diff --git a/bookwyrm/migrations/0038_auto_20210119_1534.py b/bookwyrm/migrations/0038_auto_20210119_1534.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ac7a0d68f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/migrations/0038_auto_20210119_1534.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Generated by Django 3.0.7 on 2021-01-19 15:34
+
+import django.core.validators
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('bookwyrm', '0037_auto_20210118_1954'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='annualgoal',
+            name='goal',
+            field=models.IntegerField(validators=[django.core.validators.MinValueValidator(1)]),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/bookwyrm/models/user.py b/bookwyrm/models/user.py
index 1e9db4011..79d112062 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/models/user.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/models/user.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
 from django.apps import apps
 from django.contrib.auth.models import AbstractUser
+from django.core.validators import MinValueValidator
 from django.db import models
 from django.dispatch import receiver
 from django.utils import timezone
@@ -226,7 +227,9 @@ class KeyPair(ActivitypubMixin, BookWyrmModel):
 class AnnualGoal(BookWyrmModel):
     ''' set a goal for how many books you read in a year '''
     user = models.ForeignKey('User', on_delete=models.PROTECT)
-    goal = models.IntegerField()
+    goal = models.IntegerField(
+        validators=[MinValueValidator(1)]
+    )
     year = models.IntegerField(default=timezone.now().year)
     privacy = models.CharField(
         max_length=255,
diff --git a/bookwyrm/static/js/shared.js b/bookwyrm/static/js/shared.js
index 55a5c1b20..e8ff9c469 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/static/js/shared.js
+++ b/bookwyrm/static/js/shared.js
@@ -31,8 +31,32 @@ window.onload = function() {
     // hidden submit button in a form
     document.querySelectorAll('.hidden-form input')
         .forEach(t => t.onchange = revealForm);
+
+    // polling
+    document.querySelectorAll('[data-poll]')
+        .forEach(el => polling(el));
 };
 
+function polling(el) {
+    let delay = 10000 + (Math.random() * 1000);
+    setTimeout(function() {
+        fetch('/api/updates/' + el.getAttribute('data-poll'))
+            .then(response => response.json())
+            .then(data => updateCountElement(el, data));
+        polling(el);
+    }, delay, el);
+}
+
+function updateCountElement(el, data) {
+    const currentCount = el.innerText;
+    const count = data[el.getAttribute('data-poll')];
+    if (count != currentCount) {
+        addRemoveClass(el, 'hidden', count < 1);
+        el.innerText = count;
+    }
+}
+
+
 function revealForm(e) {
     var hidden = e.currentTarget.closest('.hidden-form').getElementsByClassName('hidden')[0];
     if (hidden) {
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/layout.html
index 30c8bf7a4..ddbafbb42 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/layout.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/layout.html
@@ -106,17 +106,15 @@
                 </ul>
             </div>
             <div class="navbar-item">
-                <a href="/notifications">
-                    <div class="tags has-addons">
-                        <span class="tag is-medium">
-                            <span class="icon icon-bell" title="Notifications">
-                                <span class="is-sr-only">Notifications</span>
-                            </span>
+                <a href="/notifications" class="tags has-addons">
+                    <span class="tag is-medium">
+                        <span class="icon icon-bell" title="Notifications">
+                            <span class="is-sr-only">Notifications</span>
                         </span>
-                        {% if request.user|notification_count %}
-                        <span class="tag is-danger is-medium">{{ request.user | notification_count }}</span>
-                        {% endif %}
-                    </div>
+                    </span>
+                    <span class="{% if not request.user|notification_count %}hidden {% endif %}tag is-danger is-medium" data-poll="notifications">
+                        {{ request.user | notification_count }}
+                    </span>
                 </a>
             </div>
             {% else %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/goal_form.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/goal_form.html
index bd36f6090..475c5da5c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/goal_form.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/goal_form.html
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
             <label class="label" for="id_goal">Reading goal:</label>
             <div class="field has-addons">
                 <div class="control">
-                    <input type="number" class="input" name="goal" id="id_goal" value="{% if goal %}{{ goal.goal }}{% else %}12{% endif %}">
+                    <input type="number" class="input" name="goal" min="1" id="id_goal" value="{% if goal %}{{ goal.goal }}{% else %}12{% endif %}">
                 </div>
                 <p class="button is-static" aria-hidden="true">books</p>
             </div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/rate_action.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/rate_action.html
index 2a376f50d..7a82501ab 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/rate_action.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/rate_action.html
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@
         <input type="hidden" name="rating" value="{{ forloop.counter }}">
 
