diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html
index 79f3bd98f..82103d9e5 100644
--- a/public/index.html
+++ b/public/index.html
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@
 <script src="orion/built-editor.min.js"></script>
 <script src="d3.v3.min.js"></script>
 <script src="red/main.js"></script>
+<script src="red/comms.js"></script>
 <script src="red/ui/state.js"></script>
 <script src="red/nodes.js"></script>
 <script src="red/history.js"></script>
@@ -317,6 +318,5 @@
 <script src="red/ui/editor.js"></script>
 <script src="red/ui/library.js"></script>
 <script src="red/ui/notifications.js"></script>
-<script src="red/comms.js"></script>
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/public/red/comms.js b/public/red/comms.js
index f20e42032..418f65150 100644
--- a/public/red/comms.js
+++ b/public/red/comms.js
@@ -18,24 +18,34 @@ RED.comms = function() {
     
     var errornotification = null;
     var subscriptions = {};
-    
+    var ws;
     function connectWS() {
         var path = location.hostname+":"+location.port+document.location.pathname;
         path = path+(path.slice(-1) == "/"?"":"/")+"comms";
         path = "ws"+(document.location.protocol=="https:"?"s":"")+"://"+path;
-        var ws = new WebSocket(path);
+        ws = new WebSocket(path);
         ws.onopen = function() {
             if (errornotification) {
                 errornotification.close();
                 errornotification = null;
             }
+            for (var t in subscriptions) {
+                ws.send(JSON.stringify({subscribe:t}));
+            }
         }
         ws.onmessage = function(event) {
             var msg = JSON.parse(event.data);
-            var subscribers = subscriptions[msg.topic];
-            if (subscribers) {
-                for (var i=0;i<subscribers.length;i++) {
-                    subscribers[i](msg.topic,msg.data);
+            if (msg.topic) {
+                for (var t in subscriptions) {
+                    var re = new RegExp("^"+t.replace(/([\[\]\?\(\)\\\\$\^\*\.|])/g,"\\$1").replace(/\+/g,"[^/]+").replace(/\/#$/,"(\/.*)?")+"$");
+                    if (re.test(msg.topic)) {
+                        var subscribers = subscriptions[t];
+                        if (subscribers) {
+                            for (var i=0;i<subscribers.length;i++) {
+                                subscribers[i](msg.topic,msg.data);
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
             }
         };
@@ -46,16 +56,20 @@ RED.comms = function() {
             setTimeout(connectWS,1000);
         }
     }
-    connectWS();
-
+    
     function subscribe(topic,callback) {
         if (subscriptions[topic] == null) {
             subscriptions[topic] = [];
         }
         subscriptions[topic].push(callback);
+        if (ws && ws.readyState == 1) {
+            ws.send(JSON.stringify({subscribe:topic}));
+        }
     }
     
+    
     return {
+        connect: connectWS,
         subscribe: subscribe
     }
 }();
diff --git a/public/red/main.js b/public/red/main.js
index 5722f2e38..88093e7eb 100644
--- a/public/red/main.js
+++ b/public/red/main.js
@@ -52,13 +52,13 @@ var RED = function() {
                 var invalid = false;
                 var unknownNodes = [];
                 RED.nodes.eachNode(function(node) {
-                        invalid = invalid || !node.valid;
-                        if (node.type === "unknown") {
-                            if (unknownNodes.indexOf(node.name) == -1) {
-                                unknownNodes.push(node.name);
-                            }
-                            invalid = true;
+                    invalid = invalid || !node.valid;
+                    if (node.type === "unknown") {
+                        if (unknownNodes.indexOf(node.name) == -1) {
+                            unknownNodes.push(node.name);
                         }
+                        invalid = true;
+                    }
                 });
                 if (invalid) {
                     if (unknownNodes.length > 0) {
@@ -137,25 +137,34 @@ var RED = function() {
 
