diff --git a/app/controllers/aspect_memberships_controller.rb b/app/controllers/aspect_memberships_controller.rb
index 4b1096ccc..69b6c07d9 100644
--- a/app/controllers/aspect_memberships_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/aspect_memberships_controller.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 class AspectMembershipsController < ApplicationController
   before_filter :authenticate_user!
 
+  respond_to :html, :json, :js
+
   def destroy
     #note :id is garbage
 
@@ -17,14 +19,14 @@ class AspectMembershipsController < ApplicationController
 
     if membership && membership.destroy 
         @aspect = membership.aspect
-
         flash.now[:notice] = I18n.t 'aspect_memberships.destroy.success'
 
-        respond_to do |format|
-          format.js { }
-          format.html{
-            redirect_to :back
-          }
+        respond_with do |format|
+          format.all{ }
+          format.json{ render :json => {
+            :person_id => @person_id,
+            :aspect_ids => @contact.aspects.map{|a| a.id}
+          } }
         end
 
       else
@@ -44,12 +46,12 @@ class AspectMembershipsController < ApplicationController
     @aspect = current_user.aspects.where(:id => params[:aspect_id]).first
 
     if @contact = current_user.share_with(@person, @aspect)
-
       flash.now[:notice] =  I18n.t 'aspects.add_to_aspect.success'
-
+      respond_with AspectMembership.where(:contact_id => @contact.id, :aspect_id => @aspect.id).first
     else
       flash[:error] = I18n.t 'contacts.create.failure'
-      redirect_to :back
+      #TODO(dan) take this out once the .js template is removed
+      render :nothing => true
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb b/app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb
index 5752e1c10..667dda4c4 100644
--- a/app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb
@@ -24,4 +24,5 @@ class ContactsController < ApplicationController
     @contacts = current_user.contacts.sharing.includes(:aspect_memberships)
     render :layout => false
   end
+
 end
diff --git a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
index 292d8c02d..f76adfbad 100644
--- a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
         respond_to do |format|
           format.all { respond_with @person, :locals => {:post_type => :all} }
           format.json {
-            render :json => @person.to_json(:aspect_ids => @aspects_with_person.to_json)
+            render :json => @person.to_json
           }
         end
       end
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
     end
   end
 
+  
   def retrieve_remote
     if params[:diaspora_handle]
       webfinger(params[:diaspora_handle], :single_aspect_form => true)
@@ -136,7 +137,6 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
       @aspect = :profile
       @contacts_of_contact = @contact.contacts.paginate(:page => params[:page], :per_page => (params[:limit] || 15))
       @hashes = hashes_for_people @contacts_of_contact, @aspects
-      @contact = current_user.contact_for(@person)
       @aspects_with_person = @contact.aspects
       @aspect_ids = @aspects_with_person.map(&:id)
     else
@@ -144,8 +144,16 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
       redirect_to people_path
     end
   end
+
+  def aspect_membership_dropdown
+    @person = Person.find(params[:id])
+    @contact = current_user.contact_for(@person) || Contact.new
+    render :partial => 'aspect_memberships/aspect_dropdown', :locals => {:contact => @contact, :person => @person, :hang => 'left'}
+  end
+
   private
   def webfinger(account, opts = {})
     Resque.enqueue(Job::SocketWebfinger, current_user.id, account, opts)
   end
+
 end
diff --git a/app/helpers/aspect_global_helper.rb b/app/helpers/aspect_global_helper.rb
index dac264005..5d7b71c76 100644
--- a/app/helpers/aspect_global_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/aspect_global_helper.rb
@@ -68,16 +68,12 @@ module AspectGlobalHelper
   def aspect_dropdown_list_item(aspect, contact, person)
     checked = (contact.persisted? && contact.aspect_memberships.detect{ |am| am.aspect_id == aspect.id})
     klass = checked ? "selected" : ""
-    hidden = !checked ? "hidden" : ""
 
