diff --git a/app/scripts/background.js b/app/scripts/background.js
index 4567dc656..a724a87e8 100644
--- a/app/scripts/background.js
+++ b/app/scripts/background.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const EthStore = require('eth-store')
 const PortStream = require('./lib/port-stream.js')
 const MetaMaskProvider = require('web3-provider-engine/zero.js')
 const IdentityStore = require('./lib/idStore')
+const createTxNotification = require('./lib/tx-notification.js')
 
 console.log('ready to roll')
 
@@ -159,13 +160,13 @@ function updateBadge(state){
 //
 
 function addUnconfirmedTx(txParams, cb){
-  chrome.notifications.create({
-    type: 'basic',
-    iconUrl: '/images/icon-128.png',
-    title: 'New Transaction',
-    message: 'click the extension to confirm...',
+  var txId = idStore.addUnconfirmedTransaction(txParams, cb)
+  createTxNotification({
+    title: 'New Unsigned Transaction',
+    txParams: txParams,
+    confirm: idStore.approveTransaction.bind(idStore, txId, noop),
+    cancel: idStore.cancelTransaction.bind(idStore, txId),
   })
-  idStore.addUnconfirmedTransaction(txParams, cb)
 }
 
 //
@@ -204,4 +205,6 @@ function jsonStringifyStream(){
     this.push(JSON.stringify(obj))
     cb()
   })
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+function noop(){}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/scripts/lib/idStore.js b/app/scripts/lib/idStore.js
index f31d4562d..148947cd7 100644
--- a/app/scripts/lib/idStore.js
+++ b/app/scripts/lib/idStore.js
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ IdentityStore.prototype.addUnconfirmedTransaction = function(txParams, cb){
 
   // signal update
   self._didUpdate()
+
+  return txId
 }
 
 // comes from metamask ui
diff --git a/app/scripts/lib/tx-notification.js b/app/scripts/lib/tx-notification.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c7f62408b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/scripts/lib/tx-notification.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+const createId = require('hat')
+const uiUtils = require('metamask-ui/app/util')
+var notificationHandlers = {}
+
+module.exports = createTxNotification
+
+
+// notification button press
+chrome.notifications.onButtonClicked.addListener(function(notificationId, buttonIndex){
+  var handlers = notificationHandlers[notificationId]
+  if (buttonIndex === 0) {
+    handlers.confirm()
+  } else {
+    handlers.cancel()
+  }
+  chrome.notifications.clear(notificationId)
+})
+
+// notification teardown
+chrome.notifications.onClosed.addListener(function(notificationId){
+  delete notificationHandlers[notificationId]
+})
+
+// creation helper
+function createTxNotification(opts){
+  var message = [
+    'to: '+uiUtils.addressSummary(opts.txParams.to),
+    'from: '+uiUtils.addressSummary(opts.txParams.from),
+    'value: '+uiUtils.formatBalance(opts.txParams.value),
+    'data: '+uiUtils.dataSize(opts.txParams.data),
+  ].join('\n')
+
+  var id = createId()
+  chrome.notifications.create(id, {
+    type: 'basic',
+    iconUrl: '/images/icon-128.png',
+    title: opts.title,
+    message: message,
+    buttons: [{
+      title: 'confirm',
+    },{
+      title: 'cancel',
+    }]
+  })
+  notificationHandlers[id] = {
+    confirm: opts.confirm,
+    cancel: opts.cancel,
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 66897523e..9f700e924 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     "ethereumjs-tx": "^1.0.0",
     "ethereumjs-util": "^1.3.5",
     "faux-jax": "git+https://github.com/kumavis/faux-jax.git#c3648de04804f3895c5b4972750cae5b51ddb103",
+    "hat": "0.0.3",
     "inject-css": "^0.1.1",
     "metamask-ui": "^1.5.0",
     "multiplex": "^6.7.0",
diff --git a/svg-notifications.md b/svg-notifications.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bbb74da79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/svg-notifications.md
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+Chrome notifications allow you to show an SVG image via a data-uri
+
+Taking advantage of this might allow us to show nicely formatted notifications
+
+Heres some utilities for preparing the data uri:
+  http://dopiaza.org/tools/datauri/index.php
+  provide text
+  no base64
+  specify mime type: image/svg+xml
+  result should look like:
+  data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%0D%0A%20%20width%3D%271000px%27%20height%3D%27500px%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20200%20100%27%3E%0D%0A%20%20%3Crect%20x%3D%270%27%20y%3D%270%27%20width%3D%27100%25%27%20height%3D%27100%25%27%20fill%3D%27white%27%20%2F%3E%0D%0A%20%20%3Ctext%20x%3D%270%27%20y%3D%2720%27%20font-family%3D%27monospace%27%20font-size%3D%276%27%20fill%3D%27black%27%3E%0D%0A%20%20%20%20%3Ctspan%20x%3D%270%27%20dy%3D%271.2em%27%3EDomain%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fboardroom.to%3C%2Ftspan%3E%0D%0A%20%20%20%20%3Ctspan%20x%3D%270%27%20dy%3D%271.2em%27%3EFrom%3A%20%200xabcdef%3C%2Ftspan%3E%0D%0A%20%20%20%20%3Ctspan%20x%3D%270%27%20dy%3D%271.2em%27%3ETo%3A%20%20%20%200xfedcba%3C%2Ftspan%3E%0D%0A%20%20%20%20%3Ctspan%20x%3D%270%27%20dy%3D%271.2em%27%3EValue%3A%201.025%20Ether%3C%2Ftspan%3E%0D%0A%20%20%20%20%3Ctspan%20x%3D%270%27%20dy%3D%271.2em%27%3EGas%3A%200.025%20Ether%3C%2Ftspan%3E%0D%0A%20%20%3C%2Ftext%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E
+
+build a template using pure svg:
+
+<svg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'
+  width='1000px' height='500px' viewBox='0 0 200 100'>
+  <rect x='0' y='0' width='100%' height='100%' fill='white' />
+  <text x='0' y='20' font-family='monospace' font-size='6' fill='black'>
+    <tspan x='0' dy='1.2em'>Domain: https://boardroom.to</tspan>
+    <tspan x='0' dy='1.2em'>From:  0xabcdef</tspan>
+    <tspan x='0' dy='1.2em'>To:    0xfedcba</tspan>
+    <tspan x='0' dy='1.2em'>Value: 1.025 Ether</tspan>
+    <tspan x='0' dy='1.2em'>Gas: 0.025 Ether</tspan>
+  </text>
+</svg>
+
+or svg-embedded html:
+
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="800" height="500">
+  <rect x='0' y='0' width='100%' height='100%' fill='white' />
+  <foreignObject class="node" x="46" y="22" width="200" height="300">
+    <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
+      <div style="font-size: 120px">
+        The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
+        Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs
+      </div>
+    </body>
+  </foreignObject>
+</svg>
\ No newline at end of file