     function loadSettings() {
         $.get('settings', function(data) {
-                RED.settings = data;
-                loadNodes();
+            RED.settings = data;
+            loadNodes();
         });
     }
     function loadNodes() {
         $.get('nodes', function(data) {
-                $("body").append(data);
-                $(".palette-spinner").hide();
-                $(".palette-scroll").show();
-                $("#palette-search").show();
-                loadFlows();
+            $("body").append(data);
+            $(".palette-spinner").hide();
+            $(".palette-scroll").show();
+            $("#palette-search").show();
+            loadFlows();
         });
     }
 
     function loadFlows() {
         $.getJSON("flows",function(nodes) {
-                RED.nodes.import(nodes);
-                RED.view.dirty(false);
-                RED.view.redraw();
+            RED.nodes.import(nodes);
+            RED.view.dirty(false);
+            RED.view.redraw();
+            RED.comms.subscribe("status/#",function(topic,msg) {
+                var parts = topic.split("/");
+                var node = RED.nodes.node(parts[1]);
+                if (node) {
+                    node.status = msg;
+                    node.dirty = true;
+                    RED.view.redraw();
+                }
+            });
         });
     }
 
@@ -168,18 +177,19 @@ var RED = function() {
         //});
 
         dialog.on('show',function() {
-                RED.keyboard.disable();
+            RED.keyboard.disable();
         });
         dialog.on('hidden',function() {
-                RED.keyboard.enable();
+            RED.keyboard.enable();
         });
 
         dialog.modal();
     }
 
     $(function() {
-            RED.keyboard.add(/* ? */ 191,{shift:true},function(){showHelp();d3.event.preventDefault();});
-            loadSettings();
+        RED.keyboard.add(/* ? */ 191,{shift:true},function(){showHelp();d3.event.preventDefault();});
+        loadSettings();
+        RED.comms.connect();
     });
 
     return {
diff --git a/public/red/ui/view.js b/public/red/ui/view.js
index 264a4597d..78431d697 100644
--- a/public/red/ui/view.js
+++ b/public/red/ui/view.js
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ RED.view = function() {
 
     var clipboard = "";
 
+    
+    var status_colours = {
+        "red"  : "#00c",
+        "green": "#5a8"
+    }
+    
     var outer = d3.select("#chart")
         .append("svg:svg")
         .attr("width", space_width)
@@ -811,7 +817,7 @@ RED.view = function() {
                                 .on("click",function(d) { d._def.onbadgeclick.call(d);d3.event.preventDefault();});
                         }
                     }
-
+                    
                     if (d._def.button) {
                         var nodeButtonGroup = node.append('svg:g')
                             .attr("transform",function(d) { return "translate("+((d._def.align == "right") ? 94 : -25)+",2)"; })
@@ -893,6 +899,21 @@ RED.view = function() {
                         text.attr('text-anchor','end');
                     }
 
+                    var status = node.append("svg:g").attr("class","node_status_group").style("display","none");
+                    
+                    var statusRect = status.append("circle").attr("class","node_status")
+                                            .attr("cx",9).attr("cy",6).attr("r",5).attr("stroke-width","3");
+                    var statusLabel = status.append("svg:text")
+                        .attr("class","node_status_label")
+                        .attr('x',20).attr('y',10)
+                        .style({
+                                'stroke-width': 0,
+                                'fill': '#999',
+                                'font-size':'9pt',
+                                'stroke':'#000',
+                                'text-anchor':'start'
+                        });
+                        
                     //node.append("circle").attr({"class":"centerDot","cx":0,"cy":0,"r":5});
 
