diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 895a45b..6885200 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ group 'test' do
   gem 'colorific',         '~> 1.0.0'
   gem 'test_notifier',     '~> 1.0.0'
   gem 'mocha'
+  gem 'database_cleaner'
 end
 
 group :development do
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index da23754..015f7fb 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ GEM
       chunky_png (~> 1.2)
       fssm (>= 0.2.7)
       sass (~> 3.1)
+    database_cleaner (0.7.1)
     erubis (2.7.0)
     exception_notification (2.5.2)
       actionmailer (>= 3.0.4)
@@ -225,6 +226,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   coffee-rails (~> 3.1.1)
   colorific (~> 1.0.0)
   compass (~> 0.12.alpha)
+  database_cleaner
   draper!
   exception_notification
   factory_girl_rails
diff --git a/app/assets/images/icons/unread.png b/app/assets/images/icons/unread.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd50efd
Binary files /dev/null and b/app/assets/images/icons/unread.png differ
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_activities.sass b/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_activities.sass
index b0bc693..ae07f88 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_activities.sass
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_activities.sass
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 div.activity
   +container
-  &.unread div.activity_title
-    font-weight: bold
   div.activity_title
     +column(20, true)
+    +mark-as-read
     font-size: 1.5em
     font-family: $display-font
     margin-bottom: 1em
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_articles.sass b/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_articles.sass
index e90768b..543b7f1 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_articles.sass
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_articles.sass
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ article
   +container
   div.article_title
     +column(20)
+    +mark-as-read
     font-size: 1.5em
     font-family: $display-font
     margin-bottom: 1em
@@ -44,12 +45,10 @@ article
   &.private .article_title
     padding-left: 30px
     background: asset-url('icons/butterfly.png', image) 0 0 no-repeat
-  &.unread .article_title
-    font-weight: bold
 
 #articles article.highlight
   border: 1px dashed #AE9331
   padding: 10px
   margin: 0 -5px
   +border-radius(4px)
-  background-color: #FAFAE2
\ No newline at end of file
+  background-color: #FAFAE2
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_mixins.sass b/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_mixins.sass
index a0ecb03..34b0529 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_mixins.sass
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_mixins.sass
@@ -15,4 +15,14 @@
     +single-box-shadow(#000, 0, 0, 0)
     display: inline
     margin: 0
-    background-color: inherit
\ No newline at end of file
+    background-color: inherit
+
+=mark-as-read
+  a.mark-as-read
+    margin-right: 15px
+    width: 17px
+    height: 17px
+    background: image_url('icons/unread.png') 0 0 no-repeat
+    text-indent: -9999px
+    display: inline-block
+    
diff --git a/app/controllers/activities_controller.rb b/app/controllers/activities_controller.rb
index fe55c14..229d5d2 100644
--- a/app/controllers/activities_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/activities_controller.rb
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ class ActivitiesController < ApplicationController
   before_filter :user_required
   before_filter :find_activity, :only => [ :show, :edit, :update, :destroy,
                                            :register, :archive, :restore,
-                                           :create_discussion_list ]
-  before_filter :mark_as_read,  :only => [ :show ]
+                                           :create_discussion_list, :read ]
+  before_filter :mark_as_read,  :only => [ :show, :read ]
   before_filter :authorized_users_only, :only => [ :edit, :update, :destroy,
                                                    :archive, :restore,
                                                    :create_discussion_list ]
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ def show
     @user         = UserDecorator.decorate(current_user)
   end
 
-
   def new
     @activity = Activity.new(:registration_open => true)
   end
@@ -96,6 +95,11 @@ def create_discussion_list
     end
   end
 
+  def read
+    @resource = @activity
+    render "shared/mark_as_read"
+  end
+
   private
 
   def find_activity
diff --git a/app/controllers/articles_controller.rb b/app/controllers/articles_controller.rb
index 9aaaa4a..69c1783 100644
--- a/app/controllers/articles_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/articles_controller.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 class ArticlesController < ApplicationController
   respond_to :html
 
-  before_filter :user_required,         :only => [:new, :create, :edit, :update, :destroy]
-  before_filter :find_article,          :only => [:show, :edit, :update, :destroy]
-  before_filter :mark_as_read,          :only => [:show]
+  before_filter :user_required,         :only => [:new, :create, :edit, :update, :destroy, :read]
+  before_filter :find_article,          :only => [:show, :edit, :update, :destroy, :read]
+  before_filter :mark_as_read,          :only => [:show, :read]
   before_filter :authorized_users_only, :only => [:edit, :update, :destroy]
   before_filter :profile_required,      :only => [:new, :create]
 
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ def destroy
     redirect_to(articles_path, :notice => 'Article was successfully destroyed.')
   end
 
+  def read
+    @resource = @article
+    render "shared/mark_as_read"
+  end
+
   private
 
   def authorized_users_only
diff --git a/app/decorators/activity_decorator.rb b/app/decorators/activity_decorator.rb
index f9a3a11..ab9b0d2 100644
--- a/app/decorators/activity_decorator.rb
+++ b/app/decorators/activity_decorator.rb
@@ -69,6 +69,15 @@ def participants_link
     h.content_tag(:div, link || "", :class => "participants").html_safe
   end
 