         <div class="field is-grouped stars form-rate-stars mb-1">
-            <label class="is-sr-only" for="no-rating-{{ book.id }}">No rating</label>
-            <input class="is-sr-only" type="radio" name="rating" value="" id="no-rating-{{ book.id }}" checked>
+            <label class="is-sr-only" for="rating-no-rating-{{ book.id }}">No rating</label>
+            <input class="is-sr-only" type="radio" name="rating" value="" id="rating-no-rating-{{ book.id }}" checked>
             {% for i in '12345'|make_list %}
-            <input class="is-sr-only" id="book{{book.id}}-star-{{ forloop.counter }}" type="radio" name="rating" value="{{ forloop.counter }}" {% if book|rating:user == forloop.counter %}checked{% endif %}>
-            <label class="icon icon-star-empty" for="book{{book.id}}-star-{{ forloop.counter }}">
+            <input class="is-sr-only" id="rating-book{{book.id}}-star-{{ forloop.counter }}" type="radio" name="rating" value="{{ forloop.counter }}" {% if book|rating:user == forloop.counter %}checked{% endif %}>
+            <label class="icon icon-star-empty" for="rating-book{{book.id}}-star-{{ forloop.counter }}">
                 <span class="is-sr-only">{{ forloop.counter }} star{{ forloop.counter | pluralize }}</span>
             </label>
             {% endfor %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index 89e2d808b..4da0c0c17 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -31,14 +31,15 @@ urlpatterns = [
     re_path(r'^inbox/?$', incoming.shared_inbox),
     re_path(r'%s/inbox/?$' % local_user_path, incoming.inbox),
     re_path(r'%s/outbox/?$' % local_user_path, views.Outbox.as_view()),
-
-    # .well-known endpoints
     re_path(r'^.well-known/webfinger/?$', wellknown.webfinger),
     re_path(r'^.well-known/nodeinfo/?$', wellknown.nodeinfo_pointer),
     re_path(r'^nodeinfo/2\.0/?$', wellknown.nodeinfo),
     re_path(r'^api/v1/instance/?$', wellknown.instance_info),
     re_path(r'^api/v1/instance/peers/?$', wellknown.peers),
 
+    # polling updates
+    re_path('^api/updates/notifications/?$', views.Updates.as_view()),
+
     # authentication
     re_path(r'^login/?$', views.Login.as_view()),
     re_path(r'^register/?$', views.Register.as_view()),
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
index b8de5d6cb..b9c263880 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
@@ -23,4 +23,5 @@ from .shelf import Shelf
 from .shelf import user_shelves_page, create_shelf, delete_shelf
 from .shelf import shelve, unshelve
 from .status import Status, Replies, CreateStatus, DeleteStatus
+from .updates import Updates
 from .user import User, EditUser, Followers, Following
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/goal.py b/bookwyrm/views/goal.py
index 45fe614b7..f1954672f 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/goal.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/goal.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class Goal(View):
         form = forms.GoalForm(request.POST, instance=goal)
         if not form.is_valid():
             data = {
-                'title': '%s\'s %d Reading' % (goal.user.display_name, year),
+                'title': '%s\'s %d Reading' % (request.user.display_name, year),
                 'goal_form': form,
                 'goal': goal,
                 'year': year,
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/import_data.py b/bookwyrm/views/import_data.py
index a8bfc8659..8c7cee889 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/import_data.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/import_data.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class Import(View):
             except (UnicodeDecodeError, ValueError):
                 return HttpResponseBadRequest('Not a valid csv file')
             goodreads_import.start_import(job)
-            return redirect('/import-status/%d' % job.id)
+            return redirect('/import/%d' % job.id)
         return HttpResponseBadRequest()
 
 
@@ -80,4 +80,4 @@ class ImportStatus(View):
             items,
         )
         goodreads_import.start_import(job)
-        return redirect('/import-status/%d' % job.id)
+        return redirect('/import/%d' % job.id)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/updates.py b/bookwyrm/views/updates.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..233e51917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/updates.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+''' endpoints for getting updates about activity '''
+from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
+from django.http import JsonResponse
+from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
+from django.views import View
+
+# pylint: disable= no-self-use
+@method_decorator(login_required, name='dispatch')
+class Updates(View):
+    ''' so the app can poll '''
+    def get(self, request):
+        ''' any notifications waiting? '''
+        return JsonResponse({
+            'notifications': request.user.notification_set.filter(
+                read=False
+            ).count(),
+        })