-    .then(function() {
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").length, 3, "when user opens notifications dropdown for the second time, notifications are reloaded afresh");
-      equal(Discourse.User.current().get("unread_notifications"), 0, "when user opens notifications dropdown for the second time, current user's notification count is zeroed again");
-    });
-});
-
-test("notifications: when there are no notifications", function() {
-  expect(3);
-
-  Discourse.URL_FIXTURES["/notifications"] = [];
-
-  visit("/")
+  .then(function() {
+    ok(!exists($(itemSelector)), "initially is empty");
+  })
   .click("#user-notifications")
   .then(function() {
-    equal(notificationsDropdown().find("ul").length, 0, "a list of notifications is not displayed");
-    equal(notificationsDropdown().find("div.none").length, 1, "special 'no notifications' message is displayed");
-    equal(notificationsDropdown().find("div.none").text(), "notifications.none", "'no notifications' message contains proper internationalized text");
+    var $items = $(itemSelector);
+
+    ok(exists($items), "is lazily populated after user opens it");
+    ok($items.first().hasClass("read"), "correctly binds items' 'read' class");
+    equal($items.first().html(), 'notifications.replied velesin <a href="/t/a-slug/1234/2">some title</a>', "correctly generates items' content");
   });
 });
-
-test("notifications: content", function() {
-  expect(9);
-
-  Ember.run(function() {
-    Discourse.URL_FIXTURES["/notifications"] = notificationFixture;
-    Discourse.User.current().set("unread_notifications", 2);
-  });
-
-  visit("/")
-    .click("#user-notifications")
-    .then(function() {
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").length, 4, "dropdown contains list items for all notifications plus for additional 'more' link");
-
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").eq(0).attr("class"), "", "list item for unread notification has no class");
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").eq(0).html(), 'notifications.mentioned velesin <a href="/t/some-topic-title/1234">Some topic title</a>', "notification with a slug and for the first post in a topic is rendered correctly");
-
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").eq(1).attr("class"), "read", "list item for read notification has correct class");
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").eq(1).html(), 'notifications.replied velesin <a href="/t/topic/1234/2">Some topic title</a>', "notification without a slug and for a non-first post in a topic is rendered correctly");
-
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").eq(2).html(), 'notifications.liked velesin', "notification without topic title is rendered correctly");
-
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").eq(3).attr("class"), "read last", "list item for 'more' link has correct class");
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").eq(3).find("a").attr("href"), Discourse.User.current().get("path"), "'more' link points to a correct URL");
-      equal(notificationsDropdown().find("li").eq(3).find("a").text(), "notifications.more" + " …", "'more' link has correct text");
-    });
-});