diff --git a/server/AyaNova/Controllers/NotifyController.cs b/server/AyaNova/Controllers/NotifyController.cs
index de20396a..ddbc12ae 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/Controllers/NotifyController.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/Controllers/NotifyController.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ using AyaNova.Api.ControllerHelpers;
 using AyaNova.Biz;
 using System.Linq;
 using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
 
 namespace AyaNova.Api.Controllers
 {
@@ -164,6 +167,42 @@ namespace AyaNova.Api.Controllers
         }
 
 
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Send direct message notification to selected users
+        /// </summary>       
+        /// <returns>NoContent on success or error</returns>        
+        [HttpPost("direct-message")]
+        public async Task<IActionResult> SendNotifyDirectMessage([FromBody] NotifyDirectMessage notifyDirectMessage)
+        {
+            if (serverState.IsClosed)
+                return StatusCode(503, new ApiErrorResponse(serverState.ApiErrorCode, null, serverState.Reason));
+
+            if (!ModelState.IsValid)
+                return BadRequest(new ApiErrorResponse(ModelState));
+
+            var message = $"{UserNameFromContext.Name(HttpContext.Items)}: \"{notifyDirectMessage.Message}\"";
+            foreach (long l in notifyDirectMessage.Users)
+            {
+                if (l != 0)
+                    await NotifyEventProcessor.AddGeneralNotifyEvent(NotifyEventType.GeneralNotification, message, null, l);
+            }
+
+            return NoContent();
+        }
+
+        public class NotifyDirectMessage
+        {
+            public NotifyDirectMessage()
+            {
+                Users = new List<long>();
+            }
+            [Required]
+            public string Message { get; set; }
+
+            [Required]
+            public List<long> Users { get; set; }
+        }
         //------------
 
 
diff --git a/server/AyaNova/Controllers/ServerStateController.cs b/server/AyaNova/Controllers/ServerStateController.cs
index ce9ba64c..b25be837 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/Controllers/ServerStateController.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/Controllers/ServerStateController.cs
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ namespace AyaNova.Api.Controllers
         /// One of "OpsOnly" or "Open"
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="state">{"serverState":"Open"}</param>
-        /// <returns>NoContent 204</returns>
+        /// <returns>New server state</returns>
         [HttpPost]
         public async Task<IActionResult> PostServerState([FromBody] ServerStateModel state)
         {
diff --git a/server/AyaNova/biz/NotifyEventProcessor.cs b/server/AyaNova/biz/NotifyEventProcessor.cs
index 5acea4bd..dad321dd 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/biz/NotifyEventProcessor.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/biz/NotifyEventProcessor.cs
@@ -79,7 +79,16 @@ namespace AyaNova.Biz
 
                         var UserName = await ct.User.Where(z => z.Id == userId).Select(z => z.Name).FirstOrDefaultAsync();
 
-                        NotifyEvent n = new NotifyEvent() { EventType = eventType, UserId = userId, Message = message, NotifySubscriptionId = 0, Name = UserName };
+                        //if they don't have a regular inapp subscription create one now
+                        var defaultsub = await ct.NotifySubscription.FirstOrDefaultAsync(z => z.EventType == NotifyEventType.GeneralNotification && z.UserId == userId && z.DeliveryMethod == NotifyDeliveryMethod.App);
+                        if (defaultsub == null)
+                        {
+                            defaultsub = new NotifySubscription() { UserId = userId, EventType = NotifyEventType.GeneralNotification, DeliveryMethod = NotifyDeliveryMethod.App };
+                            await ct.NotifySubscription.AddAsync(defaultsub);
+                            await ct.SaveChangesAsync();
+                        }
+
+                        NotifyEvent n = new NotifyEvent() { EventType = eventType, UserId = userId, Message = message, NotifySubscriptionId = defaultsub.Id, Name = UserName };
                         await ct.NotifyEvent.AddAsync(n);
                         await ct.SaveChangesAsync();
                         return;