diff --git a/classes/script_start.php b/classes/script_start.php
index 3c59631e..c7dbf127 100644
--- a/classes/script_start.php
+++ b/classes/script_start.php
@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ function user_heavy_info($UserID) {
 			i.SiteOptions,
 			i.DownloadAlt,
 			i.LastReadNews,
+			i.LastReadBlog,
 			i.RestrictedForums,
 			i.PermittedForums,
 			m.FLTokens,
diff --git a/design/privateheader.php b/design/privateheader.php
index a847e84d..ce71338a 100644
--- a/design/privateheader.php
+++ b/design/privateheader.php
@@ -196,6 +196,22 @@
 	$Alerts[] = '<a href="index.php">'.'New Announcement!'.'</a>';
 }
 
+// Blog
+$MyBlog = $LoggedUser['LastReadBlog'];
+$CurrentBlog = $Cache->get_value('blog_latest_id');
+if ($CurrentBlog === false) {
+	$DB->query("SELECT ID FROM blog WHERE Important = 1 ORDER BY Time DESC LIMIT 1");
+	if ($DB->record_count() == 1) {
+		list($CurrentBlog) = $DB->next_record();
+	} else {
+		$CurrentBlog = -1;
+	}
+	$Cache->cache_value('blog_latest_id', $CurrentBlog, 0);
+}
+if ($MyBlog < $CurrentBlog) {
+	$Alerts[] = '<a href="blog.php">'.'New Blog Post!'.'</a>';
+}
+
 //Staff PM
 $NewStaffPMs = $Cache->get_value('staff_pm_new_'.$LoggedUser['ID']);
 if ($NewStaffPMs === false) {
diff --git a/gazelle.sql b/gazelle.sql
index 88a83b25..35ac8930 100644
--- a/gazelle.sql
+++ b/gazelle.sql
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `blog` (
   `Body` text COLLATE utf8_bin NOT NULL,
   `Time` datetime NOT NULL DEFAULT '0000-00-00 00:00:00',
   `ThreadID` int(10) unsigned DEFAULT NULL,
+  `Important` tinyint(4) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
   PRIMARY KEY (`ID`),
   KEY `UserID` (`UserID`),
   KEY `Time` (`Time`)
@@ -1226,6 +1227,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `users_info` (
   `DisableRequests` enum('0','1') NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
   `PermittedForums` varchar(150) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
   `UnseededAlerts` enum('0','1') NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
+  `LastReadBlog` int(10) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
   UNIQUE KEY `UserID` (`UserID`),
   KEY `SupportFor` (`SupportFor`),
   KEY `DisableInvites` (`DisableInvites`),
diff --git a/sections/blog/index.php b/sections/blog/index.php
index a3962db1..2951493f 100644
--- a/sections/blog/index.php
+++ b/sections/blog/index.php
@@ -61,8 +61,17 @@
 					}
 				}
 				
-				$DB->query("INSERT INTO blog (UserID, Title, Body, Time, ThreadID) VALUES ('$LoggedUser[ID]', '".db_string($_POST['title'])."', '".db_string($_POST['body'])."', '".sqltime()."', ".$ThreadID.")");
+				$DB->query("INSERT INTO blog (UserID, Title, Body, Time, ThreadID, Important) 
+				                      VALUES ('".$LoggedUser['ID']."', 
+									          '".db_string($_POST['title'])."', 
+											  '".db_string($_POST['body'])."', 
+											  '".sqltime()."', 
+											  ".$ThreadID.", 
+											  '".(($_POST['important']=='1')?'1':'0')."')");
 				$Cache->delete_value('blog');
+				if ($_POST['important']=='1') {
+					$Cache->delete_value('blog_latest_id');
+				}
 				if(isset($_POST['subscribe'])) {
 					$DB->query("INSERT IGNORE INTO users_subscriptions VALUES ('$LoggedUser[ID]', $ThreadID)");
 					$Cache->delete_value('subscriptions_user_'.$LoggedUser['ID']);
@@ -89,6 +98,7 @@
 					<input type="text" name="title" size="95" <? if(!empty($Title)) { echo 'value="'.display_str($Title).'"'; } ?> /><br />
 					<h3>Body</h3>
 					<textarea name="body" cols="95" rows="15"><? if(!empty($Body)) { echo display_str($Body); } ?></textarea> <br />
+					<input type="checkbox" value='1' name="important" id="important" <?=$Important?'checked':''?> /><label for="important">Important</label><br />
 					<h3>Thread ID</h3>
 					<input type="text" name="thread" size="8"<? if(!empty($ThreadID)) { echo 'value="'.display_str($ThreadID).'"'; } ?> />
 					(Leave blank to create thread automatically)
@@ -122,6 +132,14 @@
 	$Cache->cache_value('Blog',$Blog,1209600);
 }
 
+if ($LoggedUser['LastReadBlog'] < $Blog[0][0]) {
+	$Cache->begin_transaction('user_info_heavy_'.$LoggedUser['ID']);
+	$Cache->update_row(false, array('LastReadBlog' => $Blog[0][0]));
+	$Cache->commit_transaction(0);
+	$DB->query("UPDATE users_info SET LastReadBlog = '".$Blog[0][0]."' WHERE UserID = ".$LoggedUser['ID']);
+	$LoggedUser['LastReadBlog'] = $Blog[0][0];
+}
+
 foreach ($Blog as $BlogItem) {
 	list($BlogID, $Author, $Title, $Body, $BlogTime, $ThreadID) = $BlogItem;
 ?>