diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/messages.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/messages.js.coffee
index 4098756..dd4a79d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/messages.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/messages.js.coffee
@@ -9,3 +9,9 @@ $ ->
   if window.private_channel
     window.private_channel.bind 'unread_messages_changed', (event) ->
       $('.unreadMessages').html(event.value).addClass('important')
+
+    window.private_channel.bind 'new_message', (event) ->
+      $.gritter.add
+        title: "You've received a new message from " + event.sender
+        text: '<blockquote>' + event.excerpt + '</blockquote><a href="' + event.url + '" class="btn success small">Read</a>'
+        sticky: true
diff --git a/app/models/message_observer.rb b/app/models/message_observer.rb
index 0946dfa..6919a9e 100644
--- a/app/models/message_observer.rb
+++ b/app/models/message_observer.rb
@@ -4,5 +4,11 @@ class MessageObserver < ActiveRecord::Observer
   def after_create(message)
     Pusher['broadcast'].trigger!('total_messages_changed', {:value => pluralize(Message.count, 'message', 'messages')})
     Pusher["private-user_#{message.recipient.id}"].trigger('unread_messages_changed', {:value => message.recipient.received_messages.unread.count})
+    Pusher["private-user_#{message.recipient.id}"].trigger('new_message', {
+      :sender => message.sender.username,
+      :subject => message.subject,
+      :excerpt => truncate(message.body, :length => 150),
+      :url => "/messages/#{message.id}"
+    })
   end
 end