diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/notification-item.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/notification-item.js.es6
index 40bf11f0232..c587e12b6d0 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/notification-item.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/notification-item.js.es6
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ export default Ember.Component.extend({
     var notification = this.get('notification'),
         text = I18n.t(this.get('scope'), Em.getProperties(notification, 'description', 'username'));
 
-    buffer.push('<a href="' + notification.get('url') + '">' + text + '</a>');
+    var url = notification.get('url');
+    if (url) {
+      buffer.push('<a href="' + notification.get('url') + '">' + text + '</a>');
+    } else {
+      buffer.push(text);
+    }
   }
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/header.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/header.js.es6
index 0a6af7f6e53..90798d38f6b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/header.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/header.js.es6
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ export default Discourse.Controller.extend({
   topic: null,
   showExtraInfo: null,
   notifications: null,
-  loading_notifications: null,
+  loadingNotifications: false,
 
   showStarButton: function() {
     return Discourse.User.current() && !this.get('topic.isPrivateMessage');
   }.property('topic.isPrivateMessage'),
 
-  resetCachedNotifications: function(){
+  _resetCachedNotifications: function(){
     // a bit hacky, but if we have no focus, hide notifications first
     var visible = $("#notifications-dropdown").is(":visible");
 
@@ -36,18 +36,16 @@ export default Discourse.Controller.extend({
 
   refreshNotifications: function(){
     var self = this;
+    if (self.get("loadingNotifications")) { return; }
 
-    if(self.get("loading_notifications")){return;}
-
-    self.set("loading_notifications", true);
+    self.set("loadingNotifications", true);
     Discourse.ajax("/notifications").then(function(result) {
-      self.set('currentUser.unread_notifications', 0);
       self.setProperties({
-        notifications: result,
-        loading_notifications: false
+        'currentUser.unread_notifications': 0,
+        notifications: result
       });
-    }, function(){
-      self.set("loading_notifications", false);
+    }).finally(function(){
+      self.set("loadingNotifications", false);
     });
   },
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/notification.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/notification.js.es6
index f4d6e970da1..bd49498e149 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/notification.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/notification.js.es6
@@ -17,15 +17,18 @@ export default Discourse.ObjectController.extend({
     if (badgeId) {
       var badgeName = this.safe("data.badge_name");
       return '/badges/' + badgeId + '/' + badgeName.replace(/[^A-Za-z0-9_]+/g, '-').toLowerCase();
-    } else {
-      return Discourse.Utilities.postUrl(this.safe("slug"), this.safe("topic_id"), this.safe("post_number"));
     }
-  }.property("data.@{badge_id, badge_name}", "slug", "topic_id", "post_number"),
+
+    var topicId = this.safe('topic_id');
+    if (topicId) {
+      return Discourse.Utilities.postUrl(this.safe("slug"), topicId, this.safe("post_number"));
+    }
+  }.property("data.{badge_id, badge_name}", "slug", "topic_id", "post_number"),
 
   description: function () {
     var badgeName = this.safe("data.badge_name");
     if (badgeName) { return badgeName; }
     return this.blank("data.topic_title") ? "" : this.safe("data.topic_title");
-  }.property("data.@{badge_name, topic_title}")
+  }.property("data.{badge_name, topic_title}")
 
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/notifications.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/notifications.js.es6
index 9276251382d..300d22b01a4 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/notifications.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/notifications.js.es6
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 export default Ember.ArrayController.extend(Discourse.HasCurrentUser, {
   needs: ['header'],
-  itemController: "notification"
+  loadingNotifications: Em.computed.alias('controllers.header.loadingNotifications')
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/notifications.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/notifications.js.handlebars
index 1ad8a997be0..e2220200519 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/notifications.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/notifications.js.handlebars
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 <section class="d-dropdown" id="notifications-dropdown">
-  {{#unless controllers.header.loading_notifications}}
+  {{#unless loadingNotifications}}
     {{#if content}}
       <ul>
-        {{#each}}
+        {{#each itemController="notification"}}
           {{notification-item notification=this scope=scope}}
         {{/each}}
         <li class="read last">
diff --git a/test/javascripts/controllers/notifications-test.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/controllers/notifications-test.js.es6
index f30af6f0a5d..ed87b1d43f3 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/controllers/notifications-test.js.es6
+++ b/test/javascripts/controllers/notifications-test.js.es6
@@ -5,7 +5,3 @@ moduleFor('controller:notifications', 'controller:notifications', {
 test("mixes in HasCurrentUser", function() {
   ok(Discourse.HasCurrentUser.detect(this.subject()));
 });
-
-test("by default uses NotificationController as its item controller", function() {
-  equal(this.subject().get("itemController"), "notification");
-});