diff --git a/lib/actions/index.js b/lib/actions/index.js
index 8a0fa3b7..432a4b01 100644
--- a/lib/actions/index.js
+++ b/lib/actions/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+import {INIT} from '../constants/index';
 import rpc from '../rpc';
 
 export function init() {
   rpc.emit('init');
+  return {
+    type: INIT
+  }
 }
diff --git a/lib/actions/notifications.js b/lib/actions/notifications.js
index 10cddfd7..b33e1f8d 100644
--- a/lib/actions/notifications.js
+++ b/lib/actions/notifications.js
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-import {NOTIFICATION_DISMISS} from '../constants/notifications';
+import ms from 'ms';
+import {version} from '../../package';
+import {satisfies} from 'semver';
+import {remote} from 'electron';
+import {
+  NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE,
+  NOTIFICATION_DISMISS
+} from '../constants/notifications';
 
 export function dismissNotification(id) {
   return {
@@ -6,3 +13,59 @@ export function dismissNotification(id) {
     id
   };
 }
+
+export function addNotificationMessage(text, url = null, dismissable = true) {
+  return {
+    type: NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE,
+    text,
+    url,
+    dismissable
+  };
+}
+
+export function fetchNotifications() {
+  return dispatch => {
+    const retry = err => {
+      setTimeout(() => dispatch(fetchNotifications()), ms(err ? '10s' : '5m'));
+      if (err) {
+        console.error('Notification messages fetch error', err.stack);
+      }
+    };
+
+    console.log('Checking for notification messages');
+    fetch('https://hyper-news.now.sh')
+    .then(res => {
+      res.json()
+      .then(data => {
+        const {messages} = data || {};
+        if (!messages) {
+          throw new Error('Bad response');
+        }
+        const message = messages.filter(msg => {
+          return matchVersion(msg.versions);
+        })[0];
+        if (message) {
+          dispatch(addNotificationMessage(
+            message.text,
+            message.url,
+            message.dismissable
+          ));
+        } else {
+          console.log('No matching notification messages');
+        }
+        retry();
+      })
+      .catch(retry);
+    })
+    .catch(retry);
+  };
+}
+
+function matchVersion(versions) {
+  return versions.some(v => {
+    if (v === '*') {
+      return true;
+    }
+    return satisfies(version, v);
+  });
+}
diff --git a/lib/components/notification.js b/lib/components/notification.js
index e57f127e..ada20b62 100644
--- a/lib/components/notification.js
+++ b/lib/components/notification.js
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ export default class Notification extends Component {
           <a
             className={css('dismissLink')}
             onClick={this.handleDismiss}
+            style={{ color: this.props.userDismissColor }}
             >[x]</a> :
           null
       }
diff --git a/lib/components/notifications.js b/lib/components/notifications.js
index 5569e3b3..c61697f5 100644
--- a/lib/components/notifications.js
+++ b/lib/components/notifications.js
@@ -36,6 +36,34 @@ export default class Notifications extends Component {
             />
       }
 
+      {
+        this.props.messageShowing &&
+          <Notification
+            key="message"
+            backgroundColor="#FE354E"
+            text={this.props.messageText}
+            onDismiss={this.props.onDismissMessage}
+            userDismissable={this.props.messageDismissable}
+            userDismissColor="#AA2D3C"
+            >{
+              this.props.messageURL ? [
+                this.props.messageText,
+                ' (',
+                <a
+                  key="link"
+                  style={{color: '#fff'}}
+                  onClick={ev => {
+                    window.require('electron').shell.openExternal(ev.target.href);
+                    ev.preventDefault();
+                  }}
+                  href={this.props.messageURL}
+                  >more</a>,
+                ')'
+              ] : null
+            }
+          </Notification>
+      }
+
       {
         this.props.updateShowing &&
           <Notification
diff --git a/lib/constants/notifications.js b/lib/constants/notifications.js
index c37e6904..b1387d1c 100644
--- a/lib/constants/notifications.js
+++ b/lib/constants/notifications.js
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
+export const NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE = 'NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE';
 export const NOTIFICATION_DISMISS = 'NOTIFICATION_DISMISS';
diff --git a/lib/containers/notifications.js b/lib/containers/notifications.js
index 53127aa1..f761d611 100644
--- a/lib/containers/notifications.js
+++ b/lib/containers/notifications.js
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ const NotificationsContainer = connect(
         updateVersion: ui.updateVersion,
         updateNote: ui.updateNotes.split('\n')[0]
       });
+    } else if (notifications.message) {
+      Object.assign(state_, {
+        messageShowing: true,
+        messageText: ui.messageText,
+        messageURL: ui.messageURL,
+        messageDismissable: ui.messageDismissable
+      });
     }
 