     str = <<LISTITEM
 <li data-aspect_id=#{aspect.id} class='#{klass}'>
-  <img src='/images/icons/check_yes_ok.png' width=18 height=18 class='check #{hidden}'/>
+  <img src='/images/icons/check_yes_ok.png' width=18 height=18 class='check'/>
   <img src='/images/icons/check_yes_ok_white.png' width=18 height=18 class='checkWhite'/>
   #{aspect.name}
-  <div class=\"hidden\">
-    #{aspect_membership_button(aspect, contact, person)}
-  </div>
 </li>
 LISTITEM
     str.html_safe
diff --git a/app/models/aspect_membership.rb b/app/models/aspect_membership.rb
index 372e744ea..64abd8f9c 100644
--- a/app/models/aspect_membership.rb
+++ b/app/models/aspect_membership.rb
@@ -16,4 +16,12 @@ class AspectMembership < ActiveRecord::Base
     true
   end
 
+  def as_json(opts={})
+    {
+      :id => self.id,
+      :person_id => self.person.id,
+      :contact_id => self.contact.id,
+      :aspect_ids => self.contact.aspects.map{|a| a.id}
+    }
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/person.rb b/app/models/person.rb
index 59ac74889..ec2c525f6 100644
--- a/app/models/person.rb
+++ b/app/models/person.rb
@@ -227,7 +227,6 @@ class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
       :handle => self.diaspora_handle,
       :url => "/people/#{self.id}"
     }
-    json.merge(:aspect_ids => opts[:aspect_ids])
   end
 
   protected
diff --git a/app/views/aspect_memberships/create.js.erb b/app/views/aspect_memberships/create.js.erb
index 595304cf6..2292d0ae6 100644
--- a/app/views/aspect_memberships/create.js.erb
+++ b/app/views/aspect_memberships/create.js.erb
@@ -19,4 +19,3 @@ if($('#aspects_list').length == 1) {
 };
 
 element.fadeTo(200,1);
-
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/_header.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/_header.html.haml
index 63cf6cbcc..359b02e60 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/_header.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/_header.html.haml
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@
         %img.avatar
         %h4
           %a.person
-        = render 'aspect_memberships/aspect_dropdown', :contact => Contact.new, :person => Person.new, :hang => 'left'
+        #hovercard_dropdown_container
+
         .hovercard_footer
           .footer_container
             Message
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index 1dd4938fa..e78d8b2ec 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ Diaspora::Application.routes.draw do
     end
   end
 
+  get "people/:id/aspect_membership_button" => "people#aspect_membership_dropdown", :as => "aspect_membership_button"
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/public/javascripts/contact-edit.js b/public/javascripts/contact-edit.js
index 68a235492..bcdb86542 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/contact-edit.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/contact-edit.js
@@ -9,12 +9,9 @@ var ContactEdit = {
     });
   },
 
-  updateNumber: function(personId){
-    var dropdown = $(".dropdown_list[data-person_id=" + personId.toString() +"]"),
-        number = dropdown.find(".selected").length,
-        button = dropdown.parents(".dropdown").children('.button.toggle');
-
-    var replacement;
+  updateNumber: function(dropdown, personId, number){
+    var button = dropdown.parents(".dropdown").children('.button.toggle'),
+        replacement;
 
     if (number == 0) {
       button.removeClass("in_aspects");
@@ -36,7 +33,6 @@ var ContactEdit = {
   
   toggleCheckbox: 
     function(check){
-      check.toggleClass('hidden');
       check.parent('li').toggleClass('selected');
     },
 
@@ -44,10 +40,18 @@ var ContactEdit = {
     var button = li.find('.button');
     if(button.hasClass('disabled') || li.hasClass('newItem')){ return; }
 
-    var checkbox = li.find('img.check');
-    ContactEdit.toggleCheckbox(checkbox);
+    var checkbox = li.find('img.check'),
+        selected = li.hasClass("selected"),
+        routedId = selected ? "/42" : "";
 