+  def mark_as_read_link
+    h.link_to "Mark as read", h.read_activity_path(activity),
+      :method => :post,
+      :class => 'mark-as-read',
+      :rel => 'twipsy',
+      :title => "Mark as read",
+      :remote => true unless activity.read_by?(h.current_user)
+  end
+
   def css_class
     css_class = []
     css_class << 'unread' unless activity.read_by?(h.current_user)
diff --git a/app/decorators/article_decorator.rb b/app/decorators/article_decorator.rb
index e0b7522..f843f1f 100644
--- a/app/decorators/article_decorator.rb
+++ b/app/decorators/article_decorator.rb
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ def short_url
     RestClient.post("http://is.gd/create.php", :format => "simple", :url => url)
   end
 
+  def mark_as_read_link
+    h.link_to "Mark as read", h.read_article_path(article), 
+      :method => :post,
+      :class => 'mark-as-read',
+      :rel => 'twipsy',
+      :title => "Mark as read",
+      :remote => true unless article.read_by?(h.current_user)
+  end
+
   def css
     css_classes = []
 
diff --git a/app/views/activities/_activity.html.haml b/app/views/activities/_activity.html.haml
index 004402f..a258812 100644
--- a/app/views/activities/_activity.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/activities/_activity.html.haml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 = content_tag_for(:div, activity, :class => activity.css_class) do
   .activity_title
     - if @activities
+      = activity.mark_as_read_link
       = link_to activity.title, activity_path(activity)
     - else
       = activity.title
diff --git a/app/views/articles/_article.html.haml b/app/views/articles/_article.html.haml
index 8d89209..7125a5d 100644
--- a/app/views/articles/_article.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/articles/_article.html.haml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 = content_tag_for :article, article, class: article.css do
   .article_title
     - if @articles
+      = article.mark_as_read_link
       = link_to article.title, article_path(article)
     - else
       = article.title
diff --git a/app/views/shared/_unread_count.html.haml b/app/views/shared/_unread_count.html.haml
index 78d073a..18d8a72 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/_unread_count.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/shared/_unread_count.html.haml
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 - if count > 0
   %span.unread_count{rel: 'twipsy', title: "Unread #{type}",
-    data: { placement: 'below' }}= count
\ No newline at end of file
+    data: { type: type, placement: 'below' }}= count
diff --git a/app/views/shared/mark_as_read.js.erb b/app/views/shared/mark_as_read.js.erb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6155ad9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/shared/mark_as_read.js.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+var unreadCount = $('.unread_count[data-type=<%= params[:controller] %>]');
+unreadCount.text(parseInt(unreadCount.text()) - 1);
+if( unreadCount.text() === '0' ) {
+  unreadCount.remove();
+}
+
+$('#<%= dom_id(@resource) %> .mark-as-read').remove();
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index fbaf31f..dcdf98a 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -8,13 +8,17 @@
   match '/read_all/:type' => 'people#read_all', as: 'read_all'
 
   resources :people
-  resources :articles
+  resources :articles do
+    post :read, :on => :member
+  end
+
   resources :activities do
     member do
       post :register
       post :archive
       post :restore
       post :create_discussion_list
+      post :read
     end
     collection do
       get :archived
diff --git a/test/integration/articles_test.rb b/test/integration/articles_test.rb
index c7dfca2..39b6cab 100644
--- a/test/integration/articles_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/articles_test.rb
@@ -46,15 +46,4 @@ def setup
     visit article_path(@article)
     assert_content("Restricted Unicorns!")
   end
-
-  test "unicorns see an unread article" do
-    visit articles_path
-    assert_no_content("1 Updates")
-
-    sign_user_in(@user)
-    assert_content("1 Updates")
-
-    visit article_path(@article)
-    assert_no_content("1 Updates")
-  end
 end
diff --git a/test/integration/unread_items_test.rb b/test/integration/unread_items_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e909d15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/unread_items_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+class UnreadItemsTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
+  def setup
+    @user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+    @article = FactoryGirl.create(:article, title: "Unicorns!", author: @user)
+  end
+
+  test "unicorns see an unread article" do
+    visit articles_path
+    assert_no_content("1 Updates")
+
+    sign_user_in(@user)
+    assert_content("1 Updates")
+
+    visit article_path(@article)
+    assert_no_content("1 Updates")
+  end
+
+  test "unicorns can mark all articles as read" do
+    2.times { FactoryGirl.create(:article, title: "Title of Unicorns!", author: @user) }
+
+    visit articles_path
+    assert_no_content("3 Updates")
+
+    sign_user_in(@user)
+    assert_content("3 Updates")
+
+    click_on "Mark all as read"
+    assert_no_content("3 Updates")
+  end
+
+  test "unicorns can mark as read on an article via clicking on unread indicator" do
+    Capybara.current_driver = Capybara.javascript_driver
+
+    sign_user_in(@user)
+
+    assert_content("1 Updates")
+
+    within("#article_#{@article.id}") do
+      click_link "Mark as read"
+
+      assert_no_link("Mark as read")
+    end
+
+    assert_no_content("1 Updates")
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index 342091c..421ae1e 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -10,12 +10,25 @@
 TestNotifier.silence_no_notifier_warning = true
 OmniAuth.config.test_mode                = true
 
+DatabaseCleaner.clean_with :truncation
+DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :truncation
+
 class ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
   include Capybara::DSL
   include Support::Integration
   include Support::Auth
 
-  setup    { mock_uniweb_user({}) }
-  teardown { Capybara.reset_sessions! }
+  self.use_transactional_fixtures = false
+
+  setup do
+    DatabaseCleaner.start
+    mock_uniweb_user({}) 
+  end
+
+  teardown do
+    DatabaseCleaner.clean
+    Capybara.reset_sessions!
+    Capybara.use_default_driver
+  end
 end