     return state_;
@@ -51,6 +58,9 @@ const NotificationsContainer = connect(
       onDismissUpdate: () => {
         dispatch(dismissNotification('updates'));
       },
+      onDismissMessage: () => {
+        dispatch(dismissNotification('message'));
+      },
       onUpdateInstall: () => {
         dispatch(installUpdate());
       }
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index aec419ca..818bf2df 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import * as uiActions from './actions/ui';
 import * as updaterActions from './actions/updater';
 import * as sessionActions from './actions/sessions';
 import * as termGroupActions from './actions/term-groups';
+import {fetchNotifications} from './actions/notifications';
 import HyperTermContainer from './containers/hyperterm';
 import {loadConfig, reloadConfig} from './actions/config';
 import configureStore from './store/configure-store';
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ config.subscribe(() => {
 // and subscribe to all user intents for example from menus
 rpc.on('ready', () => {
   store_.dispatch(init());
+  store_.dispatch(fetchNotifications());
   store_.dispatch(uiActions.setFontSmoothing());
 });
 
diff --git a/lib/reducers/ui.js b/lib/reducers/ui.js
index cd74901e..4a108c85 100644
--- a/lib/reducers/ui.js
+++ b/lib/reducers/ui.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   UI_WINDOW_MAXIMIZE,
   UI_WINDOW_UNMAXIMIZE
 } from '../constants/ui';
-import {NOTIFICATION_DISMISS} from '../constants/notifications';
+import {NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE, NOTIFICATION_DISMISS} from '../constants/notifications';
 import {
   SESSION_ADD,
   SESSION_RESIZE,
@@ -62,13 +62,17 @@ const initial = Immutable({
   notifications: {
     font: false,
     resize: false,
-    updates: false
+    updates: false,
+    message: false
   },
   foregroundColor: '#fff',
   backgroundColor: '#000',
   maximized: false,
   updateVersion: null,
   updateNotes: null,
+  messageText: null,
+  messageURL: null,
+  messageDismissable: null,
   bell: 'SOUND',
   bellSoundURL: 'lib-resource:hterm/audio/bell',
   copyOnSelect: false,
@@ -273,6 +277,14 @@ const reducer = (state = initial, action) => {
       }, {deep: true});
       break;
 
+    case NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE:
+      state_ = state.merge({
+        messageText: action.text,
+        messageURL: action.url || null,
+        messageDismissable: action.dismissable === true
+      });
+      break;
+
     case UPDATE_AVAILABLE:
       state_ = state.merge({
         updateVersion: action.version,
@@ -296,6 +308,10 @@ const reducer = (state = initial, action) => {
     state_ = state_.merge({notifications: {resize: true}}, {deep: true});
   }
 
+  if (state.messageText !== state_.messageText || state.messageURL !== state_.messageURL) {
+    state_ = state_.merge({notifications: {message: true}}, {deep: true});
+  }
+
   if (state.updateVersion !== state_.updateVersion) {
     state_ = state_.merge({notifications: {updates: true}}, {deep: true});
   }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 55ddf17e..c2e03edb 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "hyperterm",
-  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "version": "0.8.0",
   "description": "Web app that runs in the renderer process",
   "repository": "zeit/hyperterm",
   "license": "MIT",
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@
     "redux": "3.6.0",
     "redux-thunk": "2.1.0",
     "reselect": "2.5.4",
-    "uuid": "2.0.2",
-    "seamless-immutable": "6.1.3"
+    "seamless-immutable": "6.1.3",
+    "semver": "5.3.0",
+    "uuid": "2.0.2"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "ava": "^0.16.0",