diff --git a/cmd/bosun/conf/rule/loaders.go b/cmd/bosun/conf/rule/loaders.go
index 14edf9e3e6..41245765e6 100644
--- a/cmd/bosun/conf/rule/loaders.go
+++ b/cmd/bosun/conf/rule/loaders.go
@@ -276,24 +276,18 @@ func (c *Conf) loadAlert(s *parse.SectionNode) {
 			c.errorf("Depends and crit/warn must share at least one tag.")
 		}
 	}
-	warnLength := len(a.WarnNotification.Notifications) + len(a.WarnNotification.Lookups)
-	critLength := len(a.CritNotification.Notifications) + len(a.CritNotification.Lookups)
+	allNots := c.getAllPossibleNotifications(&a)
 	if a.Log {
-		for _, n := range a.CritNotification.Notifications {
+		for _, n := range allNots {
 			if n.Next != nil {
 				c.errorf("cannot use log with a chained notification")
 			}
 		}
-		for _, n := range a.WarnNotification.Notifications {
-			if n.Next != nil {
-				c.errorf("cannot use log with a chained notification")
-			}
-		}
-		if warnLength+critLength == 0 {
+		if len(allNots) == 0 {
 			c.errorf("log specified but no notification")
 		}
 	}
-	if warnLength+critLength > 0 && a.Template == nil {
+	if len(allNots) > 0 && a.Template == nil {
 		c.errorf("notifications specified but no template")
 	}
 	if a.Template != nil {
@@ -334,17 +328,9 @@ func (c *Conf) loadAlert(s *parse.SectionNode) {
 				checkTplKeys(ntk, key, false)
 			}
 		}
-		uniqNots := map[string]*conf.Notification{}
-		for n, not := range a.CritNotification.GetAllChained() {
-			uniqNots[n] = not
-		}
-		for n, not := range a.WarnNotification.GetAllChained() {
-			uniqNots[n] = not
-		}
-		for _, not := range uniqNots {
+		for _, not := range allNots {
 			checkNotification(not)
 		}
-
 	}
 	a.ReturnType = ret
 	c.Alerts[name] = &a
diff --git a/cmd/bosun/conf/rule/rule.go b/cmd/bosun/conf/rule/rule.go
index e7de9ba59a..5118454522 100644
--- a/cmd/bosun/conf/rule/rule.go
+++ b/cmd/bosun/conf/rule/rule.go
@@ -797,3 +797,32 @@ func (c *Conf) genHash() {
 func (c *Conf) GetHash() string {
 	return c.Hash
 }
+
+// returns any notifications accessible from the alert vis warn/critNotification, including chains and lookups
+func (c *Conf) getAllPossibleNotifications(a *conf.Alert) map[string]*conf.Notification {
+	nots := map[string]*conf.Notification{}
+	for k, v := range a.WarnNotification.GetAllChained() {
+		nots[k] = v
+	}
+	for k, v := range a.CritNotification.GetAllChained() {
+		nots[k] = v
+	}
+	followLookup := func(l map[string]*conf.Lookup) {
+		for target, lookup := range l {
+			for _, entry := range lookup.Entries {
+				if notNames, ok := entry.Values[target]; ok {
+					for _, k := range strings.Split(notNames, ",") {
+						if not, ok := c.Notifications[k]; ok {
+							nots[k] = not
+						} else {
+							c.errorf("Notification %s needed by lookup %s in %s is not defined.", k, lookup.Name, a.Name)
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	followLookup(a.CritNotification.Lookups)
+	followLookup(a.WarnNotification.Lookups)
+	return nots
+}
diff --git a/cmd/bosun/w.sh b/cmd/bosun/w.sh
index e38443b430..365e68b588 100755
--- a/cmd/bosun/w.sh
+++ b/cmd/bosun/w.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 while echo "(RE)STARTING BOSUN"; do
-	go run main.go -w -q || exit
+	go run main.go -w -q -dev || exit
 done
diff --git a/cmd/bosun/web/static.go b/cmd/bosun/web/static.go
index 704c5a8b56..1c8e7087e9 100644
--- a/cmd/bosun/web/static.go
+++ b/cmd/bosun/web/static.go
@@ -15733,38 +15733,40 @@ ynVAe1gblV/Il1Vj8q9kxl3Nf5rdW5qKUSdkaRqV3v8JAAD//7n7cuC9JgAA
 
 	"/js/ace/mode-bosun.js": {
 		local:   "web/static/js/ace/mode-bosun.js",
-		size:    4772,
+		size:    5252,
 		modtime: 0,
 		compressed: `
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 `,
 	},
 
diff --git a/cmd/bosun/web/static/js/ace/mode-bosun.js b/cmd/bosun/web/static/js/ace/mode-bosun.js
index 1275132e5f..0fd3cc3eb8 100644
--- a/cmd/bosun/web/static/js/ace/mode-bosun.js
+++ b/cmd/bosun/web/static/js/ace/mode-bosun.js
@@ -11,8 +11,15 @@ var BosunHighlightRules = function() {
 	var inAlertKeywords = "macro|template|crit|warn|depends|squelch|critNotification|" +
 	"warnNotification|unknown|unjoinedOk|ignoreUnknown|log|maxLogFrequency"
 
-	var inNotificationKeywords = "email|post|get|print|contentType|next|timeout|body|useBody";
-
+	var inNotificationKeywords = "email|post|get|print|contentType|next|timeout|bodyTemplate|postTemplate|getTemplate|emailSubjectTemplate|runOnActions|groupActions|unknownMinGroupSize|unknownThreshold";
+	for (var action of ["Get","Post","Body","EmailSubject"]){
+		inNotificationKeywords += "|action"+action;
+		inNotificationKeywords += "|unknown"+action;
+		inNotificationKeywords += "|unknownMulti"+action;
+		for (var type of ["Ack", "Close", "Forget", "ForceClose", "Purge", "Note", "DelayedClose","CancelClose"]){
+			inNotificationKeywords += "|action"+action+type;
+		}
+	}
 	var inTemplateKeywords = "subject|body";
 
 	var inSectionKeywords = [inAlertKeywords, inNotificationKeywords, inTemplateKeywords].join("|");