-    $.fn.callRemote.apply(button);
+    $.post("/aspect_memberships" + routedId + ".json", {
+      "aspect_id": li.data("aspect_id"),
+      "person_id": li.parent().data("person_id"),
+      "_method": (selected) ? "DELETE" : "POST"
+    }, function(aspectMembership) {
+      ContactEdit.toggleCheckbox(checkbox);
+      ContactEdit.updateNumber(li.closest(".dropdown_list"), li.parent().data("person_id"), aspectMembership.aspect_ids.length);
+    });
   },
 };
 
diff --git a/public/javascripts/widgets/hovercard.js b/public/javascripts/widgets/hovercard.js
index a2a4458b7..ed9e64bd0 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/widgets/hovercard.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/widgets/hovercard.js
@@ -54,6 +54,27 @@
 
         self.hoverCard.tip.fadeIn('fast');
       });
+
+      $.get(self.target.attr('href')+'/aspect_membership_button',function(data){
+        self.hoverCard.tip.find('#hovercard_dropdown_container').html(data);
+      });
+    };
+
+    this.populateDropdown = function(aspect_ids){
+      var dropdown = this.hoverCard.tip.find('.dropdown_list'),
+          listElements = dropdown.children('li'),
+          inAspects = false;
+
+      // check-off aspects
+      $.each(listElements, function(idx,el){
+        var element = $(el);
+        if( aspect_ids.indexOf(element.attr('data-aspect_id')) !== -1 ){
+          element.addClass('selected');
+          inAspects = true;
+        }
+      });
+
+      // make button green
     };
 
     this.clearTimeout = function(delayed) {
@@ -63,7 +84,7 @@
       };
 
       if((typeof delayed === "boolean" && delayed) || (typeof delayed === "object" && delayed.type === "mouseleave")) {
-        self.hoverCardTimeout = setTimeout(callback, 300);
+        self.hoverCardTimeout = setTimeout(callback, 400);
       }
       else {
         callback();
diff --git a/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass b/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass
index a1c23868e..bbf8b4a52 100644
--- a/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass
+++ b/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass
@@ -3071,8 +3071,8 @@ ul.left_nav
     :display none
 
 #hovercard
-  @include box-shadow(0,0,7px,#333)
   @include border-radius(2px)
+  @include dropdown-shadow
 
   .avatar
     :position relative
diff --git a/public/stylesheets/sass/ui.sass b/public/stylesheets/sass/ui.sass
index f870ceeae..c811f7da6 100644
--- a/public/stylesheets/sass/ui.sass
+++ b/public/stylesheets/sass/ui.sass
@@ -150,7 +150,10 @@
 
             &:hover
               :text-decoration none
-          
+
+        &:not(.selected)
+          .check
+            :display none
 
   &.hang_right
     .wrapper
@@ -170,7 +173,7 @@
       @include border-radius(3px, 3px, 0, 0)
       :border 1px solid #444
         :bottom none
-    
+
     .selected
       :font-weight bold
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/aspect_memberships_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/aspect_memberships_controller_spec.rb
index 7772de8f1..7d4cb8c5c 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/aspect_memberships_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/aspect_memberships_controller_spec.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ describe AspectMembershipsController do
       }.should change{
         alice.contact_for(bob.person).aspect_memberships.count
       }.by(1)
-
     end
 
     it 'creates a contact' do
@@ -62,8 +61,19 @@ describe AspectMembershipsController do
         :aspect_id => @aspect0.id
       flash[:error].should_not be_empty
     end
-  end
 
+    context 'json' do
+      it 'returns a list of aspect ids for the person' do
+        post :create,
+        :format => 'json',
+        :person_id => @person.id,
+        :aspect_id => @aspect0.id
+
+        contact = @controller.current_user.contact_for(@person)
+        response.body.should == contact.aspect_memberships.first.to_json
+      end
+    end
+  end
 
   describe "#destroy" do
     it 'removes contacts from an aspect' do