diff --git a/lib/api3/alarmSocket.js b/lib/api3/alarmSocket.js
index 5fe30a620c1..88bb699a553 100644
--- a/lib/api3/alarmSocket.js
+++ b/lib/api3/alarmSocket.js
@@ -46,9 +46,11 @@ function AlarmSocket (app, env, ctx) {
       socket.on('subscribe', function onSubscribe (message, returnCallback) {
         self.subscribe(socket, message, returnCallback);
       });
-	  
+
     });
 
+    // Turns all notifications on the event bus back into events to be
+    // broadcast to clients.
     ctx.bus.on('notification', self.emitNotification);
   };
 
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ function AlarmSocket (app, env, ctx) {
   self.subscribe = function subscribe (socket, message, returnCallback) {
     const shouldCallBack = typeof(returnCallback) === 'function';
 
-	// Native client
+    // Native client
     if (message && message.accessToken) {
       return ctx.authorization.resolveAccessToken(message.accessToken, function resolveFinishForToken (err, auth) {
         if (err) {
@@ -76,13 +78,14 @@ function AlarmSocket (app, env, ctx) {
           }
           return err;
         } else {
-		  // Subscribe for acking alarms
-		  socket.on('ack', function onAck (level, group, silenceTime) {
-			ctx.notifications.ack(level, group, silenceTime, true);
-	        console.info(LOG + 'ack received ' + level + ' ' + group + ' ' + silenceTime);
-	      });
-
-		  var okResponse = { success: true, message: 'Subscribed for alarms' }
+      // Subscribe for acking alarms
+      // Client sends ack, which sends a notificaiton through our internal bus
+      socket.on('ack', function onAck (level, group, silenceTime) {
+      ctx.notifications.ack(level, group, silenceTime, true);
+          console.info(LOG + 'ack received ' + level + ' ' + group + ' ' + silenceTime);
+        });
+
+      var okResponse = { success: true, message: 'Subscribed for alarms' }
           if (shouldCallBack) {
             returnCallback(okResponse);
           }
@@ -90,10 +93,32 @@ function AlarmSocket (app, env, ctx) {
         }
       });
     }
-	
-	// Web client (jwt access token or api_hash)
-    if (message && (message.jwtToken || message.secret)) {
+
+    if (!message) { message = {}; }
+    // Web client (jwt access token or api_hash)
+    /*
+    * On the web: a client may have saved a secret or using a jwtToken, or may have none.
+    * Some pages will automatically prompt for authorization, when needed.
+    * To make the main homepage require authorization as well, set
+    * AUTHENTICATION_PROMPT_ON_LOAD=true.
+    *
+    * If there is missing authorization when authorization is required,
+    * rejecting the attempt in order to trigger a prompt on the client.
+    * If there is no authorization required, or there are available
+    * credentials, attempt to resolve the available permissions.
+    * When processing ACK messages that dismiss alarms, Authorization should be
+    * required.
+    */
+    var shouldTry = true;
+    if (env.settings.authenticationPromptOnLoad) {
+      if (!message.jwtToken && !message.secret) {
+        shouldTry = false;
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (message && shouldTry) {
       return ctx.authorization.resolve({ api_secret: message.secret, token: message.jwtToken, ip: getRemoteIP(socket.request) }, function resolveFinish (err, auth) {
+
         if (err) {
           console.log(`${LOG_ERROR} Authorization failed for jwtToken:`, message.jwtToken);
 
@@ -102,13 +127,34 @@ function AlarmSocket (app, env, ctx) {
           }
           return err;
         } else {
-		  // Subscribe for acking alarms
-		  socket.on('ack', function onAck (level, group, silenceTime) {
-			ctx.notifications.ack(level, group, silenceTime, true);
-	        console.info(LOG + 'ack received ' + level + ' ' + group + ' ' + silenceTime);
-	      });
-
-		  var okResponse = { success: true, message: 'Subscribed for alarms' }
+          var perms = {
+            read: ctx.authorization.checkMultiple('api:*:read', auth.shiros)
+          , ack: ctx.authorization.checkMultiple('notifications:*:ack', auth.shiros)
+          };
+          // Subscribe for acking alarms
+          // TODO: does this produce double ACK after the authorizing? Only if reconnecting?
+          // TODO: how will perms get updated after authorizing?
+          socket.on('ack', function onAck (level, group, silenceTime) {
+            if (perms.ack) {
+              // This goes through the server-wide event bus.
+              ctx.notifications.ack(level, group, silenceTime, true);
+              console.info(LOG + 'ack received ' + level + ' ' + group + ' ' + silenceTime);
+            } else {
+              // TODO: send a message to client to silence locally, but not
+              // globally, and request authorization.
+              // This won't go through th event bus.
+              // var acked = { silenceTime, group, level };
+              // socket.emit('authorization_needed', acked);
+            }
+          });
+          /* TODO: need to know when to update the permissions.
+          // Can we use
+          socket.on('resubscribe', function update_permissions ( ) {
+            // perms = { ... };
+          });
+          */
+
+          var okResponse = { success: true, message: 'Subscribed for alarms', ...perms };
           if (shouldCallBack) {
             returnCallback(okResponse);
           }
diff --git a/lib/client/index.js b/lib/client/index.js
index 0f0d17b7d64..c4c83b32a01 100644
--- a/lib/client/index.js
+++ b/lib/client/index.js
@@ -1146,15 +1146,13 @@ client.load = function load (serverSettings, callback) {
         }
 