                     if (d._def.inputs > 0) {
@@ -1017,7 +1038,37 @@ RED.view = function() {
                             }
                             return "";
                         });
-
+                        if (!d.status) {
+                            thisNode.selectAll('.node_status_group').style("display","none");
+                        } else {
+                            thisNode.selectAll('.node_status_group').style("display","inline").attr("transform","translate(3,"+(d.h+3)+")");
+                            var fill = status_colours[d.status.fill]; // Only allow our colours for now
+                            if (d.status.shape == null && fill == null) {
+                                thisNode.selectAll('.node_status').style("display","none");
+                            } else {
+                                var style;
+                                if (d.status.shape == null || d.status.shape == "dot") {
+                                    style = {
+                                        display: "inline",
+                                        fill: fill,
+                                        stroke: fill
+                                    };
+                                } else if (d.status.shape == "ring" ){
+                                    style = {
+                                        display: "inline",
+                                        fill: '#fff',
+                                        stroke: fill
+                                    }
+                                }
+                                thisNode.selectAll('.node_status').style(style);
+                            }
+                            if (d.status.text) {
+                                thisNode.selectAll('.node_status_label').text(d.status.text);
+                            } else {
+                                thisNode.selectAll('.node_status_label').text("");
+                            }
+                        }
+                        
                         d.dirty = false;
                     }
             });
diff --git a/red/comms.js b/red/comms.js
index 7641eaaf8..d1bd98649 100644
--- a/red/comms.js
+++ b/red/comms.js
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ var settings;
 var wsServer;
 var activeConnections = [];
 
+var retained = {};
+
 var heartbeatTimer;
 var lastSentTime;
 
@@ -47,6 +49,12 @@ function start() {
                 }
             }
         });
+        ws.on('message', function(data,flags) {
+            var msg = JSON.parse(data);
+            if (msg.subscribe) {
+                handleRemoteSubscription(ws,msg.subscribe);
+            }
+        });
         ws.on('error', function(err) {
             util.log("[red:comms] error : "+err.toString());
         });
@@ -67,17 +75,34 @@ function start() {
     }, 15000);
 }
 
-function publish(topic,data) {
-    var msg = JSON.stringify({topic:topic,data:data});
+function publish(topic,data,retain) {
+    if (retain) {
+        retained[topic] = data;
+    }
+    lastSentTime = Date.now();
     activeConnections.forEach(function(conn) {
-        try {
-            conn.send(msg);
-        } catch(err) {
-            util.log("[red:comms] send error : "+err.toString());
-        }
+        publishTo(conn,topic,data);
     });
 }
 
+function publishTo(ws,topic,data) {
+    var msg = JSON.stringify({topic:topic,data:data});
+    try {
+        ws.send(msg);
+    } catch(err) {
+        util.log("[red:comms] send error : "+err.toString());
+    }
+}
+
+function handleRemoteSubscription(ws,topic) {
+    var re = new RegExp("^"+topic.replace(/([\[\]\?\(\)\\\\$\^\*\.|])/g,"\\$1").replace(/\+/g,"[^/]+").replace(/\/#$/,"(\/.*)?")+"$");
+    for (var t in retained) {
+        if (re.test(t)) {
+            publishTo(ws,t,retained[t]);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 
 module.exports = {
     init:init,
diff --git a/red/nodes/Node.js b/red/nodes/Node.js
index a21e8d8fa..83c8f937a 100644
--- a/red/nodes/Node.js
+++ b/red/nodes/Node.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ var clone = require("clone");
 
 var flows = require("./flows");
 
-
+var comms = require("../comms");
 
 function Node(n) {
     this.id = n.id;
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ Node.prototype.error = function(msg) {
     if (this.name) o.name = this.name;
     this.emit("log",o);
 }
-
+/**
+ * status: { fill:"red|green", shape:"dot|ring", text:"blah" }
+ */
+Node.prototype.status = function(status,retain) {
+    comms.publish("status/"+this.id,status,retain);
+}
 
 module.exports = Node;
diff --git a/red/red.js b/red/red.js
index 14a0d9a50..87ad63bcc 100644
--- a/red/red.js
+++ b/red/red.js
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ var events = require("./events");
 var server = require("./server");
 var nodes = require("./nodes");
 var library = require("./library");
-var comms = require("./comms");
 var log = require("./log");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var settings = null;
@@ -51,7 +50,6 @@ var RED = {
     stop: server.stop,
     nodes: nodes,
     library: library,
-    comms: comms,
     events: events,
     log: log
 };