         console.log('Subscribed for alarms', data);
-        if (client.settings.authenticationPromptOnLoad && !data.success) {
-          client.hashauth.requestAuthentication(function afterRequest () {
-            client.hashauth.updateSocketAuth();
-            if (callback) {
-              callback();
-            }
-          });
-        } else if (callback) {
-          callback();
+        var shouldAuthenticationPromptOnLoad = client.settings.authenticationPromptOnLoad ;
+        if (!data.success) {
+          if (!data.read || !hasRequiredPermission() || shouldAuthenticationPromptOnLoad) {
+            return client.hashauth.requestAuthentication(function afterRequest () {
+              return client.hashauth.updateSocketAuth();
+            });
+          }
         }
       }
     );
@@ -1235,6 +1233,28 @@ client.load = function load (serverSettings, callback) {
       stopAlarm(false, null, notify);
     }
   });
+  /*
+  *
+  // TODO: When an unauthorized client attempts to silence an alarm, we should
+  // allow silencing locally, request for authorization, and if the
+  // authorization succeeds even republish the ACK notification. something like...
+  alarmSocket.on('authorization_needed', function(details) {
+    if (alarmInProgress) {
+      console.log('clearing alarm');
+      stopAlarm(true, details.silenceTime, currentNotify);
+    }
+    client.hashauth.requestAuthentication(function afterRequest () {
+      console.log("SUCCESSFULLY AUTHORIZED, REPUBLISHED ACK?");
+      // easiest way to update permission set on server side is to send another message.
+      alarmSocket.emit('resubscribe', currentNotify, details);
+
+      if (isClient && currentNotify) {
+        alarmSocket.emit('ack', currentNotify.level, currentNotify.group, details.silenceTime);
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  */
 
   $('#testAlarms').click(function(event) {
 
diff --git a/lib/notifications.js b/lib/notifications.js
index 9b6adab3ac4..4bd5481ffb3 100644
--- a/lib/notifications.js
+++ b/lib/notifications.js
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ function init (env, ctx) {
       notifications.ack(1, group, time);
     }
 
+    /*
+    * TODO: modify with a local clear, this will clear all connected clients,
+    * globally
+    */
     if (sendClear) {
       var notify = {
         clear: true
@@ -192,6 +196,8 @@ function init (env, ctx) {
         , message: group + ' - ' + ctx.levels.toDisplay(level) + ' was ack\'d'
         , group: group
       };
+      // When web client sends ack, this translates the websocket message into
+      // an event on our internal bus.
       ctx.bus.emit('notification', notify);
       logEmitEvent(notify);
     }
diff --git a/lib/profile/profileeditor.js b/lib/profile/profileeditor.js
index 9a9062603c1..71355dd194a 100644
--- a/lib/profile/profileeditor.js
+++ b/lib/profile/profileeditor.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ var init = function init () {
 
   client.init(function loaded () {
 
+  console.log("LOADING CLIENT INIT");
   if (c_profile !== null) {
       return; // already loaded so don't load again
   }
diff --git a/lib/server/websocket.js b/lib/server/websocket.js
index 2924db0554d..95da7d906ce 100644
--- a/lib/server/websocket.js
+++ b/lib/server/websocket.js
@@ -75,7 +75,9 @@ function init (env, ctx, server) {
       'log level': 0
     }).listen(server, {
       //these only effect the socket.io.js file that is sent to the client, but better than nothing
-      'browser client minification': true
+      // compat with v2 client
+      allowEIO3: true
+      , 'browser client minification': true
       , 'browser client etag': true
       , 'browser client gzip': false
       , 'perMessageDeflate': {
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 6aa3a366cb4..5163a7cd578 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "nightscout",
-  "version": "15.0.1",
+  "version": "15.0.3",
   "lockfileVersion": 1,
   "requires": true,
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b4742fc05f3..fc22befa182 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "nightscout",
-  "version": "15.0.1",
+  "version": "15.0.3",
   "description": "Nightscout acts as a web-based CGM (Continuous Glucose Montinor) to allow multiple caregivers to remotely view a patients glucose data in realtime.",
   "license": "AGPL-3.0",
   "author": "Nightscout Team",